The Graduate Certificate in Communication ( Public Sector) aims to provide those people working in middle management at territorial authorities the opportunity to formalise their practical communications skills into a qualification and to gain a sound theoretical base on which to structure regular tasks. They may already be working in the communications field or another area within the council (supported by an undergraduate degree) which requires recognition of higher level communication knowledge.

Graduates will be able to guide local authorities through the key areas relating to change and crises, both internally and externally. Current and future reliance on the Internet is recognised with graduates able to meet the three-year local government cycle, or a natural disaster/emergency with skills to plan for, manage and disseminate information using a variety of methods.
Graduates will be able to:
Understand the political environment they work in
Understand the dynamics of the organisation they are working for
Plan for change, crises or community concern
Utilise a variety of communication methods includingthe Internet and social media
Understand the need for good forward planning

Graduates will be prepared to undertake further postgraduate study in professional communication.

Entry is open to degree graduates. However those who have been able to demonstrate equivalent practical, professional or educational experience of an appropriate kind may be granted admission.

English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following
NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance; or
International Baccalaureate Diploma, Cambridge A level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or
Cambridge Certificate of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA; or
Trinity College of London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTesol); or
Completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
Successful completion of a Bachelor 's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States; or
Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the preceding 2 years:
Certificate or Diploma at Level 6 / Diploma or Degree at Level 7 / Graduate Certificate or Diploma at Level 7
IELTS test - Academic score of 6 with no band score lower than 5.5
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score 5 TWE)
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 60 (with a writing score of 18)
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools or C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 169. No less than 162 in each skill.
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current:
a) Level 4 (Academic) b) Level 4 (Academic)
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 50 with no band score lower than 42
Language Cert - C1 Expert IESOL (LRWS) with PASS and no less than Pass in each skill
Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than distinction in any band.