Course details

Summary

Are you a strategic thinker who’s great at communicating and networking, can think strategically and enjoys variety in a fast-paced work environment? A major in Public Relations could be a great start for your career.

Programme overview

Public Relations need well trained strategic thinkers who are outstanding writers and researchers, are fluent in digital media and thrive on building stakeholder relationships. It’s a rapidly-growing field with a need for well-managed messaging of all kinds. Honours programme full-time for four years is available.

In this programme you will develop your ability to craft and communicate messages, build stakeholder relationships through engagement, create and manage reputations, and help manage issues through crisis communications.

During your degree you’ll develop your PR toolkit through hands-on projects and an internship in your final semester. You’ll experience the right mix of thinking (theory) and doing and you’ll have the option of studying areas you’re really interested in like Media Law, Digital Marketing, Media and Government Communication, Interpreting Social Media and many others. With an eye on the future, you’ll begin your career with a portfolio of work and industry experience.

Highlights

• Hands-on experience: in your third year you work in a PR agency or organisation with real clients. Recently our students have worked with Communeco, Pead PR, The Clique, Passion PR, Porter Novelli and opportunities at Sweeny Vestey and Senate SHJ;
• Membership of the key professional association for the communication industry, Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) in your final year;
• Learn from experienced communication lecturers who are connected to real-world practice and engaged in a wide variety of media and PR research;
• High profile guest lecturers from professional practice.

Career Options

• Communications advisor
• Community relations manager
• Corporate communication executive
• Corporate relations advisor
• Corporate or public affairs communicator
• Internal communications executive
• Marketing communications executive
• Media relations executive
• Media relations manager
• Public relations executive

Entry criteria

For this programme, you will need the following:

• 42 credits at NCEA Level 3 or higher including: 14 credits in two different approved subjects; and 14 credits from up to two subjects (approved or non-approved). Your 42 credits must also include 12 credits at Level 3 in English or Maori
• 14 credits in NCEA Level 1 or higher in Mathematics or Pangarau
• Or equivalent qualification

English Language requirements:

• Have achieved NCEA Level 3 and New Zealand University entrance
• NZCEL (Academic) (Level 4)
• IELTS score of 6 with no band score lower than 5.5
• TOEFL (pBT) Paper-based test score of 550 (essay 5 TWE)
• TOEFL (iBT) Internet-based test score of 60 (writing 18)
• FCE or FCE for schools, or CAE, or CPE with a score of 169. No less than 162 in each skill. OET at Grade C in all sub-tests
• Pearson Test of English (PToE) Academic with a score of 50 with no score lower than 42