Available for international students studying in NZ or via distance learning
Your study of public relations delivers knowledge and skills that are in increasing demand - public relations is one of the fastest-growing specialist areas in business.
Find out more about the Bachelor of Communication parent structure
The Massey Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations) will build the skills you need for a successful career in public relations. You will develop your interpersonal and inter-group communication abilities, strategic thinking and planning capabilities, writing, and research and information processing skills.
You’ll learn how to help organisations to communicate in persuasive and ethical ways with their staff, customers, regulators, communities, investors, and society. Public relations practitioners organise events, write and edit media releases plus online and print newsletters and publications, develop strategic public relations plans, and build relationships through digital media.
Massey’s communication programmes are only the seventh outside of the US to be recognised by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).
This prestigious accreditation recognises Massey's "good connections with industry, its commitment to constant improvement, its strong leadership, and large research output". Massey Business School is ranked in the top 2% of business schools globally.
Massey University’s business and management studies ranks in the top 200 (by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings). We are also ranked in the top 150 universities worldwide for business administration programmes by the ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
Accreditation means your degree is internationally recognised, making it easier to arrange a student exchange and find employment overseas.
85% of graduates are employed within six months of graduation. These graduates are employed across nine different industry categories with more than 60 different job titles.
Massey University was New Zealand’s first institution to offer university-level courses in Public Relations, so you’ll be able to take advantage of our extensive knowledge and experience in teaching this discipline.
“My study experience at Massey University can only be described in one word - incredible. I am so grateful for the opportunities that were presented to me and I am so proud to be a Massey graduate…”
I have always had a literary brain and took essay-dominated subjects at school. I had no clue what to study when I left school and was tossing up between a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Laws. It was not until I had finished high school that a family friend (who is a Professor at Massey) told me about the Bachelor of Communication (BC). She explained that the BC is the perfect combination of Humanities and Business disciplines and delved into the opportunities available - everything from Student Exchange to Internships.
Massey Business School ranks in the top 1.3% of business schools globally, which was an immediate pull. It was also comforting to know that 85% of BC graduates are employed within six months of graduating.
Communication is the industry of the future, and to me, studying a BC at Massey seemed like a no-brainer. I am born and bred in Palmy so to have a university at my back door (that offered the degree I wanted) meant I didn’t have to look very far. The cost of living in Palmerston North for a student is also affordable.
My study experience at Massey University can only be described in one word - incredible. I am so grateful for the opportunities that were presented to me and I am so proud to be a Massey graduate. While some courses were more interesting than others, I can’t fault my study experience and my grades reflected the effort I put in. Taking a major in Business and a minor in Humanities exposed me to different teaching styles, methodologies and topics throughout the course of my studies. I found the small class sizes to be a huge benefit. This not only allows for more one on one time with your lecturers and tutors, but also forms a relationship between lecturer and student. You’re not just a name on an enrolment form.
In my second year of study, I had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad at Northern Arizona University through the Massey Student Exchange Programme. I took all my elective courses overseas, which allowed me to broaden my academic horizons, assimilate into a different learning culture, and become a global citizen. During my time abroad, I earned a place on the College of Social and Behavioural Sciences Dean’s List - of which I couldn’t have done without my initial knowledge base formed at Massey.
In my last year, I took the Communication Internship course and spent a full academic year at Blacksheepdesign. This internship allowed me to escape the classroom and work for an agency while I studied. I networked with future employers, produced work for national and intentional clients and gained invaluable real-world experience. Having interned as part of my degree helped me stand out from other graduates in a competitive job market after university. I was honoured to give the Valedictory Address on behalf of the Class of 2018 at the Massey Business School (Manawatu) Ceremony.
As of January 2018, I have commenced employment in my first 'grown-up' job. I am the International Relations Coordinator at Massey University, based in Palmerston North. I split my time between the International Relations team and the Student Mobility team.
While I try my hardest to maintain a healthy balance between my work and social life, I have enrolled in the Master of Communication for 2019 and will study part-time. Completing a PhD and lecturing are my long-term goals.
Your Massey PR education equips you with a sound grasp of the classic PR disciplines, and the BC structure enables you to complement this with areas such as creative communication – a potentially winning combination in the contemporary job market, where employers increasingly value creativity and adaptability. The internship course offers you the opportunity to gain real life PR experience as part of your studies, and our students are highly rated by internship hosts ranging from local councils to creative consultancies.
Enterprises across the spectrum of private sector, government, and not-for-profits now grasp the importance of public relations.
Surveys show BC graduates consistently enjoy high rates of employability, across a wide range of industry categories. Job titles include communication coordinator, consultant, content and social media specialist, project manager and advisor.
Public relations practitioners love how every working day is different, busy and challenging, drawing on creativity and strategic planning to make a real difference in their organisations and communities.
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