Bachelor of Business (Communication and Public Relations)

The Bachelor of Business (Communication and Public Relations) is a three-year Australian bachelor degree, listed on CRICOS as course 084216M. It sits at level 7 of the Australian Qualifications Framework, which is the standard level for a bachelor degree. You study full time over three years, usually across two semesters a year, sometimes three trimesters. Each unit of study carries credit points, and you need to pass a set number to graduate. The degree blends business subjects with communication and public relations subjects, so you learn how organisations manage their reputation, talk to the public, and handle the media.

In the first year you build a base in business. You take units in management, marketing, accounting, economics and business law, along with introductory public relations and communication units. These give you the language and tools you need for later study. In second and third year you go deeper. You study writing for public relations, media relations, crisis communication, campaign planning, digital and social media, stakeholder engagement, and corporate communication. Many degrees of this kind include a capstone unit in the final year, where you work on a real client brief or a major project that pulls together what you have learned. Some also offer an internship or professional placement unit, where you spend time in a public relations agency, a corporate communications team, a government department, or a not-for-profit. If placement is available, it is usually elective and you arrange it with the university's work-integrated learning office.

Assessment is a mix of essays, reports, media releases, campaign plans, presentations, group projects and exams. You learn to write clearly and quickly, pitch stories, plan campaigns, measure whether communication worked, and give advice to senior people. You also learn how to handle a crisis when an organisation is in the news for the wrong reasons. These are practical skills, and Australian employers in public relations, media, government, and business expect graduates to have them. The degree suits school leavers who like writing, talking to people, and figuring out how organisations work. It also suits people already working in marketing, media, or administration who want a formal qualification. English proficiency is required for international applicants. IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, though some courses 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. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Check the official page for current unit lists, fees, and intake dates.

International students on a Student visa can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying. After graduating, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia for a period set by the Department of Home Affairs. Always confirm visa rules and course details on the official government and university pages.

• Public relations officer or coordinator
• Communications officer or adviser
• Media liaison or media relations officer
• Social media coordinator
• Marketing and communications assistant
• Corporate affairs assistant
• Event and promotions coordinator
• Content writer or copywriter
• Stakeholder engagement officer
• Government communications officer

These roles are common in public relations and advertising agencies, corporate communications teams, federal, state and local government departments, not-for-profit organisations, health and education providers, and media companies across Australia.