AD016 - Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing

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Plan: AD016 - Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing
Campus: City Campus

Program delivery and structure

Approach to learning and assessment
Work integrated learning
Program structure
Program transition plan

Approach to learning and assessment

Your learning experience will involve a broad range of experiences and teaching modes. Weekly workshops and supervised studios are at the core of the Professional Writing and Editing learning experience, but learning and teaching modes will vary as appropriate to each course’s objectives and content. Learning activities may include studios lectures, exercises, demonstrations, discussion, peer presentations, guest speakers, project work, case studies and field trips. You may also have opportunities to learn through industry placement. Your learning will be supported by online resources and interaction.

Assessment is designed to give you opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and capabilities and receive formal feedback on your progress. The forms of assessment will vary from course to course, as appropriate to the stated course learning outcomes and program learning outcomes.

Your assessment within the Professional Writing and Editing program may include:

  • writing folios: samples of specific writing tasks and work-in-progress on major writings such as a novel, non-fiction manuscript or children’s picture book. These will allow you to demonstrate the development of your craft according to specific requirements of form, brief, audience and market, and to receive focused critique and feedback.
  • self-assessment and reflection: reflecting on your progress, achievements and experiences within the course, and articulating your insights in a written form. This will allow you to shape your own learning and gain insights to facilitate your development and independent learning within and beyond the course.
  • presentations: in-class individual or group presentation of industry research, ideas and arguments on a chosen topic. These allow you to demonstrate your critical reading and investigation, to communicate effectively to your peers and to respond to questions that arise. Experience in oral presentations will prepare you for professional interactions within the publishing industry.
  • reports: written individual or group presentation of exploration, ideas and arguments on a chosen topic. These allow you to demonstrate your initiative and in communicating your findings effectively in written form, equipping you for independent learning in relevant areas.
  • assignments: creation of individual texts or documents of a kind required by industry or otherwise embodying knowledge and skills required to work at an industry standard as a writer or editor. These allow you to demonstrate your ability to respond to a given brief, conduct industry research, independently manage a project and solve problems.
  • projects: a range of tasks, often collaborative or team-based, which incorporate numerous processes and stages to create a finished work of a kind relevant to industry. These familiarise you with the integrated techniques and procedures used in the industry and allow you to demonstrate knowledge and skills in project development; project management; professional communication, collaboration and teamwork; and problem-solving.
  • tests: formal in-class individual demonstrations of your capabilities in fields such as grammar, punctuation, copyediting and proofreading. These will allow you to demonstrate your fundamental knowledge and skills, as they would be applied in the workplace or in the course of project development, and will allow teachers to help you identify areas requiring revision, consolidation or development.

You will also benefit from ongoing teacher feedback, class workshopping, class and group discussion, self-assessment and reflection, and peer review.

Where appropriate, you are also given the opportunity to present work to, and receive critique from, industry professionals, either through work placements or within class-based discussion, presentation or pitching sessions to industry figures.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.

If you have already developed areas of skill and knowledge included in this program (for example, through prior studies or work experience), you can apply for credit once you have enrolled in this program. There is information on the RMIT University website about how to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/enrolment/apply-for-credit

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Work integrated learning

RMIT is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice. As a student enrolled in this RMIT program you will:

  • undertake and be assessed on structured activities that allow you to learn, apply and demonstrate your professional or vocational practice
  • interact with industry and community when undertaking these activities
  • complete these activities in real work contexts or situations
  • these interactions and the work context provide a distinctive source of feedback to you to assist your learning.

Any or all of these aspects of a WIL experience may be simulated.

The specific Work Integrated Learning (WIL) course in this program is:

  • COMM2460 Towards Publication (12cp)

The integration of work-based learning and academic learning in COMM2460 will allow you to apply your knowledge and skills in a workplace context. You will choose between completing an industry placement or preparing a fiction or non-fiction manuscript to pitch to a publisher. You can expect to receive industry feedback on the work you perform during your placement or the work you show a publishing professional. The program prepares and supports you for these experiences.

Industry Placement Requirements
A WIL agreement including schedule and relevant insurance documentation is required to be completed before commencing each placement (local and international).

*International placements must be registered and processed through RMIT Global Mobility.
For further details, please refer to Your WIL activity.

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Program Structure

To graduate you must complete the following: All courses listed may not be available each semester.
 

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Year One of Program

Complete the following Seven (7) Core Courses:

Course Title

Credit Points

Course Code

Campus

Working withText and Image 12 COMM2450 City Campus
Introduction to Editing Practice 12 COMM2451 City Campus
Writing Fiction - Story and Structure 12 COMM2452 City Campus
Writing Creative Nonfiction 12 COMM2453 City Campus
Writing Professionally - Effective Communication 12 COMM2454 City Campus
Copyediting and Proofreading 12 COMM2455 City Campus
Building a Strong Narrative 12 COMM2456 City Campus
AND
Select and Complete One (1) of the following Options:

Course Title

Credit Points

Course Code

Campus

Freelance Writing for the Media 12 COMM2462 City Campus
Writing for Children 12 COMM2463 City Campus
Poetry and Performance 12 COMM2464 City Campus
Archetypes and Imagery in Storytelling 12 COMM2465 City Campus
 
AND

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Year Two of Program

Complete the following Five (5) Core Courses:

Course Title

Credit Points

Course Code

Campus

Creating Content 12 COMM2457 City Campus
Developing a Writing Project 12 COMM2458 City Campus
Inside the Industry 12 COMM2459 City Campus
Towards Publication 12 COMM2460 City Campus
Writing Workshop 12 COMM2461 City Campus
AND
Select and Complete Two (2) of the following Options:

Course Title

Credit Points

Course Code

Campus

Advanced Editing - Content and Collaboration 12 COMM2466 City Campus
Advanced Feature Writing 12 COMM2468 City Campus
Fiction for Young Adults 12 COMM2470 City Campus
Publishing for Editors - From Commission to Production 12 COMM2735 City Campus
Magazine Writing and Editing 12 COMM2467 City Campus
Advanced Professional Writing - Text, Design and Strategy 12 COMM2734 City Campus
Short Form Fiction Writing 12 COMM2736 City Campus
Genre Fiction - Targeting the Market 12 COMM2935 City Campus
AND
Select and Complete One (1) Course from any:
University Elective
 

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Program transition plan

 

 

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