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This program is offered only to continuing students. No new admissions will be accepted. Students who are interested in this study area should .

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Professional accreditation

Accreditation with PRIA is pending.

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Program aims

The Master of Public Relations degree aims to prepare students to:

• demonstrate an informed and rational understanding of salient contemporary issues in corporate communication

• pursue a scholarly and informed study, to a publishable standard, of the relevance of corporate communication to aspects of organisational communication including strategic planning, risk management and management behaviour

• employ public relations communication theory to design and implement field research in a range of contemporary issues and problems in all aspects of corporate communication

• select and apply appropriate and professionally sound communication principles into the design and practice of corporate communication

• provide best practices in planning and organisation to corporate public relations.

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Program objectives

On successful completion of the Master of Public Relations degree students should be able to:

• display an informed awareness of the central role of the agencies, technical discourses and production processes of corporate communication in societal and political contexts

• apply communication and public relations theory to publishable analyses of organisational communication practices

• make appropriate and ethically justified applications of research methodology to the study and investigation of public relations practices

• initiate, plan and execute campaign and program tasks to a high professional level in a selected area of organisational communication.

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

Admission requirements to the Master of Public Relations shall be a three-year undergraduate qualification, or; demonstrated equivalent industry qualifications, or; at least five years' relevant industry experience, or; IPRM Diploma plus three years' industry experience.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program structure

The Master of Public Relations is an eight course program offered by external study (EXT) and online (ONL) modes only. (For those already working in the field of public relations, introductory courses may be substituted with other external study courses offered at USQ. This program may be studied in full-time mode (2 - 3 semesters), or part-time mode (recommended 6 semesters).

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 3 years to complete this program.

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IT requirements

Students should refer to the Division of ICT Services website for advice on .

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Exit points

Normally all applicants for the Master of Public Relations enrol initially into the Masters program but may elect to exit with the Graduate Certificate in Public Relations program. The Graduate Certificate program requires the study of four courses that provide practical elements required by the specialist public relations practitioner.

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Credit

Students in the Master of Public Relations may apply for consideration for up to a maximum of four units of credit or credit transfer.

Credit granted for equivalent postgraduate study from a recognised university or institution must meet the following specific requirements:

• the course passed was taken at least at Masters or equivalent level

• the course was passed within five years prior to the application (courses up to 10 years old may be considered if evidence is provided that the applicant has been employed in that field)

• the course passed is equivalent in objectives, content and weightings to a course prescribed in the Master of Public Relations, or alternatively, the course is suitable as an elective.

Students who do hold a relevant tertiary qualification at degree or equivalent level, and who have additionally accrued a minimum of five years industry experience, may make application for credit on the basis of work experience. Students must:

• provide written statements for each course credit being sought, demonstrating how the course objectives and topics have been achieved through employment experience

• provide a full curriculum vitae to assist in the assessment of applications for credit.

Students who do not hold a tertiary qualification at degree or equivalent level from a recognised institution, and who have been granted entry to the Master of Public Relations on the basis of equivalent work experience, will not be eligible to apply for credit on the basis of work experience.

To apply, students should submit an Credit Claim Form. Applications for credit should be submitted prior to, or at the time of, enrolment in the Master of Public Relations. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with USQ policy. Credit approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by USQ.

Recommended enrolment pattern

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Recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.