Commerce/Media (PR & Advert) - 3559
Program Summary
Faculty: UNSW Business School
Contact: UNSW Business School Student Centre
Campus: Sydney
Career: Undergraduate
Typical Duration: 4 Years 
Typical UOC Per Semester: 24
Min UOC Per Semester: 6
Max UOC Per Semester: 24
Min UOC For Award: 192
UAC Code: 424100
Domestic Entry Requirements: See Domestic Entry Requirements
International Entry Requirements: See International Entry Requirements
Award(s):
Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce (Major)
Bachelor of Media
Bachelor of Media (Major)
View program information for previous years
Program Description
If you are a prospective student researching your study options, please visit UNSW Business School website for more information.
The Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) (B Com B Media(PR and Advertising)) is a 4 year dual award program which combines a highly valued business qualification with a program which aims to develop communication leaders who inspire innovation and change at all levels of society and who adhere to the highest ethical standards.
The B Com component provides students with the fundamentals of business and the opportunity to explore their interests in one of a range of business disciplines. The B Media (PR and Advertising) component provides students with foundational and applied skills, knowledge and capabilities in public relations and advertising. The B Media (PR and Advertising) program is structured to offer a philosophical and cultural foundation in the media studies core, conceptual and practical skills in public relations and advertising.
It is assumed that students have a certain level of knowledge in advanced mathematics in order to cope well with the mathematical or statistical component of a business degree. If you are successful in obtaining a place without this assumed knowledge, you are strongly encouraged to consider studying a Mathematics Bridging Course before starting your degree.
Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes
On successful completion of the BCom component, students will have the ability to:
- demonstrate business knowledge and apply that knowledge in business problems
- demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills
- present complex issues in coherent written statements and oral presentations
- demonstrate understanding of disciplinary issues in a local or global context
- demonstrate understanding of the principles of working collaboratively in teams
- understand the social and ethical dimensions in their chosen disciplinary areas
The UNSW BMedia (PR&A) aims to develop students’ understanding of professional communication in contemporary Australian and international contexts. In particular, the program aims to provide students with knowledge of and opportunities to engage critically with debates relating to the fields of public relations and advertising. Students will examine the role and responsibilities of persuasive communication in a democratic society and learn how to add value through engagement in social and environmental innovation and enterprise.
The program will offer students the opportunity to reflect critically upon how their vocational skills operate within and are mediated by political, economic, mediatized and social discourses and the dynamics of industry, governments, markets, consumer cultures, valuing regimes and society. Modes of professional communication including informative, persuasive, political, creative, promotional, digital and interpersonal discourse will be examined.
The program also aims to develop an in-depth understanding of how to ethically engage with publics and communities, creatively engage with communication concepts and production technology, and professionally engage with organisational practices.
The Graduate Attributes for the BMedia (PR&A) component are:
The program will offer students the opportunity to reflect critically upon how their vocational skills operate within and are mediated by political, economic, mediatized and social discourses and the dynamics of industry, governments, markets, consumer cultures, valuing regimes and society. Modes of professional communication including informative, persuasive, political, creative, promotional, digital and interpersonal discourse will be examined.
The program also aims to develop an in-depth understanding of how to ethically engage with publics and communities, creatively engage with communication concepts and production technology, and professionally engage with organisational practices.
The Graduate Attributes for the BMedia (PR&A) component are:
- The skills involved in practice-based research.
- An in-depth engagement with knowledge about public relations and advertising in the context of media studies.
- The capacity for analytical and critical thinking and for creative-problem solving in the contexts of public relations and advertising.
- The ability to independently produce effective public relations and advertising texts and to critically reflect on their value and purpose as tools of practice.
- The skills to appropriately locate, evaluate and use relevant information to develop content for public relations and advertising.
- The capacity for enterprise, initiative and creativity.
- An appreciation of, and respect for, the cultural diversity of media audiences, media forms and media delivery contexts.
- A capacity to contribute to, and work within, the international community.
- The skills required to create, discuss and evaluate public relations and advertising texts in collaboration with others.
- The capacity to keep abreast of changes in the audiences.
- Platforms, tools and practices of public relations and advertising.
- A respect for ethical practice and social responsibility.
- The skills of communicating effectively across a range of contexts and platforms in public relations and advertising professions
Program Structure
The Bachelor of Commerce Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) consists of 96 UOC of Commerce courses and 96 UOC of Media, PR and Advertising courses as detailed below:
B Com component 96 UOC:
B Com component 96 UOC:
- Compulsory core courses (24 UOC)
- Flexible core courses (24 UOC)
- Major requirements (48 UOC)
B Media (PR and Advertising) component 96 UOC:
- Media Core (12 UOC)
- Prescribed Media Elective (24 UOC)
- PR and Advertising Core (48 UOC)
- Prescribed Public Relations and Advertising Electives (12 UOC).
Bachelor of Commerce component
Compulsory core courses account for 24 UOC (4 courses)
Compulsory core courses account for 24 UOC (4 courses)
Flexible core courses account for 24 UOC (4 courses). Students should choose four courses from the following list:
- ACCT1511 Accounting & Financial Mgt 1B (6 UOC)
- COMM1000 Creating Social Change (6 UOC)
- ECON1102 Macroeconomics 1 (6 UOC)
- FINS1613 Business Finance (6 UOC)
- INFS1602 Digital Transformation in Bus (6 UOC)
- MARK1012 Marketing Fundamentals (6 UOC)
- MGMT1101 Global Business Environment (6 UOC)
- TABL1710 Business and the Law (6 UOC)
Major requirements: 48UOC in an approved disciplinary stream offered by the UNSW Business School (See Table A), containing at least 18 UOC at level 3. (Note that the 48UOC includes the first disciplinary course(s) in the Core (Compulsory or Flexible). This means that, for the majority of majors, students will complete 42UOC in specified disciplinary courses outside the core.)
Please note: One or more additional courses (i.e. in addition to the core and major requirements) must be taken from within the UNSW Business School to ensure you complete 96UOC of Business courses within the B Com component of this program.
Please note: One or more additional courses (i.e. in addition to the core and major requirements) must be taken from within the UNSW Business School to ensure you complete 96UOC of Business courses within the B Com component of this program.
Table A
Approved Majors from within the UNSW Business School:
Approved Majors from within the UNSW Business School:
- Accounting
- Business Economics
- Business Strategy and Economic Management
- Business Law
- Finance
- Financial Economics
- Human Resource Management
- Information Systems
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
- Real Estate Studies
- Taxation
Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) component
Level I focuses on contextual knowledge of communication industries, Level II introduces communication theory, and Level III of the program deepens students’ knowledge of how such theories play out in society. At each level, an industry specific course in public relations or advertising is offered that augments the conceptual development and offers vocationally relevant knowledge in strategic communication.
Students are encouraged to think beyond industry specific problems to reflect on the broader socio-cultural, political and economic implications of the roles and responsibilities of public relations and advertising. The program focuses, in particular, on engagement, innovation and creativity.
Level I focuses on contextual knowledge of communication industries, Level II introduces communication theory, and Level III of the program deepens students’ knowledge of how such theories play out in society. At each level, an industry specific course in public relations or advertising is offered that augments the conceptual development and offers vocationally relevant knowledge in strategic communication.
Students are encouraged to think beyond industry specific problems to reflect on the broader socio-cultural, political and economic implications of the roles and responsibilities of public relations and advertising. The program focuses, in particular, on engagement, innovation and creativity.
Core Courses:
Media Core
Media Core
PR and Advertising Core
Level 1
Level 1
Level 2
- MDIA2005 Advertising (6 UOC)
- MDIA2006 Communication Strategies (6 UOC)
Level 3
- MDIA3000 Public Relations Discourse (6 UOC)
- MDIA3003 Media Portfolio (6 UOC)
- MDIA3005 Social Innovation & Engagement (6 UOC)
- MDIA3008 Crisis Communication (6 UOC)
Prescribed Electives
Media
Level 2
Media
Level 2
Students will complete any two of the following:
- ARTS2091 Mobile Cultures (6 UOC)
- ARTS2092 Global Media (6 UOC)
- ARTS2093 Social Media (6 UOC)
- ARTS2095 Digital Tech and the Self (6 UOC)
Level 3
Students will complete any two of the following:
- ARTS3091 Advanced Media Issues (6 UOC)
- ARTS3092 Media in Asia-Pacific (6 UOC)
- ARTS3093 Media Power (6 UOC)
- ARTS3096 Media and Climate Change (6 UOC)
- ARTS3097 Current Debates in Media (6 UOC)
- MDIA3007 Media Internship (6 UOC)
PR and Advertising Electives
Students will complete two PR & Advertising Electives from the prescribed electives list available at Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising).
