English and New Media Studies Major - Bachelor of Arts

If you love writing and using digital and social media to communicate, the English and New Media Studies major can help you turn your passion into a rewarding career.

Social media, the internet and digital technologies have massively changed how we communicate. There’s high demand for people who can communicate across different digital and social media channels – from blogs to wikis and web pages.

You’ll develop skills in web-based writing, theories of language, digital media, storytelling, language and culture, information and communication technologies, online research, new literatures, and digital performance.


This is part of the Bachelor of Arts.

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You'll learn how language is linked to power and how to communicate powerfully and persuasively. Many assessments are submitted in new media, including enhanced podcasts, videos, blogs and webpages.

Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.

Core courses

All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.

Academic Communication

Choose one of:

Culture and Society

Complete one course from each of the following clusters. Each cluster aligns with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Knowledge and Inquiry

Choose one of:

English and New Media Studies courses

Level 5 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • ENGL500 Contemporary Language Studies
  • ENGL502 Reading New Zealand

Level 6 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • ENGL600 Literature/Desire
  • ENGL601 Language and Communication
  • ENGL602 Popular Genres

Level 7 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • ENGL700 Global English
  • ENGL701 New Literatures
  • ENGL702 Modern Rhetoric

Workplace experience

Workplace experience (the Work Integrated Learning course) is the final part of your degree and takes a full semester. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice.

Recent placements included:

  • United Nations Association of New Zealand
  • Global Gurus
  • Namseoul University
  • Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Gaming narrative designer
  • Virtual and augmented reality content producers
  • Immersia Ltd
  • Booktrack, San Francisco
  • Social media management
  • Web content management
  • Advertising
  • Diplomacy
  • Education
  • Journalism
  • Media
  • Public relations
  • The arts and cultural industries
  • Trade
  • Travel and tourism
  • Gaming narrative designer
  • Virtual and augmented reality content producers
English-and-New-Media-A4-21-10-15.jpg

Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.

English & New Media Careers

Key features
  • Communicate effectively through podcasts, prezis and blogs, wikis and webpages
  • Only major of its kind in New Zealand
  • Develop an e-portfolio to show your achievements
  • Workplace experience in your final semester
See yourself as
  • Innovative
  • Media informed
  • Connected and confident in the digital world
  • A communicator and writer
Hayley Burrows
Jason Jia Wang
Te Wai Rua-Cowan
Hayley Burrows
Great graduatesHayley BurrowsAccount Director, SocialitesPostgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies
Bachelor of ArtsWhen she visited the City Campus she knew AUT was the university for her, says Hayley Burrows who studied a Bachelor of Arts in English and New Media Studies.As soon as she visited the AUT City Campus she knew AUT was the university for her, says Hayley Burrows who studied a Bachelor of Arts in English and New Media Studies. Now working as an account director for award-winning social media agency Socialites, Hayley loves the variety of her role.
Jason Jia Wang
Great graduatesJason Jia WangLecturer/Deputy Director of the Business English Major Administration Office, Faculty of Language and Law, Tianjin University Renai College, Tianjin City, ChinaBachelor of ArtsHis biggest achievement is the number of university graduates he trains every year, says AUT alumnus Jason Jia Wang who now teaches in China.His biggest achievement is the number of university graduates he trains every year, says AUT alumnus Jason Jia Wang who is now a lecturer in the Faculty of Language and Law at Tianjin University Renai College in China. Jason initially came to AUT to study business, graduating with a Bachelor of Business in Accounting in 2009, followed by a Bachelor of Arts in English and New Media Studies in 2011.
Te Wai Rua-Cowan
Great graduatesTe Wai Rua-CowanFreelance Writer / Gym Membership Consultant, Anytime FitnessBachelor of ArtsAs someone who loves the arts, writing and digital marketing, studying English and new media studies was the perfect fit for her, says Te Wai Rua-Cowan.As someone who loves the arts, writing and digital marketing, studying English and new media studies was the perfect fit for her, says Te Wai Rua-Cowan. Te Wai says she felt very lucky to have found herself in the right university degree, crossing paths with amazing people and being lucky enough to be offered some great opportunities throughout her time at AUT.

The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.

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