Department of Communication, Language & Literature

The Department of Communication, Language & Literature is a service department in the School Communication and Creative Arts operating under the College of Humanities & Education. Every programme of study in the FNU has a mandatory unit in Communication Skills and Studies. These units are specifically tailored to suit the needs of the different schools and programmes. The department also offers English for Academic Purposes as part of the requirement for the B.Ed programme. This is also a mandatory unit.

From 2010, the Department will offer Language majors in the Bachelor of Education programme. These will be in the three main languages taught in secondary schools in Fiji. Students wishing to graduate with a major in languages will be required to complete six units in English language and literature and six in Hindi, Fijian or Rotuman.

Department of Media & Journalism

Media Section

The Department offers Media and Journalism studies through the Certificate III in Media & Journalism and Diploma in Media & Journalism. Both courses run for three trimesters of 36 weeks and are offered full-time during the day for the Certificate III in Media in Journalism and in the evening for the Diploma in Media & Journalism.

Programmes offered and Job Opportunities

Since its inception in 2003, the programme has been successfully established as one of the premier journalism schools of the region. Most of the school's graduates are now working in newsrooms in various media organisations in Fiji, in both the mainstream and alternative media. Students have found employment in television, radio, newspapers and magazines and some have ventured into alternative church and corporate media. Media Studies train students in both traditional and electronic media to prepare for the work and challenges of the modern informational era that media personnel and journalists face in today's society.

What do you learn?

The programme develops student's knowledge and skills of media and the analytical processes and techniques to provide for the insatiable demand for in-depth news that exist in today's media industry. The Certificate III in Media & Journalism is designed as part of the Diploma in Media & Journalism and trains students in specific units in IT skills, core journalism units like news writing, broadcast journalism in radio and television and also teaches proper journalism research skills. In addition, media students learn the proper conduction of the art of interviews and study society through civics lessons to learn about Fiji, the Pacific region and the world. The lessons prepare students to work in regional and international countries and also enable them to understand and write local, regional and international news.

Fiji media, because of recurrent political turmoil, is set in a sophisticated media environment with different challenges of society, with which our students are trained to cope in the explosive news environment. The Diploma in Media & Journalism students learn to report in-depth with an understanding of the environment and principles of Law and Media. An understanding is given of beat reporting in police court and Parliament, sports and health issues, regional and global development issues and a study of Pacific Island cultures. Diploma students also equip themselves by learning the latest software in web design and management. Students learn business economics, marketing, programme production and also train as mentors and media trainers in mentoring, team building and communication. Diploma in Media & Journalism students study regional and global developments to give them a deeper understanding to be able to report on regional and global issues.

How about the learning facilities?

Students currently enjoy the use of a modern computer lab for research on the web and internet with the latest in the media world. Materials for assignments and research for news stories for news bulletins on radio, television, newspapers and on the web are rapidly accessible.

The computers feature the latest software for media production that can edit news bulletins, radio documentaries, and audio-visual productions such as television dramas, documentaries, commercials and corporate videos. Computer programmes teach students to create and manage the latest and fastest communications in web media.

Department of Film & TV

The department offers the Certificate IV in Digital Film & TV Production from the Raiwai Campus

It is hoped that the FNU will offer a BA in Digital Film & TV production as well in the future. This course is designed to provide students with experience in all facets of digital film and TV production. It covers technical and creative components of film and TV production such as concept development, screen writing, camera operation, production management, acting, directing, editing and sound design.

Overall, the course is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge of the history of film and television with a sound understanding of production and postproduction processes for the film and television industries. Students will be able to develop the knowledge and skills required to produce high quality contents for television programmes, feature and documentary films, music videos and commercials.

In the first part of the Certificate IV course, students will learn all aspects of film and TV production. In the second part, students would be able to select two areas of film and TV production that they wish to pursue further. Students will be assisted to create their own projects to develop skills in directing, producing, acting, scriptwriting, TV anchoring, cinematography and editing.

The aim of these courses is to assist students to become proficient in all aspects of film and TV production while allowing each to pursue their own areas of interest or expertise. Students also gain expertise in business management, marketing, communications, ethics, and knowledge of the contemporary infotainment industry.

Department of Music, Visual & Performing Arts

The Department of Music, Visual & Performing Arts was formed in 2010 and it comes under the College of Humanities & Education. Prior to this, there was one department only which includes the Graphic Design & Graphic Arts, in 2005 Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy became part of this department.  The Graphic Arts course had been moved to the College of Engineering Science and Technology in 2010. The Signage and Screen Printing was established in 2002 and it also provides Certificate IV course.

These units are specifically tailored to suit the needs of the different industries in the area of Graphic Design, Signage, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy most of the courses are offered in Trimester mode.

The Department of Music, Visual & Performing Arts is located at the FNU Raiwai campus which is situated at Lot 2 Carpenter Street, Raiwai. We can be contacted on telephone 3387980 or fax3387946.

Music

The Department of Music, Visual & Performing Arts offers programmes that enhance the development of varied artistic talents of students, prepares graduates for employment in various fields of the industry.  The programmes are also designed to meet the future academic needs of graduates with Certificates or Diplomas, who may wish to pursue further studies in their specialist areas at degree level within FNU or abroad.

The department acknowledges the abundance of artistic talents in music that prevails in our nation today.  Music has been an innate gift since time immemorial, which our people have a natural flare for, and the passion to express it in all forms of musical styles within our cultures, traditions, ceremonies, folk songs etc.  Further, numerous requests from corporate entities, festival organisers and the tourism industry, for music students to perform at their functions have heightened the need to train and prepare top class performers who will meet the demands of the industry.  The Department of Music has incorporated all these values into its curriculum, to give students basic components of music skills that will open up new career paths for their future.  It will offer the following programs in 2011:  Certificate IV in Music, Certificate IV in Music (Tabla) and Diploma in Music.

Fine Arts & Creative Arts

 The Music, Visual & Performing Arts Department offers programs to meet the needs of the industry. The Certificate and Diploma Programmes offer excellent opportunities for students to begin their professional career as emerging, practicing artists. Students explore specialist areas in contemporary art with applied research and production for gallery exhibition and commercial development. Graduates move into professional careers as self - employed artists in art and craft related industries, home business and cottage industries or for further study at degree level in visual arts.

Graphic Design, Hairdressing & Fashion Design

 The Graphic Design, Hairdressing & Fashion Design programmes comprise:

1. Certificate II Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy

2. Certificate IV Screen printing & signage

3. Certificate IV Graphic Design

Students of design and art come from all over the Pacific including Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Kiribati, Tuvalu as well as New Zealand, China, Korea and India. We have a diverse cultural mix of Polynesian and Melanesian as well as Asian and Fijian students in the study programmes.