Bachelor of Communication Studies, Major in Public Relations, BCS, University of Waikato

New Zealand

Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
BCS	find out	3 years	February, July	NZD 6462 per year	NZD 27165 per year
BCS	find out	3 years	February, July	NZD 6462 per year	NZD 27165 per year

About Bachelor of Communication Studies, Major in Public Relations, BCS - at University of Waikato

Our Bachelor of Communication Studies graduates are in demand with employers - their creative ideas can help companies to stand out in a crowded marketplace, or persuade people to change their views and behaviour on social issues.

The BCS is a specialist three-year degree that will give you expertise in communication theory and practice, combined with a general understanding of business.

You'll gain the skills required to become a strategy-based marketing or public relations specialist - working in either business, government or the not-for-profit sectors. This degree is an ideal choice if you enjoy talking to people, expressing ideas, being creative, and solving problems.

Learn how to harness the power of communication - in all its written, spoken and visual forms - to develop creative marketing campaigns that can attract loyal new customers to buy a company's products.

Or you could design PR campaigns that encourage people to adjust their beliefs and behaviour on specific social issues, such as health screening, public transport, or the environment.

Our Bachelor of Communication Studies is the only one in New Zealand or Australasia that is certified by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), which sets the global standards for the PR industry, in recognition of the outstanding experience we provide to students.

Success Stories

Jacinda Ardern

Bachelor of Communication Studies

1st Major subjects

For this degree, choose one of the following subjects as your 1st Major:

Marketing
Public Relations

See below for a list of other subjects that you can take as either a 2nd Major (8 papers), Minor (4 papers) or elective papers.

More about this degree

With the BCS you'll gain the skills to pitch news stories to journalists, write powerful speeches that resonate with audiences, and create content that tells a compelling story.

You'll also learn how to create positive relationships with key stakeholders, lead and motivate teams of people to deliver changes, translate communication strategies into action, and take steps to build or repair an organisation's reputation.

In third year, you'll take advanced papers that build expertise in your major and minor subject/s, covering industry topics such as digital marketing, events management, media relations, health communication, and much more.

Our graduates go on to pursue exciting careers in a wide range of organisations, watch videos of them below:

Alice Clements - Director of Communications at the University of Waikato
Stephen Knightly - Director of Pursuit PR Agency, Auckland

Waikato has an international reputation

You'll be studying at Waikato Management School, which is ranked in the top 1% of the business schools worldwide, having achieved Triple Crown Accreditation from EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB,This is a globally recognised benchmark of excellence in teaching and research.

In the prestigious QS World University Subject Rankings 2017, Waikato is ranked in the world's top 250 universities for Business & Management Studies.

Career opportunities

Advertising account executive
Brand and campaign manager
Communications adviser
Community leader
Content/web editor
Digital marketing specialist
Events manager
Marketing/sales manager
Press secretary
Product category manager
Public relations adviser
Social media manager
Sponsorship/fundraising manager
Writer/editor

Entry requirements for this course

Contact University of Waikato to find course entry requirements.

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Bachelor of Communication Studies, Major in Public Relations, BCS, University of Waikato

Study options for this course

About Bachelor of Communication Studies, Major in Public Relations, BCS - at University of Waikato

Entry requirements for this course

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Foundation and Pathway Courses at other institutions

Other courses at University of Waikato

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