Strategic Public Relations

Coursework

Strategic Public Relations provides you with an understanding of public relations theory and practice at a time when new styles of management and the democratisation of workplaces are demanding higher proficiency in communication skills from practitioners as 'knowledge workers'. Our course will provide you with the strategic planning and thinking required to engage organisational stakeholders in priority initiatives in a media environment within which the boundaries between information, entertainment, image and politics are increasingly blurred. The course curriculum offers a critical approach that encourages you to determine your influence as a practitioner and reflect on how you, in turn, are influenced by dominant discourses and meta-narratives in your own practice. This degree is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA).

Drawing on disciplines such as public relations, strategic communication, organisational communication, and political public relations the course content reveals the complexity of public relations practice in shaping identities, dispersing power, and creating knowledge. You will be encouraged to challenge notions of public relations as symmetrical communication and a management (control) function, and to reconsider organisations as sites of collective action rather than bureaucratic structures. Taking a critical approach that recognises that today's communication professional is at the intersection of debates on how organisations and powerful coalitions create knowledge, you will graduate equipped to apply your creativity in innovation, and be confident in developing processes that achieve the critical input of internal and external publics.

Throughout your studies you will explore the various functions of public relations including media relations, relationship building, issues management, boundary spanning, stakeholder liaison, crisis communication and the integration of communications functions while developing essential skills in thinking, writing, speaking and working in teams. Learning how communication about daily practices in informal and formal organisation settings impact on the strategic decisions of all types of organisations, you will gain an understanding of the potential impact your practice can have on strategy execution, and the role that you can play in contributing to a just society and profitable corporations.

There are four core units of study:

• MECO6908 Strategy Selection in Corporate Public Relations
• MECO6909 Crisis Communication
• MECO6912 Political Public Relations
• MECO6913 Public Opinion, Public Policy and the Public Sphere

See also: Digital Communication and Cultures, Health Communication, Media Practice.

Awards and Requirements

Please refer to the course rules in this handbook for information on the specific admission requirements for different coursework award courses.

Master of Strategic Public Relations
Candidates for the Master of Strategic Public Relations are required to complete 72 credit points including:

• a minimum of 24 credit points of core units of study
• a maximum of 42 credit points from elective units of study
• at least 6 credit points of capstone units of study

Graduate Diploma in Strategic Public Relations
Candidates for the Graduate Diploma in Strategic Public Relations are required to complete 48 credit points including:

• a minimum of 24 credit points of core units of study
• a maximum of 24 credit points from elective units of study

Graduate Certificate in Strategic Public Relations
Candidates for the Graduate Certificate in Strategic Public Relations are required to complete 24 credit points including:

• a minimum of 12 credit points of core units of study
• a maximum of 12 credit points from elective units of study

Candidates who have completed previous study in a relevant discipline may be eligible for a reduction in the requirements in accordance with the table below.

Contacts and further information

Contact details can be found on these websites:
Department of Media and Communications
School of Literature, Art and Media