Note: If MARK1012 Marketing Fundamentals is selected from the prescribed PR & Advertising electives list and is double counted in the BCom then students must complete a prescribed Arts & Social Sciences elective course to bring the total units completed to 96 UOC for the B Media (PR & Advertising) program.
Click here to view the Progression Plan for your Commerce program
Click here to view the Progression Plan for your Commerce program
Honours
High achieving students may undertake honours in the area of their business major by enrolling in 4501 BCom(Hons) program.
After completion of 144 UOC including all of the requirements of the Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) dual degree, high achieving students may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Media (Honours) program 4510. A minimum WAM of 70 in the Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) component of the dual degree is required for entry into Honours.
After completion of 144 UOC including all of the requirements of the Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) dual degree, high achieving students may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Media (Honours) program 4510. A minimum WAM of 70 in the Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) component of the dual degree is required for entry into Honours.
Academic Rules
Academic Rules for B Com Component
Please refer to the Program Structure for the academic requirements relating to this program.
Rules relating to the award of the degree of B Com shall apply wherever relevant. Students are advised to consult the Academic Rules for further information
Academic Rules for B Media (PR and Advertising) component
To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:
1. enrol in the Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) and complete 96 units of credit;
2. complete the requirements for the core
3. complete the requirements for prescribed electives
4. complete at least 30 units of credit of Level I courses before enrolling in Level II courses
5. complete at least 48 units of credit overall before enrolling in Level III courses
Glossary of Terms
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Programs Glossary of Terms - Click here
Important Information
The Academic Rules for the UNSW B Com and B Media (PR&A) and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.
Award with Distinction
High achieving students who secure a WAM of 75 across their B Media (PR and Advertising) program and who have completed at least 48 UOC of their program at UNSW are eligible for the award of their Pass Degree "with Distinction".
Please refer to the Program Structure for the academic requirements relating to this program.
Rules relating to the award of the degree of B Com shall apply wherever relevant. Students are advised to consult the Academic Rules for further information
Academic Rules for B Media (PR and Advertising) component
To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:
1. enrol in the Bachelor of Media (PR and Advertising) and complete 96 units of credit;
2. complete the requirements for the core
3. complete the requirements for prescribed electives
4. complete at least 30 units of credit of Level I courses before enrolling in Level II courses
5. complete at least 48 units of credit overall before enrolling in Level III courses
Glossary of Terms
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Programs Glossary of Terms - Click here
Important Information
The Academic Rules for the UNSW B Com and B Media (PR&A) and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.
Award with Distinction
High achieving students who secure a WAM of 75 across their B Media (PR and Advertising) program and who have completed at least 48 UOC of their program at UNSW are eligible for the award of their Pass Degree "with Distinction".
Fees
For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website: UNSW Fee Website.
Professional Recognition
For further information, please refer to the Professional Recognition of Programs in the UNSW Online Handbook.
Further Information
Please note that these requirements may be subject to change. Students should always follow the program requirements according to the year they started their degree. For more information please visit Previous UNSW Online Handbooks
Contact:UNSW Business School Student Centre for advice on the BCom component.
tel: + 61 2 9385 3189
location: Level 1, room 1028, Quadrangle Building
Forms, policies and procedures
Frequently asked questions
UNSW Arts & Social Sciences
e-mail: arts@unsw.edu.au for advice on the BMedia (PR and Advertising) component.
tel: + 61 2 9385 2289
location: Room G1, Ground Floor, Morven Brown Building
Contact:UNSW Business School Student Centre for advice on the BCom component.
tel: + 61 2 9385 3189
location: Level 1, room 1028, Quadrangle Building
Forms, policies and procedures
Frequently asked questions
UNSW Arts & Social Sciences
e-mail: arts@unsw.edu.au for advice on the BMedia (PR and Advertising) component.
tel: + 61 2 9385 2289
location: Room G1, Ground Floor, Morven Brown Building
Related Program(s)
3502 Commerce
3521 Commerce/Economics
3558 Commerce (International)
3529 Commerce/Science
3584 Commerce / Information Systems
3523 Commerce/Science(AdvMath)
3567 Commerce / Fine Arts
Area(s) of Specialisation
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