Undergraduate - Area of study Public relations

The public relations (PR) industry is in a state of continuous growth and evolution. Corporate, government and not-for-profit organisations are always in search of public relations professionals to assist them with their strategic communication needs. PR graduates can expect to find employment in private sector, government and not-for-profit organisations.

As the public relations profession is increasingly becoming holistic, the PR practitioner is required to perform many different roles. To succeed, they must not only understand the needs of their clients, but must also be aware of industry trends and developments, and be attuned to the needs of their target audience. The skills necessary for this profession include: effective writing, critical thinking, active listening, decision-making, social perceptiveness, persuasiveness and an orientation towards service.

At Monash, public relations is designed to equip students with the relevant and necessary skills for the profession. Students will learn the rationale behind public relations practices, critically analyse case studies, and learn practical skills such as giving effective oral presentations. Monash graduates have gone on to become consultants and specialists in media relations, internal communication, publicity and events, government relations, public affairs, political communication, and crisis issues and management in business and non-business sectors such as healthcare, finance, information technology, community services and government.

Today, every worthwhile organisation understands the value of public relations and the critical role it plays in organisational survival. Public relations is primarily about building and maintaining relationships for the mutual benefit of those involved. Students will be introduced to the challenging and rewarding work of building organisation-public relationships. Study in public relations provides students with the necessary tools to work in positions where building a meaningful relationship between an organisation and its target publics are critical.