BC - Public Relations as a major
Second Major, Major
The world is full of stories that need to be told. Get the industry-relevant skills you need to become a communications specialist and digital storyteller using a wide range of technologies - from websites and apps through to films, podcasting and social media.
The world of public relations is fast-growing and exciting. Get the public relations skills you need to help an organisation build trusted relationships with its key stakeholders and enhance its public reputation.
Apply to enrol
Key information
| Entry Requirements: | University Entrance, or its equivalent, or on a case-by-case basis. |
|---|---|
| Years: | 3 |
| Points: | 360 |
| Start Dates: | Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July) |
| Estimated Fees* (Domestic): | $7,103 per year |
| Estimated Fees* (International): | $32,725 per year |
| Entry Requirements: | Undergraduate International |
| Area of Study: | |
| *Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. | |
Career opportunities
- Public relations executive
- Communications advisor/manager
- Community liaison manager
- Content writer
- Digital and social media manager
- Events and sponsorship manager
- Internal communications advisor
- Media relations adviser
- Press secretary
- Sponsorship/fundraising manager
- Stakeholder and engagement manager
Degree Planner
Degree planner — BC in Public Relations
Year 1
Choose either:
MRKTG101 or STMGT101
100 Level
Elective or Minor
100 Level
Elective or Minor
Year 2
100 Level or above
Elective or Minor
200 Level
Elective or Minor
200 Level
Elective or Minor
Year 3
200 or 300 Level
Elective or Minor
200 or 300 Level
Elective or Minor
200 or 300 Level
Elective or Minor
- Major
- Field
- Elective
100 Level papers:
Work-Integrated Learning paper:
- COMMS300 Communication Consulting Project
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern completed a Bachelor of Communication Studies at Waikato Management School in 2001.
Read stories from other Public Relations students
Papers
Papers available within Public Relations
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, BCC and BMS(Hons), 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, PUBRL302, PUBRL303, PUBRL304 and PUBRL305. BBus and BMS(Hons) students may count one of WSOMM396 or WSOMM399 in place of 15 points from PUBRL302, PUBRL303 or PUBRL304.
To complete Public Relations as part of a double major for the BBus, BC, BCC, BMS(Hons) 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.
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRKTG101 | Fundamentals of Successful Marketing | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton), 23A (Online), 23A (Tauranga), 23B (Hamilton), 23B (Hamilton Waikato College), 23B (Online), 23G (Hamilton), 23VB (National Economics University, Vietnam) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| This paper focuses on the role of Marketing in business, introducing students to marketing research, consumer behaviour, and analysis, as essential tools for developing brand positioning strategies that create value. | |||
| PUBRL101 | Introduction to Public Relations | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to various kinds of tools and expertise used by public relations practitioners in their effort to build relationships between an organisation and its stakeholders. | |||
| STMGT101 | Introduction to Management | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton), 23B (Hamilton), 23B (Tauranga), 23VA (National Economics University, Vietnam) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Explores the world of management in organisations, the roles of managers and how they strategise, plan, organise, and motivate staff to achieve goals. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUBRL201 | Media Relations and Publicity | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides students with concepts and techniques that enable them to create and report news for traditional and social media and to communicate effectively on behalf of organisations. | |||
| PUBRL202 | Health Communication | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores the construction and evaluation of communication campaigns to address health issues in communities and organisations. The campaigns use communication theory to design persuasive and innovative health campaigns. | |||
| PUBRL204 | Contemporary Public Relations Writing | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| Modern communications professionals write to represent organisations across many different audiences, purposes and contexts. PUBRL204 teaches students to select and use a range of genres from established media to emerging digital platforms. | |||
| PUBRL205 | Internal Communication and Organisational Change | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to communication as central to organisational practices. It provides theoretical and practical insights to equip students to identify, analyse, and respond to communication challenges in contemporary organisations. | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUBRL301 | Stakeholder and Community Engagement | 15.0 | No occurrences |
| This paper is designed to develop capacity in students to develop and facilitate ethical collaborative communication and relationship engagement activities with a diverse range of stakeholders within communities. | |||
| PUBRL302 | Issues and Crisis Management | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| 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 threaten organisational viability and wellbeing. | |||
| PUBRL303 | Events Management | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This experiential paper draws together best practice in event management from a practical, business, and operational perspective. The paper covers researching, designing, planning, and implementing an event for a client. | |||
| PUBRL304 | Corporate Social Responsibility and Social License | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to the concepts and practices of corporate social responsibility, and the associated need for organisations to establish their social license to operate. Without such a license, organisational legitimacy is threatened. | |||
| PUBRL305 | Public Relations Campaigns | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Public Relations Campaigns is the capstone course in the public relations major. It develops students' strategic approach to public relations challenges and hone their communication skills as well as ability to build trustworthy relationships with their organisation stakeholders. PUBRL305 is a practice-oriented paper that helps stu... | |||
| WSOMM396 | Management Internship | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton), 23A (Tauranga), 23B (Hamilton), 23B (Tauranga), 23C (Hamilton) & 23C (Tauranga) |
| The Management Internship provides students with the opportunity to apply their management discipline-based knowledge to an authentic project within an organisation. | |||
| WSOMM399 | Report of an Investigation | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton), 23A (Tauranga), 23B (Hamilton) & 23B (Tauranga) |
| This paper offers students the opportunity to complete a directed investigation of an approved topic relevant to an organisation or industry and in an area related to their management discipline of study. | |||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCOMM584 | Sustainable Futures | 30.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Individuals and organisations operate in contexts that are increasingly complex and uncertain. They face issues that are global in nature and which threaten long term sustainability. To successfully meet fast changing futures, contexts and stakeholders must be addressed. New styles of leadership and management are thus required, ac... | |||
| PUBRL591 | Public Relations Dissertation | 30.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | |||
| PUBRL592 | Public Relations Dissertation | 60.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | |||
| PUBRL593 | Public Relations Thesis | 90.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | |||
| PUBRL594 | Public Relations Thesis | 120.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | |||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUBRL800 | Public Relations MPhil Thesis | 120.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUBRL900 | Public Relations PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 23I (Hamilton), 23J (Hamilton), 23K (Hamilton), 23X (Hamilton) & 23X (Tauranga) |
| No description available. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Graduate study options
- Bachelor of Communication with Honours
- Bachelor of Business with Honours in Public Relations
- Postgraduate Certificate in Public Relations
- Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations
- Master of Management Studies in Public Relations
- Doctor of Philosophy in Public Relations
Contacts
Management Student Centre (MSC)
Level One - Waikato Management School
Phone:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.management.ac.nz/msc
Opening hours: 8.45am - 4.45pm Monday to Friday
Location: MSB.1.50, Hillcrest Road, University of Waikato, Hamilton