Master of Arts (MARA)

Back to top Program aims This program is specifically designed for prospective students who require professional development or qualifications upgrade.

The program also aims to produce graduates who have an advanced awareness, understanding and appreciation of the complexities of human thought, expression and behaviour as reflected in a specified discipline area.

Graduates will also have demonstrated their capacity for specialised study, research and scholarship at a higher level and/or in applying knowledge in employment or community service, and have enhanced further their personal, cultural, creative and intellectual capacities.

Core courses

Core courses are essential to developing the skills required to conduct scholarly activity and independent research at Masters level.

All students in the Corporate Communication; Editing and Publishing; and Humanities and Communication majors must enrol in the following courses:

• HMT4007 Becoming a Researcher
• MAR8003 Master of Arts Project A
• MAR8004 Master of Arts Project B

All students in the Creative Arts major must enrol in:

• BCA8000 Aesthetic Dimensions
• BCA8001 Critical and Creative Thinking
• HMT4007 Becoming a Researcher
• MAR8003 Master of Arts Project A
• MAR8004 Master of Arts Project B

Students wishing to undertake the Creative Arts (6-unit thesis or exegesis) or the Humanities and Communication (6- unit thesis or exegesis) for future PhD studies must also enrol in MAR8008 Master of Arts Project C.

Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

• Completion of an Australian Bachelor degree such as a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Creative Arts or equivalent from a recognised institution, with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.0, and
• A minimum of two years professional experience for those seeking entry to the Creative Arts major in the given discipline/field.
• English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 3.

Applicants for the Creative Arts major are advised to also address the following:

• Applicants must have completed a major in their discipline area or have equivalent professional experience. A portfolio of the applicant's creative work is to be made available upon request.
• Applicants must also include a report of no more than five pages, addressing the criteria below, and a 300 word description of the proposed project. Please advise the following: how your proposed research will advance your professional knowledge in a manner that is appropriate to your career progression/aspirations how your proposed research will evaluate and critically analyse a range of theories and methodologies pertaining to your sector/field in the creative arts how your proposed research will be managed and evaluated - detail the resources you will need to complete this project (include equipment, personnel etc) what your perceived outcome is for this research/project and who (other than yourself) stands to benefit from your research/project.

• Students intending to undertake research or project work should note that selection of any research topic is subject to the availability of an appropriate supervisor, and students must accept school guidance in their selection of a research topic.
• Students who have graduated with USQ's Graduate Certificate of Business and have a minimum of 2 years' full-time (or 4 years part-time) industry/professional work experience, or equivalent, will be considered for admission to the Corporate Communication major only in the Master of Arts.
• Students who have graduated with USQ’s Graduate Certificate of Editing and Publishing will be considered for admission to the Editing and Publishing major only in the Master of Arts .

All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements.

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a University-approved English language program. On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

Program objectives

On successful completion of the program students should:

• have advanced their professional knowledge in a manner that is appropriate to career progression
• be able to evaluate and to analyse critically a range of ideas and theories pertaining to the creative arts or humanities
• have acquired advanced knowledge, skills and competency in the content, epistemology and appreciation or practice of a particular discipline
• be able to conceive, plan and execute a project requiring research, scholarship, composition, and interpretation at an advanced level.