Universities and Online Degrees Guide

North West University

Bachelor of Arts in Communication

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication in Communication and Media is offered by North West University.

Program Length: 3 YEARS.

Bachelor of Arts in Communication offered by the North-West University at the Faculty of Humanities

The purpose of the qualification is to enable students to operate professionally and with authority in the different communication environments. A prospective communication practitioner can specialise in Advanced Corporate Communication, Development Communication or Journalism and Media Studies. Communication practitioners can work in any environment, be it in profit and non-profit organisations, or for commercial news media. All types of organisations in all sectors need to communicate with their stakeholders and build relationships to achieve their social and economic goals. 

Advanced Corporate Communication as specialisation focusses on establishing, building and communicating an organisation’s image and reputation. To achieve this aim, the focus is on the following elements: strategic communication and stakeholder management; image and reputation management; organisational culture; public speaking and oral presentations; projects; marketing management and integrated marketing communication. 

A communication practitioner who specialised in Development Communication will be able to develop communication strategies to communicate with and on behalf of non-governmental organisations (including communities), the private sector and the government with the aim of empowering and mobilising societies for social development. Journalists can work in print, broadcast (radio and television) and digital media (online and social media). They may choose to work for a news organisation as a staff writer or reporter, or be independent as a freelance journalist.

Degree options

BA in Communication* 

 

*Communication is a three-year course and is presented full-time at our delivery sites in Mahikeng (MC), Potchefstroom  (PC), and Vanderbijlpark  (VC). 

 

BA in Graphic Design with Communication**

BA in Graphic Design with Illustration**

 

**Graphic Design courses are four-year full-time courses and are offered in Potchefstroom (PC) only.

Fields of specialisation

• Advanced Corporate Communication
• Development Communication
• Journalism and Media Studies

Core subjects

Where identified in brackets, the subject is available only on a specific delivery site: Potchefstroom (PC), Mahikeng (MC) and Vanderbijlpark (VC).

 

First-year subjects

KCOM111  Introduction to Mass Communication

KCOM112  Introduction to Communication Contexts

COMS113 Writing in Different Contexts

COMS114  Introduction to Visual Communication

KCOM121  Introduction to Journalism

COMS123  Introduction to Development Communication

COMS124  Introduction to Corporate Communication

 

Second-year subjects

KCOM211  Publishing

COMS212  Identity and Diversity in Development Communication Contexts

COMS213  Corporate Communication

COMS214 Social Media

COMS215 Radio Broadcasting (MC)

COMS221  Reputation Management

COMS222  Corporate Communication: Writing for Internal Audiences

COMS223  Visual Communication (MC, VC)

COMS224  Television Broadcasting (MC)

COMS225  CSR Communication (PC)

 

Third-year subjects

COMS311  Communication Theory

COMS312  Corporate Communication: Writing for External Audiences (PC, VC)

COMS313  Applied Web Development (MC, VC)

COMS314  Radio Production (MC)

COMS318  Development Communication (MC, PC)

COMS321  Communication Ethics and Law

COMS322  Research Methodology

COMS323  Television Production (MC)

COMS324  Applied Multimedia Development (VC)

COMS325  Integrated Communication

COMS326  Core Skills in Journalism (PC)

KCOM328  Marketing Communication

 

Additional subjects

ENLL111 Introduction to literary genres (I)

or

ENLS112 English for specific purposes

ENLL121 Introduction to literary genres (II) and grammatical analysis

or

ENLS122 English language for professional purposes

Career opportunities

• Internal communication practitioner
• Public relations
• Marketing
• Brand and reputation management
• Media relations
• Creating communication material and publications (printed and digital)
• Online content management and social media management
• Communication research
• Stakeholder relations management
• Crisis communication
• Sponsorship liaison
• Corporate communication consultant
• Journalist (digital, print, broadcast)
• Influencer
• Media policy analyst
• Academic
• Researcher
• Publisher
• Technical writer