Master of Public Relations overview
Master degrees offer a broad array of opportunities for students to hone their skills in public relations (PR). The Queensland University of Technology and similar institutions provide units in crisis management, community consultation and more throughout the program. These courses take two years of full time study to complete, or up to four years if taken part time. Completion time can be reduced by six months given relevant undergraduate study.
Employment options
The jobs mentioned here are well suited to master degree holders in this field. Extensive insights into public communication, consultation and management make PR management positions well within reach, given appropriate experience in PR officer positions beforehand. The skillset is also applicable to marketing, where many companies like MarketingSweet can utilise them.
Scholarships and funding
General scholarships like the Gallipoli Scholarship and Endeavour Scholarships and Fellows initiative are the best options PR students have for obtaining funding. These are accessible across all disciplines, but tend to have unique requirements applicants ought to pay careful attention to. The former opportunity, for instance, requires students to have a descendent who fought in WWI, which naturally puts them out of reach for many applicants.
Prerequisites and selection process
Students should expect slightly stricter requirements from master programs as opposed to graduate certificates or diplomas. To use the Queensland University of Technology as an example, these programs can require a bachelor degree in a relevant field with a minimum passing GPA (50%). Students are advised to remember this is a minimum requirement, not a recommended one; the higher GPA will always win during competitive application periods.
Applicants who do not meet either of these requirements can be accepted, so long as they have a bachelor degree of any kind. This method of entry can extend the time it takes to complete the course.