Feature Writing
UndergraduateUSA-COMM30732024
Course information for 2024 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Feature Writing
About this subject
By the end of this 10-week course, you’ll be able to:
- Apply advanced skills in writing feature and in-depth news articles.
- Utilise advanced skills and knowledge in a range of longer-form journalism styles.
- Demonstrate professional approaches to freelance work in journalism.
- Demonstrate skills and knowledge associated with specialist reporting.
- Demonstrate international perspectives as a professional and as a citizen.
- Introduction to Feature Writing
- Creative and Craft
- Freelance Journalism
- Researching Profiles
- Writing Profiles and Features
- Travel Writing and Specialisation
- Literary Journalism
- Immersion Journalism
- Editing and Social Media
- Futures in News Writing
Feature writing is one of the most enduring and satisfying styles of modern journalism, allowing writers to settle into their subject in a more creative and in-depth way than ‘hard’ bulletin-style news writing. It’s about scratching below the surface and revealing the people and places, the hows, and the whys behind the news.
To help you on the road to feature writing mastery, we will be exploring and practising a number of techniques around selecting a topic and an angle, interviewing, structuring your work, writing a fabulous intro, using quotes and description, and editing and publishing. You’re going to enjoy reading and analysing some inspiring feature articles by leading writers and, through the forum activities and your own writing practice, develop some of the same skills and strategies that the pros use.
UniSA Online’s 10-week short courses give you the flexibility to upskill in a certain area, stay current with developments in your field, diversify your knowledge, or even explore a new direction in your career – without having to commit to the time and cost of a full university degree.
This is a third-year course from UniSA Online’s Digital Media degree. When studying this course as a "single subject", prior knowledge from COMM 1074 or equivalent will support your success.
Delivered 100% online, you’ll be able to study where and when it suits you. Access online academic and student support seven days a week, fit study around work and life commitments, view learning resources 24/7, and log in to the interactive online environment anywhere, any time and on any device.
Should your course have an exam it will be scheduled for Australian Central Standard Time or Australian Central Daylight Time, depending on the time of the year.
Written 60% (Proposal, Media Task)
Written 40% (Media Task)- Continous Assessment - 3000 words (65%)
- Project - 1500 words (35%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is ranked as one of the best young universities in the world, and is the number one university in Australia for graduate employability. UniSA offers over 200 world-class degrees that are informed by industry and delivered with a highly practical approach to teaching and learning, and is a valuable partner with Open Universities Australia.
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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 21
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 21
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Additional requirements
- Other requirements - Students must be aged 17 or older by the time teaching commences for their course of study, in accordance with UniSA’s Selection and entry to programs policy
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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Most single subjects are part of a full degree. That means if you’re keen to keep learning, you can gain credit for the subjects you’ve successfully completed.
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If that degree allows entry via undergraduate subjects, there will be information about this under the Entry Requirements section. You will find a list of 2-4 open enrolment subjects you need to successfully complete to qualify for admission into that qualification.
Once you pass those subjects, you will satisfy the academic requirements for the degree, and you can apply for entry.
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