CSU vs. UC (1 Viewer)

[Nick0]

Ok folks, here's how the story goes. Basically I'm looking at quite a few courses, two of which are CSU's Bachelor of Arts (Television Production) and the other being UC's Bachelor of Communications (Media/Multimedia).

Now a few of my mates have suggested that doing a TAFE course and a Uni course would be the best course of action as that way I'd gain both practical and theoretical experience and this can be done with the UC course (ie. First two years completing the Advanced Diploma of Media Production @ the Canberra Institute of Technology, then the next two doing the B. Comm (M/MM) at UC), however the CSU course claims to be very practically orientated. This is where the issue comes in, I have no idea which one to preference over the other.

Both courses would require me to move away from home (currently Sydney), so thus that would include finding accomodation of some description, as well as a part time job, etc. My question thus is, which (in everyone's opinion) would be the better route to take, considering that CSU will take 3 years, UC - 4 years (if Adv. Dip. Media Production is completed before-hand).

 

[trompettiiste]

Alrightey. Just to let you know, I'm doing Television Production at CSU atm (1st Year), have no knowledge of this UC course and was in the same situation as you living in Sydney.

Quite simply if you want to go into television production - the one at CSU is THE course. The facilities are amazing - kick arse television studio SD enabled with 3 cameras on peds ($300K each), beautiful vision mixer, 100% digital 96 channel audio desk with G5 - if it had a transmitter we could be broadcasting today.

Now in the course 1/2 of your degree is television subjects, 1/4 your elective (multimedia/graphic design/acting/design) and 1/4 art subjects (like screen studies, legal issues, media history that kinda stuff).

As with the best way to get a job thru the course - since the course is THE course ppl from the industry (channel 7, 9, 10, grundy, global) go fishing at the end of your third year and grab you. From the group that graduated last year, only 2 do not have a job in the tv industry because they simply werent looking for one. I went to a Wheel of Fortune filming last week and there were MULTIPLE graduates working there. Seriously if you want to go into the industry - this is THE course.

Go down there and take a look! Its worth it

As with the whole moving down from Sydney part yea i kno its a bit of a scary thought but trust me its worth it. I live on campus and its awesome. scared about not knowing anyone? dont be cos i guarantee you will kno at least 50 ppl's names in the first week. Personally i'd live on campus in first year for that reason cos you meet so many more ppl

Bit about wagga now - yea its a lot smaller than sydney but srsly its got everything u need - all the major stores are right there and the nightlife rocks pretty good. there are free buses from the uni three nights of a week into town so its all pretty easy.

as with UC all i kno is that some ppl in my course were thinking of that but decided against it and came to Csu instead. and yes, they have never regretted it.

i hope all of this helps and feel free to send me an email (trompettiste at gmail dot com) if you have any other questions!

Andrew

 

[Nick0]

Well you've certainly answered most, if not all questions my mind was going to ask, lol. However, the only aspect which I'm still curious over is how the CSU course compares to say the UTS Bachelor of Communication (Media Arts and Production) and the TAFE NSW Diploma of Screen at North Sydney.

Finally, considering the fact that CSU doesn't actually produce a UAI requirement on their website, may I ask what sort of a UAI did you ascertain and did the university take this into high regard upon assessing you for the course?

 

[trompettiiste]

Alrightey the UTS course and Tafe are certainly courses I considered; the latter becoming my option B, and I totally ruled UTS out. The thing that I loved about the CSU course the most was its practical nature. Week one of uni I was in a TV studio doing a television show; operating $300K cameras, vision mixer and all of that; practically unsupervised.

The UTS course is very different. To sum it up its very la-di-da. Lots of theory, not much of prac. So if you don't mind waiting to do some prac and do lots of theory subjects (media history, australian culture), then go for your life. Additionally, UTS does not a TV studio anywhere near the size of CSU. And...the UAI is quite high 98.5 or something which for an industry that I guess I could stereotype as generally not 99 UAI, its stupid.

Tafe is a great course but... It's a practical course which is great. CSU however, you come out a lot more qualified and pretty much walk straight into a job once you leave. Tafe is also hard to get into to - they don't really take into account much. Now if you don't believe anything I have said, just speak to anyone in the television industry (go to a studio audience filming) and I guarantee they will say CSU is the best. Chances are you will be speaking to a CSU graduate. I have been to Sunrise and EVERYONE there said CSU (quite a few were CSU), Wheel of Fortune, spoke to execs at Channel 7. Yea I kno I have bias towards CSU here, but seriously don't let the 'big move away from home' shroud your thought. If you want to go into TV -it is the course.

UAI is a funny one. I got my offer in my interview way before the UAI was released, but they knew around what type of UAI i would get (95) based on my trial hsc marks and subjects (4U maths/phys/sdd/music/eng/cosmology). Anyways they dont really care about any of that. I don't think it played one part at all for me to get into the course. All they want, and i stress all is a passion for the industry. If you don't have that, then you're looking in the wrong place. Additionally, from what I hear it was pretty easy to get into the course this year. The University itself has minimum UAI requirements - however the TV lecturers don't give a crap about this; there are ppl with UAI's of 30 there and they are going great in the course.

Hope that helps, and again anymore questions, feel free to post/email

-Andrew

 

[kylie_robbo]

It might seem a bit stupid to go to a regional city to study TV Production, but as Andrew has already said, CSU graduates get jobs!

I haven't been down to TV land, but I know a few proddies: they are all very nice, very enthusiastic and bubbly people who are all very encouraging.

Completely side note: I watched Narnia with a 2nd yr TV proddie last night... He said nothing about the movie. Instead, when it was over, we watched the end of the Logies (like, the gold logie being presented and the nominees)... He said between the nominations and the presentation that if Tom Wood won, he would walk back to campus (it was cold last night at midnight!! ) and we all heard him... One of the guys in his cottage offered to wait up for him, but I left before they all did... Avocet dr to the Uni is a fair way at midnight in the cold... Hehehe.

Anyway, TV Production really is worthwhile at CSU, and although I am not a student, I really recommend it.

 

[Nick0]

Just so you know one and all, we've posed the question here:
(http://community.boredofstudies.org...10952/macquarie-university-media-degrees.html) asking how the Macquarie University (I'm not leaving anything out, now am I ) Bachelor of Media compares to the CSU Television Production Course. So far no one has really responded.

 

[Nick0]

Howdy folks, another comparison question!

What are your thoughts on this course?
http://www.nmit.vic.edu.au/courses/performingarts/television_a.html

http://www.nmit.vic.edu.au/courses/performingarts/podcasts/default.html#tv (Commentary available on the courses)