Public Relations Courses overview
Public relations (PR) is about maintaining an informative and sincere dialogue with stakeholders. It’s utilised by governments, companies and individuals to ensure they’re well understood and received. Postgraduate study provides students with insight into intercultural communication, media relations, public communication strategies and more.
The term ‘public relations’ is a recent invention of the 20th century, but the profession has ancient origins. Ancient stone tablets have been found in Iraq dating back several thousand years, attesting to the merits of various agricultural techniques. The great Egyptian pyramids and Persian obelisks were built to convince the public of each leader’s divine right to rule.
The field has advanced significantly beyond the instrument of royal influence, being used instead to promote and communicate with a curious and informed public. PR professionals today work tirelessly to make sure their clients are seen in a fair light.
Is public relations for me?
PR is for those who are enthused by the prospect of exploring the psychology behind interpersonal relations and marketing. It’s a curious intersect between fields that sees professionals utilising creativity, problem solving and attentiveness to people’s needs. If these things interest you, then a career in PR could be for you.
Study pathway
Study options are available up to master level, with graduate certificates and diplomas being available to those desiring a shorter completion time.
Graduate certificates are a succinct opportunity to explore a specific applications of PR, such as business or government. The University of Sydney offers certificates in strategic PR, providing units in agenda setting, investor communication, news writing, organisational communication and more. These programs take six months to complete if studied full time, or a year if part time.
Graduate diplomas take more time to develop essential skills for a career in PR, taking a year of full time study to complete. Programs like those from the University of Technology, Sydney offer ample coverage of foundational communication, communicating with the public, strategic negotiation and dealing with multicultural audiences.
Master degrees provide extensive knowledge of the craft, requiring two years of full time study to complete or longer if part time. Students at the Queensland University of Technology can expect detailed knowledge through units in corporate relations, digital strategy, community consultation, crisis management and much more. These programs can be completed sooner if students have experience in a business related field, reducing completion time to one and a half years.
Employment options
PR officer
These professionals use all tools at their disposal to manage the image of a client. This can mean anything from managing social media accounts to scheduling press conferences. Companies like PPR or Polkadot Communications based out of Sydney pride themselves on the quality services provided by their PR officers.
Marketing assistant
The knowledge acquired during postgraduate PR study is ideally suited to marketing. This career allows graduates to use their knowledge of managing people to assist consumers in meeting their needs. Companies like MarketingSweet need assistants to help manage their numerous clients.
Event manager
Knowing how to deal with people is a significant portion of event management, with strong organisational skills being equally as important. Alive Events Agency thrives on supplying high quality event managers to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Specialisations
There are many more careers available to graduate PR students, including but not limited to: