Graduate Certificate in Communication | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Graduate Certificate in Communication

  • Enhance your writing and communication skills
  • Discover the nuances of journalistic reporting
  • Create a portfolio of published works

Program summary

Program title: Graduate Certificate in Communication
Award abbreviation:
GCComn
Degree type: coursework
Study mode: on campus
Duration: 6 months minimum full-time, 2 years maximum part-time
Commence: Semester 1 or Semester 2
Fee type 2012: postgraduate coursework places, international fee-paying places
Total courses: 4
USC program code: AR541
CRICOS code: 058562J

Develop your writing proficiency and improve your job prospects.

The Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in Communication offers you an opportunity to develop skills in contemporary communication. The programs will be attractive to professionals in the corporate or government sectors looking to upgrade their qualifications and expertise in a short time, and gain a qualification that has relevance, currency and credibility. The ability to write and communicate well is becoming increasingly important. Employers are looking for people with the ability to write and communicate in an effective, efficient and lucid fashion. These programs impart knowledge and skills for both professional and business writing, and written communication in general.

The coursework-based Master of Communication is for those who want to develop or enrich their expertise in the rapidly expanding field of professional communication. It is ideal if you have studied in another discipline and wish to make a transition to journalism, professional writing, editing or public relations. Many media organisations place a premium on recruiting staff with degrees in fields such as science, law and business that also have postgraduate qualifications in relevant fields of communication.

You have the opportunity to specialise in the broad area of Communication Studies or the specific fields of Journalism, Public Relations or Creative Writing. Overall, you undertake the equivalent of 12 courses. After completing eight courses, five of which are electives, you complete a research project in which you choose to either research for and write a thesis of 16,000 to 20,000 words, or complete an industry-based research project. The research component involves individualised research relevant to your key area/s of interest as a professional communicator. It is equivalent in value to four courses.

You attend lectures and tutorials with undergraduate students but learning and assessment tasks are commensurate with a postgraduate standing. Because of this standing, you will be exempt from many course prerequisites although you must complete compulsory courses in your selected areas of specialisation. Research components of the program must be approved by the Program Leader, and are based on the availability of supervisory staff with relevant expertise.

Admission requirements

A student entering the Graduate Certificate program will normally be required to hold an undergraduate degree, or equivalent, from a recognised higher education institution. Entry by non-graduates who have extensive relevant industry experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Program objectives

On completion of this program students should be able to:

  • demonstrate proficiency in areas of professional writing
  • identify and evaluate a particular audience, and develop the styles of written communication and modes of delivery accordingly
  • identify the generic conventions of different forms of written communication
  • analyse written and oral communications in order to identify and implement proper drafting, revising, and editing techniques.
  • graduate and pursue further vocational studies and apply theoretically advanced approaches to communication studies
Enquiries

Faculty of Arts and Business
Tel: +61 7 5430 1259

Program Leader
Dr Rod McCulloch
Tel: +61 7 5459 4867
Email: rmcullo@usc.edu.au

Program structure

Program requirements and notes
  • Students are required to successfully complete the 4 required courses as listed below.
  • Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses).
  • Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student Visa.
  • When enrolling, refer to the Study Plan.
Introductory courses

Select 1 intrductory course from:
CMN102 Igniting Entrepreneurial Talent
CMN116 Marketing Communication
CMN120 Introduction to International Relations: An Australian Perspective
CMN130 Global Environmental Politics
CMN140 Forces of Change in International Politics

Advanced courses

Select 3 advanced courses from:
CMN213 International Security
CMN214
CMN216
CMN218
CMN224 Advertising Campaigns
CMN226 Creative and Interactive Advertising
CMN227
CMN228 Media Law and Ethics
CMN229
CMN231 Communication Campaign Planning
CMN235
CMN237
CMN238
CMN240 Feature Writing
CMN243
CMN246 Writing for Children and Young Adults
CMN247 Creative Writing for the Illustrated Book
CMN248
CMN249
CMN251
CMN256
CMN260 Writing the Short Story
CMN266 Writing Poetry
CMN267
EGL201 Reality Bites: An Exploration of Non-Fiction
EGL285
ENP240

TOTAL UNITS 48

Study Plan

The Graduate Certificate in Communication Study Plan is for students commencing in the current semester.

Required courses (4)

Select 1 course from:

CourseSemester of offerUnitsRequisites
CMN102 Exercise in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
CMN116 Exercise in Neurological Rehabilitation and Mental Health
CMN120 Case Management and Occupational Rehabilitation
CMN130 Innovation and Creative Decision Making
CMN140 Marketing Foundations

PLUS select 3 courses from:
CourseSemester of offerUnitsRequisites
CMN213 Managing Research
CMN214 Entrepreneurship
CMN216 Financial Statement Analysis
CMN218 Informatics for Managers
CMN224 Organisational Behaviour
CMN226 Economics for Managers
CMN227 Law and Business
CMN228 Understanding Leadership
CMN229 Corporate Governance
CMN231 Business Strategy
CMN235 Financial Management
CMN237 Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
CMN238 Human Resource Management
CMN240 New Business Planning
CMN243 Strategic Performance Measurement Systems
CMN246 Event Management
CMN247 Quantitative Data Analysis
CMN248 Leading and Managing Organisational Change
CMN249 Project Management
CMN251 Cultural Intelligence for International Business Managers
CMN256 Managing Knowledge Assets
CMN260 Leadership Development
CMN266 Marketing Strategy
CMN267 Property Management
EGL201 Accounting Principles
EGL285 Marketing Essentials
ENP240 Discovering Management

TOTAL UNITS 48

 

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