Specialise in Creative Communication and Social Change for your Bachelor of Communication at Massey
In the Bachelor of Communication (Creative Communication and Social Change), you will learn how to use stories, creativity, digital media, performance, data and public communication to make a difference in the real world.
You will practise skills like:
- pitching ideas
- making podcasts
- writing scripts and stories
- creating social media campaigns
- understanding different cultures
- working with communities on issues that matter.
You will explore how language, power, policy, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and social justice shape communication in Aotearoa and globally.
By the end, you will have built a portfolio of real projects that show how your creative communication work helps communities be heard, brings people together and supports positive change.
Skills sought-after by employers
This major helps you become a confident creative communicator who can work with people, lead teams, solve problems, tell powerful stories, use digital tools and contribute new ideas.
You'll learn to question messages, analyse audiences, understand power, interpret data and think carefully about how communication affects people. These are skills employers demand in almost every career, from media, government and business, to community, arts, education and non-profits.
Employment opportunities
Our 2025 All-BC-Graduates Survey found that 96% of Massey BC graduates have been employed since graduating and more than half of those have a current annual salary above $90,000. Job opportunities for Creative Communication and Social Change graduates will span:
- community development
- social services
- health, education
- arts and culture
- environmental organisations
- advocacy groups
- many other fields.
Employers in every sector want staff who can communicate creatively and engage diverse communities.
Gain a relevant qualification
In a world shaped by social media, rapid change and global challenges, organisations and communities are increasingly seeking creative communicators who can understand people, share stories and inspire action. This major develops practical skills in writing, digital media, performance, negotiation, collaboration and community engagement, in a justice-centred context, to help you drive genuine change.
A Bachelor of Communication in Creative Communication and Social Change is a good fit if you:
- Are passionate about social justice, the environment, human rights, community wellbeing or creating positive change.
- Enjoy writing, making videos or digital content, performing, storytelling or finding new ways to communicate with people.
- Are curious about different cultures and perspectives, enjoy teamwork and want to support communities to achieve their own goals.
Planning information
Planning information
If you study full-time, you'll study eight 15-credit courses each year, for a total of 360 credits. We recommend studying 60 credits per semester.
In your first year, 6 of those courses are compulsory. That means you get to meet other Bachelor of Communication students as a group, build essential skills that all communication graduates need and form an overview of the wider communication field before you specialise.
That leaves 2 courses for you to choose yourself in your first year of study. These courses can be electives, or you can start on the first-year (100-level) courses in your major.
By the start of your second year, you will need to choose the specialisation area you are most interested in (your major). You also choose a second field of interest (a minor) and from a range of elective courses. We recommend you take both your specialisations (major and minor) from the BC schedule, so that you meet the rule for at least 300 credits to come from the BC schedule.
If you want to take a second major (instead of a minor plus electives), this is available by special permission. Please contact the Academic Advice team via the 'Get Advice' button on this page.
We have curated a list of elective courses that will complement and deepen your communication study. We recommend you choose from that list to make the most of your studies, however, you can select electives from anywhere in the university if you choose. You may also want to keep your electives free to use for an international exchange. We ask you to choose major and minor when you enrol, but you can change these once you are enrolled.
No course can be credited to both a major and a minor.
Your major
Completing a major is compulsory. The Creative Communication and Social Change major requires 120 credits including at least 60 credits at 200 level and 60 credits at 300 level.
Minors
Completing a minor is compulsory. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities. We recommend minors come from the BC schedule.
A Creative Communication and Social Change minor (for students who are studying a different degree)
If you are not studying a Bachelor of Communication and wish to complete a minor in Creative Communication and Social Change see the Bachelor of Communication regulations for requirements.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Courses you can enrol in
Courses you can enrol in
Core courses for the Bachelor of Communication
As well as the specialisation courses listed below, this qualification has core courses that you will need to complete.
Bachelor of Communication core courses
Creative Communication and Social Change courses
Compulsory courses
Course code: 172237 Language, Discourse and Power 15 credits
An introduction to critical discourse analysis, exploring how language is used in the reproduction of social inequalities.
View full course detailsCourse code: 219217 Narrative Power in the Digital Age: Driving Social Change 15 credits
This course explores how digital narratives drive social change and liberation, investigating how marginalised communities can use digital power to challenge oppression and build solidarity. Students learn to design digital interventions that seek to dismantle oppressive systems and support community self-determination.
View full course detailsCourse code: 219313 Culture-Centred Organising 15 credits
This course centres culture in organising strategy, teaching community-driven planning, resource mobilisation, and culturally-rooted direct action through real-time projects.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299218 Creative Activism Practices 15 credits
This course explores public communication in service of the common good. Students will learn to navigate the dynamics of public discourse and to communicate impactfully, ethically, and constructively across diverse contexts.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299300 Creative Communication and Social Change Capstone Project 15 credits
This capstone project integrates creative theory and practice in the design of innovative campaigns in collaboration with communities or social movements.
