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Graduate Certificate in Professional Communication (GCPF) - GradCertProfComm
This program is offered only to continuing students. No new admissions will be accepted. Students who are interested in this study area should contact us.
| On-campus | Distance education | Online | |
| Campus: | Toowoomba | - | - |
| Fees: | Student contribution amount Tuition fee International fee | Student contribution amount Tuition fee International fee | Student contribution amount Tuition fee International fee |
| Program articulation: | |||
Notes
The mode of offer for this program depends on the strand selected.
The General Study strand is available in on-campus, external and web
modes. The Multimedia strand is only available in web mode. The offering
of courses on-campus is subject to enrolments.

Contact us
Current students
Telephone 1800 007 252 (within Australia freecall), +61 7 4631 2285 (from outside Australia), email usqassist@usq.edu.au or submit a question via USQAssist.

Program aims
The Graduate Certificate in Professional Communication aims to produce graduates who:
-
have a general and theoretical skills base in one or more areas of professional communication
-
have a scholarly and informed understanding of the relevance of communication, social and cultural theory in mass communication environments.

Program objectives
On successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Professional Communication students should be able to:
-
demonstrate the fundamental skills associated with one or more professional communication disciplines
-
demonstrate a knowledge of application of social and cultural theory to professional communication environments.

Admission requirements
Applicants for enrolment in the Graduate Certificate shall normally have a Bachelor degree or equivalent in any discipline.

Program fees
Student contribution amount
For domestic students who are offered Commonwealth supported places, the Government pays some money directly to the University, but students are also required to make a contribution. This contribution is called the ‘student contribution’. For more information about student contribution amounts, including the calculation of fees for a particular program of study, refer to USQ fees.
Tuition fee
Domestic fee-paying places are funded entirely through the tuition/direct fees paid by the student. Tuition/direct fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. For more information about Tuition Fees, including the calculation of fees for a particular program of study, refer to USQ Fees.
International fees
International students pay tuition fees. For details about international student fees, refer to the International Fee Schedule provided by USQ International.

Program structure
The Graduate Certificate consists of four units in either a General Study strand or Multimedia Studies strand as indicated in the recommended enrolment pattern below.

IT requirements
The following minimum computer configuration is recommended: Intel Pentium, Power Mac or equivalent; 64Mb RAM; 4Gb hard disk; CDROM; sound card; video display card capable of displaying more than 256 colours; Windows 98, Macintosh system 8.6 or later operating system; 56kb modem. Students will also require regular access to email and the Internet.
Students studying courses in Multimedia Studies who expect to work in basic HTML, and/or programs such as Adobe PageMaker, Photoshop, Premier, Macromedia Director, and Quark Express or similar should note that:
-
courses will not teach them how to use these applications
-
such applications may require computer configurations that differ from the minimum set out above.
Please see the following URL for up-to-date advice on computing requirements http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/default.htm.

Articulation
The Graduate Certificate in Professional Communication (General Study) does not articulate into the Graduate Diploma or Master of Professional Communication, although some courses may qualify for exemption or advanced standing in those programs. The Graduate Certificate in Professional Communication (Multimedia Studies) articulates into the Graduate Diploma of Professional Communication and Master of Professional Communication (Multimedia Studies major).
In this section:
- Applied communication recommended enrolment pattern
- Communication and media studies recommended enrolment pattern
- General study recommended enrolment pattern
- Journalism recommended enrolment pattern
- Multimedia studies recommended enrolment pattern

Applied communication recommended enrolment pattern
For continuing students only.
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | Distance education (EXT) | Online (WEB) | |||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | ||
| CMS1010 Introduction to Communication and Media Studies | 1 | ||||||
|
One of the following two courses | |||||||
| CMS2016 Communication, Technology and Policy | 1 | Pre-requisite: (CMS1000 or ASD1000) and CMS1010 | |||||
| CMS5003 Chips with Everything: ICT Issues* | 1 | ||||||
| CMS2015 | 2 | ||||||
| CMS1011 Understanding Television | 2 | ||||||
| Footnotes | |
| * | available only via online mode. |

Communication and media studies recommended enrolment pattern
For continuing students only
| Major Study: Communication and Media Studies | |||||||
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | Distance education (EXT) | Online (WEB) | |||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | ||
| CMS1010 Introduction to Communication and Media Studies | 1 | 1 | |||||
| CMS4006 OzFilm: Image and Industry | 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BAHN or GCPF or GDCM or MPCM | ||||
| CMS5005 The Movie Brats: New Hollywood | 1 | 2 | |||||
| CMS5004 Television: Industry to Audience | 1 | 2 | |||||

General study recommended enrolment pattern
For continuing students only
| Major Study: General Study | |||||||
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | Distance education (EXT) | Online (WEB) | |||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | ||
|
One of the following three courses | |||||||
| CMS1010 Introduction to Communication and Media Studies | 1 | 1 | |||||
| JRN1000 Introduction to Journalism | 1 | 1 | |||||
| PRL5000 Corporate Communication | 1 | 1 | |||||
|
One of the following two courses | |||||||
| CMS2016 Communication, Technology and Policy | 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: (CMS1000 or ASD1000) and CMS1010 | ||||
| CMS5003 Chips with Everything: ICT Issues | 1 | ||||||
|
Two of the following three courses | |||||||
| CMS2015 | 2 | ||||||
| JRN2006 Media Law and Ethics | 2 | 2 | Pre-requisite: JRN1000 | ||||
| PRL5002 Crisis Management | 2 | ||||||

Journalism recommended enrolment pattern
For continuing students only.
This program will articulate with the fee-paying Graduate Diploma of Journalism program.
| Major Study: Journalism | |||||||
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | Distance education (EXT) | Online (WEB) | |||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | ||
| JRN1000 Introduction to Journalism | 1 | 1, 3 | |||||
| JRN2001 Publication Layout and Design | 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: JRN1000 | ||||
| JRN2006 Media Law and Ethics | 2 | 2 | Pre-requisite: JRN1000 | ||||
| JRN2003 Feature Writing | 2 | 2 | Pre-requisite: JRN2001 or PRL1001 or JRN1000 | ||||

Multimedia studies recommended enrolment pattern
For continuing students only
| Major Study: Multimedia | |||||||
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | Distance education (EXT) | Online (WEB) | |||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | ||
|
One of the following two courses | |||||||
| CMS5003 Chips with Everything: ICT Issues# | 1 | ||||||
| CMS2016 Communication, Technology and Policy | 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: (CMS1000 or ASD1000) and CMS1010 | ||||
| MMS1001 Introduction to Professional Writing for Digital Media* | 1 | 1 | |||||
|
One of the following two courses | |||||||
| MMS3017 * | 2 | 2 | |||||
| MMS3001 Multimedia Contexts | 1 | 1 | |||||
| PUB5006 Issues in Publishing and Technology | 2 | ||||||
| Footnotes | |
| # | Online only |
| * | Pre-requisite for these courses is MMS2000 or equivalent from other disciplines and may be waived upon application. |
Notes
The offering of courses on-campus is subject to enrolments.

