This course is designed for recent graduates with little or no public relations (PR) experience, who want to pursue a career in an exciting and expanding sector. It is also ideal if you are a public relations practitioner with one or two years of experience, looking to develop your strategic and analytical skills whilst gaining a broader understanding of the PR industry.
The course combines academic learning and professional practice with a hands-on approach. Key areas of study include
You learn the latest techniques to succeed in the fast changing world of communications, and gain the analytical, strategic, management and organisational skills to succeed at the highest levels in PR. You develop your ability to
During the course you put important PR campaigns under the spotlight and work on live briefs to develop your professional skills in real-life situations. You learn how to work with bloggers and journalists, to meet their needs and develop your organsiation's reputation, and bring new ideas into the public sphere. You also develop an understanding of how academic research helps us understand the practice and development of public relations across the world.
You gain practical skills in • content creation and curation • writing news releases • organising events • researching and creating strategic PR campaigns • dealing with the media • blogger relations • crisis management • creative use of online and social media • advocacy approaches to engage with hard-to-reach audiences.
We give you the skills you need to communicate with key audiences across different media channels including print, broadcast, social media and online. It is not about ‘spin’, but great writing and verbal skills, critical and creative thinking, and understanding how the media works. You are encouraged to think about an organisation's aims and objectives and how PR knowledge can be used to achieve or question them.
The course is delivered by a team that includes award winning PR industry specialists with national and international experience across TV, health, charity, public and private sectors.
Public Relations Consultants Association
This course also benefits from Partner University status with the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA). A limited number of Universities are endorsed by the PRCA for offering excellent courses which are intellectually rigorous and esteemed by employers.
Our students gain automatic free student membership of the PRCA and all the benefits that come with it, including • exclusive access to work placements • internships • graduate schemes and entry level jobs • free and unlimited online training • free access to the industry recognised PRCA Online Certificate.
This course is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).
When you enrol on a course recognised by the CIPR you are eligible for CIPR Student Membership. This gives you access to the members area of the CIPR website, where they have a dedicated student area which offers help and advice on getting into the PR industry.
Postgraduate certificate – core modules
Postgraduate certificate – optional modules
Postgraduate diploma – core modules
Postgraduate diploma – optional modules
MA modules
Organisations are increasingly recognising the value of PR and the importance of effective communication. As more media platforms are launched, and the communication mix becomes more complex, the demand for honest, ethical and skilled PR practitioners continues to grow.
The course gives you the knowledge and skills to work as a public relations officer or executive in • public and private sector organisations • PR agencies • charities • pressure groups • the voluntary sector.
It also prepares you for work • as a campaigns director • in public affairs or lobbying • as an account manager or director making the headlines for your creative campaigns.
Many of our students also move into marketing and social media roles.
The skills from the course are transferrable to a range of other professions as you gain competencies in writing, communicating, presenting ideas and working in a team.
Our Master's degree is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the UK's professional body in PR. This helps you demonstrate that you have industry-standard skills, improving your career prospects.
Based in London, home to world-leading PR agencies including Edelman, Ogilvy and Weber Shandwick, you will benefit from the experience of PR practitioners acting as guest and visiting lecturers. Our academics have close links with industry at home and abroad.
You will learn how to help organisations communicate, build stronger relationships and engage with increasingly demanding stakeholders.
This public relations degree has been developed in partnership with the PR industry to provide you with key courses relevant to PR practice. You will have the opportunity to pick from a range of optional courses which will provide you with specific sector knowledge.
You will gain the practical and theoretical skills, required for this increasingly influential management discipline. The ethical dimensions of the role and practice of PR provide an important framework to this programme.
We will provide you with insights into recent developments and challenges for the profession. These include the impact of the Internet and the growth of social media; the decline of traditional media; growing issues of corporate social responsibility influencing organisational reputation; and the increasing influence of other social science disciplines on PR theory and practice.
Our marketing programmes are ranked top five for student satisfaction and second overall in London by the Complete University Guide 2017.
Greenwich is one of the top two most globally diverse universities in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, by Hotcourses Diversity Index.
We have also been named as one of the "most international" universities on the planet by Times Higher Education magazine.
This degree aims to:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 15 credits from this list of options.
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 15 credits from this list of options.