View full course details15 credits from
Course code: 139111 Podcasting: Producing Audio Stories 15 credits
An introduction to the genre of audio storytelling with podcasts. Students will analyse the storytelling techniques employed in the narrative nonfiction podcast genre and use these techniques in the production of their own podcast episode.
View full course detailsCourse code: 219105 Pitches and Presentations 15 credits
This course examines how to persuade, inform, and entertain. In this practical course students will learn about aspects of performance, including character, style, creativity, making meaning, psychology, semantics, and how to read contexts/audiences. Students will explore and develop strategies for managing fear and anxiety.
View full course detailsCourse code: 219106 Finding Your Voice 15 credits
Many students find the prospect of oral presentations to be anxiety-inducing. This course provides the opportunity for students to experiment with different approaches to presentations in order to help them develop an authentic, adaptable voice for future communication challenges.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299102 Creative Writing II: Fundamentals of Narrative 15 credits
An introduction to the fundamental narrative elements of creative writing. Concepts such as structure, plot, point of view, character and dialogue are learned through close reading of texts drawn from fiction, creative non-fiction, drama and poetry, and applied through the creation of original creative texts and through workshopping and peer review.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299133 Creative Communication 15 credits
This course introduces creative communication through the study of creative practice and the making of original works of writing and performance. The course builds an understanding of written and physical storytelling in cultural contexts, supporting students to develop dramatic ideas that express social issues clearly and confidently.
View full course details15 credits from
Course code: 219212 Introduction to Global Communication 15 credits
This course examines the role of communication in diverse global contexts, the interplays between global processes and transformations in communication, and the role of communication in addressing contemporary global business challenges.
View full course detailsCourse code: 219215 Data Storytelling 15 credits
Stories move people—data makes them believable. This course integrates qualitative, quantitative, and critical methods to tackle real community challenges. Students gather evidence through interviews, surveys, and textual analysis, then shape what they find into narratives that matter. The craft: transforming numbers, words, and meanings into communication that is rigorous and ethical.
View full course detailsCourse code: 219229 Public Policy Communication 15 credits
The course will cover the application of communication theories in the design, development, and implementation of public policies. Students will learn to engage in authentic community consultation to develop policies. They will critically examine public policies, analyse public opinion, and co-design community engagement. Attention will be given to incorporating the provisions and principles of Te Tiriti in public policy communication.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299208 Script Writing 15 credits
An in-depth study of the skills, formats, technique and terminology of professional script writing, with emphasis on the adaptation of traditional approaches across the diversity of contemporary media.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299220 Theatre for Change 15 credits
An applied introduction to the varied ways in which theatre is used for social and personal change.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299280 Creative Nonfiction 15 credits
An intermediate-level introduction to the craft of nonfiction writing in a variety of genres, with a particular focus on the application of techniques usually associated with fiction and poetry to nonfiction material.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299285 Fiction Writing 15 credits
A beginning to intermediate-level study of the craft of fiction, investigating a range of forms by means of creative production, workshopping and peer review.
View full course details15 credits from
Course code: 219304 Intercultural Communication 15 credits
This course compares the communication behaviours of different cultures. Students will develop skills that help them analyse and address intercultural conflicts and issues, and gain skills that allow them to communicate effectively in intercultural contexts.
View full course detailsCourse code: 299309 Writing the Environment 15 credits
A study of the relationships between creative writing and ecological concerns, covering a range of contemporary forms from eco-fictions, nonfictions, or poetry, to nature writing, to animal stories. It engages students in the workshopped production of original creative work.
View full course detailsEntry requirements
Entry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for this qualification, outside of university admission regulations.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Fees and scholarships
Fees and scholarships
2026 tuition fees
- Domestic students: $7,415
- International students: $38,080
Tuition fees are estimates only. The exact fees charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment. The estimates are for full-time study (120 credits). Fees are in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The estimates do not include the Student Services Fee. This fee is $1,164 for on-campus students and $948 for distance students for full-time study (120 credits). For more information about this fee and other fees you may need to pay, see non-tuition fees.
There may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
Course fees
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme, including how much could be covered and your eligibility on the Inland Revenue website.
Scholarships and awards
Search our scholarships and awardsInternational students
International students
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
What our students say
“One of the biggest things I learned is how to unlock my creativity. I’ve been encouraged to experiment, play, fail and adapt. That guidance shaped how I approach all kinds of work, creative or not.”
Accreditations and rankings
QS Ranking - Communication and Media
Massey is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 150 universities for communication and media studies. QS is an organisation that ranks universities worldwide in various topics.
ShanghaiRanking - Communication
Communication at Massey is ranked #1 in New Zealand, and 45th in the world, by ShanghaiRanking.
Related study options
Diploma in Communication – DipC
Massey's Diploma in Communication will introduce you to a selection of disciplines in the communication field.
Master of Communication – MC
Mastering communication for real-world impact – bridging disciplines, solving problems.
Postgraduate Diploma in Communication – PGDipC
An in-depth look at communication principles and practice to help progress your career.
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