Arts & humanities

Diploma of Public Relations

Whatever aspect of a media career you aspire to, this online communications course delivers. Subjects include journalism, effective communication, and communication process and communication management - all valuable skills for a future working in television, new media, the film industry or news media. Choose the area you want to specialise in and the sky is your limit with this online qualification.

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Overview

Please note: This course has recently undergone a major change. Please refer to Transition Arrangements for more information.

Level of study: What does Undergraduate mean?

Undergraduate

Number of units: What are units?

16 units

How to enrol

  1. Select the units you want to study, then enrol.

OR


If eligible, apply for a Commonwealth supported place (CSP). A CSP is a place in a course where part of the cost of your studies is covered by the Australian government.
Application required.
  1. Commonwealth Supported Places offered (HECS-HELP)
  2. What is CSP?
Check CSP eligibility

Units in this course


Select Units

Griffith University offers this degree to provide students with the opportunity to develop key skills and knowledge essential to the media and communication industries. Comprehensive coverage will be given, including media research and analysis skills, knowledge of film and media history including broadcasting policy, regulation, content critique, development techniques applicable in journalism, screen production and new media settings.

Career Outcomes

Graduates will be ready for work in Journalism, Public Relations, New Media, Film and Television. They will be prepared to excel in administrative, marketing and creative roles in the cultural communications industries. This degree will be the backbone to a successful career in communication and related fields.

Transition Arrangements

Griffith University is changing the Bachelor of Communication degree to introduce new majors from 2012.

The Media Communication major has been withdrawn and the Journalism and Public Relations majors have been updated and revised. Three new majors are introduced: Screen Studies, Creative Writing and Business Communication. All five majors from 2012 will include two Level 1 units and six Level 2/3 units.

All Bachelor of Communication students study four Level 1 core units plus one Level 2 and one Level 3 core units.

Please note that the addition of two new compulsory core units from 2012 may affect the number of electives you can include in your degree.

  • All existing students should contact Off Campus & Assignment Handling Services at Griffith University for advice before enrolling in their 2012 units.
  • Existing registered students have the option of either completing the pre-2012 degree or transferring to the revised degree structure (depending on units completed). 
  • Existing unregistered students who want to complete the pre-2012 degree and who are eligible to register in the Bachelor of Communication should refer to information in Registering in this degree. Students must submit their completed registration form to Griffith University by the deadline of 10 February 2012 or contact Off Campus & Assignment Handling Services at Griffith University for advice.

New Students who start in 2012 will follow the requirements of the revised Bachelor of Communication.
 

Griffith_Bachelor_of_Communication_Transition_2012 (PDF, 151 KB)

Award Requirements

A student must complete 16 units, or their equivalent, and meet the following criteria:

8 units from the Certificate of Public Relations units

8 units from the Diploma of Public Relations units

Exit Points

Students not wishing to complete an entire degree can exit the program earlier with these qualifications:

  • Certificate in Public Relations
  • Diploma in Public Relations

Students who have completed the Certificate in Public Relations can progress to the Diploma in Public Relations by completing 8 additional units.

Recognition of Prior Learning / Credit

Students may be able to receive credit for previous studies conducted at other institutions. Please contact the Open Universities Australia Officer, Off Campus & Assignment Handling Services at Griffith University.

Registering in this Course

Students are required to register with Griffith University for this award by completing a Registration form and paying the required fee. The non-refundable $100 registration fee is payable when the form is submitted. While there is no immediate requirement for potential students to register in the degree course, students are recommended to register after completing 8-10 units, in order to receive advice on credit and unit selection.

Recommended Study Pattern

To get the most out of this course, follow these steps:

Study the Level 1 Certificate of Public Relations units

Study the Diploma of Public Relations units

Course Admission Eligibility Criteria

To learn more about Commonwealth supported placess, please see Commonwealth supported places.

About Commonwealth supported places

A Commonwealth supported place is a higher education place for which the Australian Government provides funding to the university towards the cost of your education. Commonwealth supported places are only available for students who wish to enrol in a full course of study and are required to contribute to the cost of their higher education through a student contribution. Eligible students in Commonwealth supported places can also receive assistance with their student contribution in the form of HECS-HELP.

To be eligible for Commonwealth support, you must be:

  • An Australian citizen OR;
  • A New Zealand citizen who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your study OR;
  • The holder of a permanent visa who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your study.

For more information and to download an information booklet on the eligibility requirements and the payment options available including the process for applying for HECS-HELP assistance, please visit http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/StudyAssist/

Alternatively if you do not wish to apply as a Commonwealth supported place student or are not eligible, you can still apply to study this course or units within this course. Click on the Course units tab above to find out more.

Please note that depending on the course eligibility requirements, you may be required to provide scanned and certified copies of the following supporting documents:

  • Certified copies of academic transcripts - required in most cases but check course eligibility rules.(Please ensure you attach all pages of your academic transcript including both the front and back pages)

A “certified copy” is a copy of an original document which has been certified as being a true copy by an authorised person. These include a justice of the peace, lawyer, medical practitioner, pharmacist, accountant, school principal or minister of religion.

  • English language test results - if your courses were not predominantly in English e.g. IELTS or equivalent test results.
  • IMPORTANT:  Please do not send original documents as they will not be returned.

Pricing and Payment Options

The total cost of completing a degree will vary depending on the course you have chosen to study.

Fees can also vary according to the type of unit you enrol in and the applicable fee band. Below is a guide to help you find the fees applicable for your own study path.

Please also note that the fees listed here are only indicative costs for new students in 2012. These fees may vary depending on the units you choose and do not include incidental fees (such as lab coats or art supplies) or the cost of your textbooks.

Course Structure

Majors

Complete the Certificate of Public Relations units (8 units) plus the following:

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Diploma of Public Relations Total number of units to complete: 8 units
Select
Unit code
Unit name
Provider
2012 Availability
Required Units: Complete the following 5 units
Griffith
Griffith
UniSA
Griffith
Griffith
Optional Units: Complete 3 units from the following 4 units
Griffith
Griffith
Griffith
Griffith
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If you would like to study this unit and enrol today, add it to your Study Cart. Alternatively if you are still exploring your options, you can save this unit to review later by clicking Save to Wishlist.

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