You will be assessed through written assignments, group and individual presentations and a dissertation. You will get the opportunity to explore communications across different forms of media, including writing blogs and communicating through other forms of media such as Twitter.
This programme is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Successful graduates are eligible for the CIPR Advanced Certificate in Public Relations.
Graduates from this degree have gained positions within PR consultancies, the public sector, NGOs and charities, and companies serving a range of sectors including consumer, technology, financial, political and corporate PR.
You can reach out to top employers through our dedicated Business School Employability Office (BSEO). Our team focuses on developing your employment skills through CV support, interview skills workshops and guidance through mentors to progress in the industry. This includes the opportunity to network with employers and recruiters at career fairs. The BSEO team was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards, which shows its dedication to actively support your career development.
We encourage you to join student societies such as the PR Fraternity Society, which organises events and networking opportunities. They invite a range of high-profile speakers such as Nicky Campbell, BBC presenter, to offer career advice and talk about communications in various industries.
This course offers a hands-on practical approach to this exciting discipline, underpinned by a strong academic foundation.You will gain a solid grounding in the theory and practice of Public Relations and Digital Communications, preparing you for a career in this constantly changing and evolving industry.
A key element of the course will focus on content creation – an emerging area within Public Relations and Digital Communication. You will benefit from a multimedia approach, learning how to use different techniques – including social media, video and content management – to optimise the effectiveness of communicating in a digital age.
As well as exploring the history of PR and how its relationship with journalism has developed and evolved over the years, you will examine the ethical issues surrounding PR and the ways PR can contribute to the management and protection of an organisation or individual’s reputation.
You will learn from lecturers with strong, relevant professional backgrounds and have the chance to undertake placements in the industry.
This programme offers you the opportunity to focus on digital communications strategies as well as more traditional public relations practice.
This 12 month postgraduate course aims to produce highly-skilled graduates who are able to operate professionally in today’s PR and digital communication-related industries.
You will develop cutting-edge knowledge and understanding of the role and influence of PR and digital communication within contemporary society, and the demands on and opportunities for PR and digital communication professionals.
This course will involve developing a professional level of practical skills and understanding in the devising and implementation of PR campaign strategies To develop systematic and advanced research techniques for the evaluation and analysis of critical texts and aspects of current research and scholarship at the forefront of the field of Public Relations and digital communications.
In the first trimester, you will study Public Relations & Journalism and Content Creation modules, which will provide a solid basis on which to develop your skills.
The modules you will study in the second trimester are Understanding PR Campaigns, which looks at case studies and strategies, and Professional PR Practice, which incorporates an industry work placement.
In the third trimester, you will work on a Major Project or a Dissertation.
Public Relations is one of the fastest growing professions in the UK, employing 62,000 people in 2015.
The importance of the digital economy, and the opportunities and challenges it presents, has been noted by a Lords Select Committee. Its report, entitled Make or Break: The UK’s Digital Future, emphasises the urgent need, at HE level, for industry input, so that graduates are learning job-relevant digital skills. This illustrates the employability value of a postgraduate programme in Public Relations and Digital Communications.
The programme would prepare graduates for work within PR and Digital Communication related industries and feeds into this skills gap in the PR and communications industries. However, it will also provide key transferable skills that are increasingly sought after in today’s job market.
Graduates may go on to secure jobs in the PR and digital communication sectors and also undertake roles in content creation – for example, copywriting, SEO and analytics
Students will be encouraged to take advantage of work placement opportunities which will also be available as part of the programme and there will also be a focus on working with industry partners. We have links with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) as well as a number of organisations (NHS, BBC, ITV, Salford Red Devils, Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club, Manchester United and Manchester City Football Clubs, plus independent PR and Comms agencies), which could be developed further to incorporate more PR, social media and digital communications roles.
Graduates can undertake a postgraduate degree by research at MPhil (two years full-time) or PhD level (three years full-time). This could occur in any field of communications, journalism and media. At Salford the Communication, Cultural & Media Studies Research Centre and the International Media Research Centre contain a range of internationally leading academics able to supervise research degrees in their broad field.
For more details, visit:
http://www.smmp.salford.ac.uk/international-media-centre
http://www.smmp.salford.ac.uk/page/communication-cultural-and-media-studies
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA in Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) is designed for students who want to focus their energy on the dynamic world of social media, develop their creative practice and professional writing skills or are looking to work in an entrepreneurial environment.
