Master of Strategic Communication

The Master of Strategic Communication at Adelaide University is a two-year coursework degree for people who want to plan, manage and evaluate communication for organisations. You will study how public relations, media relations, internal communication and issues management work in practice, and how to align messaging with an organisation's goals. Typical units cover audience research, campaign planning, writing for different channels, crisis and reputation management, and the ethics and law that shape what communicators can and cannot say.

Australian master's degrees by coursework usually run over two years full time, split into semesters or trimesters. You enrol in units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need a certain total to graduate. Many programs include a capstone unit in the final year, often a real client project or a substantial research project rather than a written exam. Where the field uses it, there may also be a professional placement or industry project, giving you supervised time in a workplace. Check the official course page for the exact unit list, credit points and placement arrangements.

Skills you build include writing clearly for different audiences, planning campaigns from research through to evaluation, handling media enquiries, managing communication during a crisis, and using data to judge whether a campaign worked. You also learn to work with stakeholders, executives, journalists, community groups, and to present a case for a communication strategy in plain language.

This degree suits early-career communicators who want to move up, people changing careers from journalism, marketing or public administration, and international students who want an Australian qualification in the field. Adelaide sits in a city with government, health, defence and education sectors that employ communication staff, and the university's industry links can help with projects and placements. While you study, a Student visa generally allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight during term. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia. English requirements for international applicants are usually IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for coursework master's degrees, though some fields ask for higher; TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. Confirm all details on the official course page and the CRICOS register.

• Public relations manager
• Corporate communications adviser
• Media relations officer
• Internal communications specialist
• Campaign or content strategist
• Issues and crisis communications adviser
• Government communications officer
• Stakeholder engagement coordinator
• Marketing communications manager
• Community relations officer

Graduates work across Australian sectors including government and public service, health, education, defence, professional services, not-for-profits, media organisations and private enterprise.