A6030 Master of Strategic Communications Management

The course is structured in four parts: Part A. Core studies, Part B. Applied studies, Part C. Professional practice studies and Part D. Elective studies.

Part A. Core studies

These studies draw on best practices within the broad realm of strategic communications studies practice and research to further your understanding of strategic communications management both locally and globally. Studies focus on the challenges posed and how communication management can play a key role in an increasingly global and digital environment.

Part B. Applied studies

As tomorrow’s leaders, you will develop a suite of transferable professional skills to respond effectively to pressing strategic communications issues. You will learn the skills to engage necessary stakeholders to allow them to effectively formulate, influence and evaluate communication practices in a variety of professional contexts. The focus of these studies is professional or scholarly work that can contribute to a portfolio of professional development. You will have the skills to work together to analyse and, identify best practices and understand and evaluate their transferability, and develop innovative and impactful solutions with real world applications.

Part C. Professional practice studies

Designed in association with industry experts, select from this suite of professional enhancement offerings to build essential competencies for your career pathway.

Part D. Elective studies

Elective units enable you to further your knowledge of your chosen focus, or strategic communication management more broadly. 

Master's entry points

Depending on prior qualifications you may receive entry level credit (a form of block credit) which determines your point of entry to the course:

• If you are admitted at entry level 1 you complete 96 credit points, comprising Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D.
• If you are admitted at entry level 2 you complete 72 credit points, comprising Part A (24 credit points), Part B, Part C (6 credit points), and Part D (30 credit points).
• If you are admitted at entry level 3 you complete 48 credit points, comprising Part A (24 credit points), Part B, and Part D (12 credit points).

Note: If you are eligible for credit for prior studies you may elect not to receive the credit and complete one the higher credit-point options.

Course progression maps

The course progression map provides guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

If you are eligible to enrol in the 1.5-year entry point, you have the option of completing this course intensively over a 12-month period by following the intensive course progression map.

The course comprises 96 points structured into four parts: Part A. Core studies, Part B. Applied studies, Part C. Professional practice studies, Part D. Discipline elective studies.

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated

Part A. Core studies (36 points)

You must complete 36 credit points from the following units

Note: Entry levels 2 and 3 are only required to complete 24 credit points from the following units.

• APG5197 Media and public affairs management
• APG5366 Strategic communications in a digital era
• APG5367 Campaigns, advocacy and change 
• APG5373  Engaging audiences 
• APG5374 Data analytics in communications 
• APG5381 Effective crisis communications 

Part B. Applied studies (12 credit points)

You must complete one of the following capstone units:

• APG5044 Professional Internship (12 points)
• APG5157 Contemporary industry challenges (12 points)
• APG5485 Research portfolio (12 points)
• APG5856 Research project (12 points)
• APG5969 Advanced simulation (12 points)

Part C. Professional practice studies (12 points)

You must complete 12 credit points from the following units.

Note: Entry level 2 is only required to complete 6 credit points.

• APG5084 Designing research
• APG5129 Evaluation
• APG5136 Mindfulness for workplace wellbeing and productivity
• APG5140 Principles and practices for disaster management, humanitarian action and climate change adaptation 
• APG5170 Social enterprise challenge in the Pacific
• APG5393 Ethical theory
• APG5457 Digital cultures and platforms
• APG5470 Managing multicultural teams
• APG5471 Leadership in intercultural environments
• APG5652 Language and intercultural communication
• APG5805 Project planning and management in international development
• APG5966 Academic and professional presentation skills
• APG5967 Professional enhancement 
• APG5968 Professional enhancement: extended option (12 points)
• MON5750 Monash Innovation Guarantee

Part D. Discipline elective studies (36 points)

You must complete: 

- entry level 1: 36 points from the elective lists below.

- entry Level 2: 30 points from the elective lists below.

- entry level 3: 12 points from the elective lists below.

Note 1 - Electives are grouped into areas of interest. You may choose units from one area or across various elective areas to tailor your degree. The same units may appear in multiple areas/parts however each unit can only be credited once toward the degree.

Note 2 - You may complete units not undertaken from Parts A, B or C.

Note 3 -You may also take up to 12 credit points of approved units from other Arts Graduate coursework programs subject to meeting individual unit prerequisites. These units must be selected from the Core studies and/or Elective studies parts.

Public policy and political communication electives 

• APG5086 Governing migration: Refugees, borders and development
• APG5101 Foundations of public policy 
• APG5102 Governance
• APG5103 Policy analysis
• APG5189 Monitoring and evaluation
• APG5458 Digital technology, policy and governance
• APG5450 Cultural policy
• MPH5269 Foundations of health policy 

Communication for social change and development electives

• APG5045 Gender and development 
• APG5073 Conflict, security and development
• APG5086 Governing migration: Refugees, borders and development
• APG5140 Principles and practices for disaster management, humanitarian action and climate change adaptation
• APG5156 Human rights in global politics 
• APG5229 Prosperity, poverty and sustainability in a globalised world
• APG5454 Screen and social justice
• APG5628 Understanding development: Discourse, practice and power
• APG5805 Project planning and management in international development

Communication for sustainability and the environment electives

• APG5229 Prosperity, poverty and sustainability in a globalised world
• APG5428 Environmental governance and citizenship 
• APG5554 Resource evaluation and management 
• APG5627 Power, politics and development in a changing environment
• ENS5010 Global challenges and sustainability (12 points)
• ENS5020 Perspectives on sustainability (12 points)
• ENS5510 Innovation to influence system change
• ENS5520 Understanding human behaviour to influence change 
• ENS5530 Leading change for sustainable development

Health communication electives

• APG5081 Public health ethics 
• MPH5002 Foundations of health promotion and program planning
• MPH5022 Evaluating public health programs 
• MPH5269 Foundations of health policy 
• MPH5252 Global health care delivery: principles and challenges
• MPH5255 Health and human rights 
• MPH5272 Principles of health systems

Management, leadership and entrepreneurship electives

• APG5082 Creative Entrepreneurship in Cultural Industries
• APG5104 Public sector reform
• APG5122 Corporate sustainability management
• APG5128 Cultural tourism and events management
• APG5200 Sports events and cities: Discourses, practices and power
• APG5389 Tourism industry and marketing
• APG5554 Resource evaluation and management
• APG5805 Project planning and management in international development
• BEX5411 Creativity and entrepreneurship
• MGF5928 Strategic leadership
• MGF5962 Contemporary management principles and practices
• MGF5020 Business ethics in a global environment 
• MKF5601 Social media marketing 
• MKF5926 Integrated marketing communication 

Media, production and digital technologies electives

• APG5095 Journalism practice
• APG5107 Digital language: Users and technology
• APG5135 Video journalism
• APG5352 Photography
• APG5453 Screen cities: Creative contexts
• APG5455 Understanding the screen brain, AI and data futures
• APG5457 Digital cultures and platforms
• APG5458 Digital technology, policy and governance

Arts enrichment electives

Note: A maximum of 12 credit points can be completed from the Arts enrichment units.

• APG5136 Mindfulness for workplace wellbeing and productivity
• APG5170 Social entrepreneurship challenge in the Indo-Pacific
• APG5470 Managing multicultural teams
• APG5471 Leadership in intercultural environments

Research pathway (optional)