Public Relations Subject regulations

Public relations is an exciting, fast-growing industry that involves using strategic communication to help an organisation maintain trusted relationships with its key stakeholders, seek to influence people's opinions or behaviour, and achieve its overall mission. If you enjoy writing and talking to different people, and love framing ideas in imaginative and engaging ways, then a career in PR may be right for you. It may also involve working with journalists, organising events, crisis/issues management, sponsorship and fundraising, government lobbying, and community/corporate relations.

Public Relations is available as a first major for the Bachelor of Business (BBus), the Bachelor of Climate Change (BCC), the Bachelor of Communication (BC) and the Bachelor of Management Studies with Honours (BMS(Hons))[1]. Public Relations may also be included as a second major or minor in other undergraduate degrees, subject to approval of the Division in which the student is enrolled.

To complete Public Relations as a single major for the BBus, BC or BCC, students must gain 135 points from papers listed for Public Relations, including 105 points above 100 level, and 60 points above 200 level. Students must complete PUBRL101, one paper from MRKTG101 or STMGT101; PUBRL201, PUBRL204, PUBRL205, PUBRL305, 30 points from PUBRL302, PUBRL303, or PUBRL304 and a Work Integrated Learning paper approved for the degree.

To complete Public Relations as part of a double major for the BBus, BC, BCC, or other undergraduate degree, students must gain 120 points from papers listed for Public Relations, including 90 points above 100 level, and 45 points above 200 level. Students must complete PUBRL101, one paper from MRKTG101 or STMGT101; PUBRL201, PUBRL204, PUBRL205, PUBRL302, PUBRL304 and PUBRL305.

To complete a minor in Public Relations, students must complete 60 points from the papers listed for the Public Relations major, including at least 30 points above 100 level. Students must complete PUBRL101.

NOTES:

[1] There will be no new enrolments into the BMS(Hons) from 2024. Students who commenced a BMS(Hons) in 2023 or prior should contact the Waikato Management School for programme advice.

Note:

Students are encouraged to contact the Waikato Management School for programme advice.

Other qualifications

Prescriptions for:

Public Relations papers

100 Level 200 Level 300 Level 500 Level 800 Level 900 Level

Code and paper title	Points
MRKTG101 Fundamentals of Successful Marketing This paper focuses on the role of Marketing in business, introducing students to marketing research, consumer behaviour, and analysis, as essential...	15	26A (Hamilton) & 26A (Online) & 26A (Tauranga) & 26B (Hamilton) & 26B (Online) & 26G (Hamilton) & 26VC (National Economics University, Vietnam) & 26X (Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou China)
PUBRL101 Introduction to Public Relations This paper introduces students to various kinds of tools and expertise used by public relations practitioners in their effort to build relationships...	15	26A (Hamilton)
STMGT101 Introduction to Management Managing in organisations, small and large, in changing local and international business environments requires knowledge, skills, and abilities of...	15	26A (Hamilton) & 26B (Hamilton) & 26B (Tauranga) & 26VA (National Economics University, Vietnam) & 26X (Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou China)

Code and paper title	Points
PUBRL201 Media Relations and Publicity This paper provides students with concepts and techniques that enable them to create and report news for traditional and social media and to...	15	26B (Hamilton)
PUBRL204 Contemporary Public Relations Writing Modern communications professionals write to represent organisations across many different audiences, purposes and contexts. PUBRL204 teaches...	15	26A (Hamilton)
PUBRL205 Internal Communication and Organisational Change This paper introduces students to communication as central to organisational practices. It provides theoretical and practical insights to equip...	15	26B (Hamilton)

Code and paper title	Points
PUBRL302 Issues and Crisis Management PUBRL302 takes a case study approach to learning to understand and strategically adapt to a wide range of issues and to respond to crises that may...	15	26B (Hamilton)
PUBRL303 Events Management This experiential paper draws together best practice in event management from a practical, business, and operational perspective. The paper covers...	15	26A (Hamilton)
PUBRL304 Corporate Social Responsibility and Social License This paper introduces students to the concepts and practices of corporate social responsibility, and the associated need for organisations to...	15	26A (Hamilton)
PUBRL305 Public Relations Campaigns Public Relations Campaigns is the capstone course in the public relations major. It develops students’ strategic approach to public relations...	15	26B (Hamilton)
WSOMM396 Management Internship The Management Internship provides students with the opportunity to apply their management discipline-based knowledge to an authentic project within...	15	26A (Hamilton) & 26A (Tauranga) & 26B (Hamilton) & 26B (Tauranga) & 26C (Hamilton) & 26C (Tauranga) & 26VB (Internet National Economics University, Vietnam) & 26VC (Internet National Economics University, Vietnam)
WSOMM399 Report of an Investigation This paper offers students the opportunity to complete a directed investigation of an approved topic relevant to an organisation or industry and in...	15	26A (Hamilton) & 26A (Tauranga) & 26B (Hamilton) & 26B (Tauranga)

Code and paper title	Points
LEADR583 Leadership, Communication and Transformation Our focus in this paper will be on leadership communication, or the ways leaders and followers interact and the ways leaders attempt to create and...	30	26B (Hamilton)
PUBRL500 Contemporary Issues in Public Relations This paper explores the evolving landscape of public relations (PR) in the 21st century, focusing on contemporary challenges, trends, and practices...	30	26B (Hamilton)
PUBRL591 Public Relations Dissertation A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. The 591 dissertation is a maximum of 13,000 words.	30	26X (Hamilton)
PUBRL592 Public Relations Dissertation A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. The 592 dissertation is a maximum of 26,000 words	60	26X (Hamilton)
PUBRL593 Public Relations Thesis An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. The 593 thesis is a maximum of 39,000 words.	90	26X (Hamilton)
PUBRL594 Public Relations Thesis An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. The 594 thesis is a maximum of 50,000 words.	120	26X (Hamilton)
STMGT584 Sustainable Futures Individuals and organisations operate in contexts that are increasingly complex and uncertain. They face issues that are global in nature and which...	30	26B (Hamilton)

Code and paper title	Points
PUBRL800 Public Relations MPhil Thesis	120	26X (Hamilton)

Code and paper title	Points
PUBRL900 Public Relations PhD Thesis	120	26I (Hamilton) & 26J (Hamilton) & 26K (Hamilton) & 26X (Hamilton) & 26X (Tauranga)

2026 Catalogue of Papers information current as of 31 Oct 2025 01:00am

Public Relations Subject regulations

Other qualifications

Public Relations papers

You’re viewing this website as an international visitor