The MA in Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) offers syllabus-based practice in professional, contemporary media skills, taught by industry professionals with academic backgrounds. The Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) programme includes modules in Professional Writing/Journalism, Visual Communications and Media Design, Video and Documentary Making and Public Relations (PR), Branding and Promotion. Other modules in communication, theory, film and history are also available.
The Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) programme allows graduates to add valuable and desirable professional media skills for careers in business, journalism, public and media relations, broadcasting, advertising and marketing and industry professionals to acquire new media skills and qualifications that will enhance their continuing professional development.
The full-time MA in Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) course is split across the year with three modules offered in each academic semester (a total of six modules in part one) and then a dissertation or professional media practice project over the summer (part two).
The part two component allows students in the Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) programme to either write a 16,000 word dissertation or undertake the professional media project which incorporates the practical elements of the course and a short unpaid work placement.
To research and develop stories in an online, multi-media environment.
To present the principles, theories and techniques surrounding video making.
To develop practical skills and conceptual knowledge of digital publishing, visual communication and media design.
To provide a critical overview of the role of public relations (PR) and promotional practice.
To develop writing skills in a wide range of genres.
Modules on the MA in in Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) typically include:
• Visual Communication and Media Design
• Video and Documentary Making
• Public Relations (PR), Branding and Promotion
• Reporting Terrorism
• Global Media
• Risk Reporting
• The Business and Politics of Digital Media
• Development Communications
• Online Journalism
• The Digital Edge
Career expectations are excellent for Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) graduates. Media Companies, non-profit organisations, global business, government and the public sector value the fact that our Communication, Media Practice and Public Relations (PR) Graduates have developed a range of critical and theoretical abilities and a creative and innovative approach to media practice. Our Graduates go on to work in business, marketing and Public Relations (PR), journalism, broadcasting, web-design, advertising, publicity, arts and cultural bodies.
This new CIPR qualification will allow you to gain an advanced understanding of professional practice, including PR strategy and planning, content management, media and engagement, measurement and evaluation, and PR leadership. All underpinned by reference to ethics and the code of conduct.
You’ll also put your learning into practice, evaluating a wide range of PR concepts and techniques and applying them practically to your own work and sector. The course is for experienced PR professionals who are ready to progress towards a senior management position, or individuals who have previously studied the CIPR Advanced Certificate in Public Relations.
On campus teaching comprises a variety of approaches including lectures, workshops, case study and group work. The course is split into three units and you will submit one assignment for each.
Teaching is normally delivered in one or two day blocks six times a year.
Students on the course are eligible for student membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and, on graduation, can upgrade their membership to full or associate status depending on professional experience.
Further information is available on the CIPR website at http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/ qualifications/public-affairs-diploma.
The CIPR Professional PR Diploma syllabus is based on professional practice underpinned by core PR principles, models and concepts.
The syllabus incorporates three separate units.
The CIPR Professional Public Relations Diploma is recognised as the benchmark for professional practice in PR by employers in the private and public sectors. It helps participants to develop or diversify their careers by fostering a strategic approach to managing PR, as well as extending knowledge of areas such as internal communications, corporate culture and research. QMU graduates have gone on to progress their careers in a number of ways – graduates occupy a wide range of senior positions.
Public relations is a growing presence in daily life. It’s behind much of the news and websites we read, the social media we follow and brands we choose to buy. It shapes how we see the world around us. This programme examines the social, political, cultural and economic functions and consequences of PR.
Core modules explore theoretical perspectives applied to PR within communication and cultural studies, and introduce you to its role as a cultural intermediary. You’ll learn to deconstruct the strategies and tactics of PR campaigns and understand how they affect both the organisations that use them and their social and cultural contexts.
You can also tailor this programme to suit you: you’ll choose from optional modules to gain specialist knowledge of topics such as new media, political communication, photography or communication and development. This isn’t a practical training course – instead it offers an insight into the way PR changes how we live, work and relate to each other.Our School has a range of fantastic facilities to support your studies. The 58-seat Phil Taylor Cinema is equipped with Dolby Digital sound and high-definition projection facilities, as well as projectors for 16mm and 35mm film.
You can also work on your own projects in our 44 editing suites, equipped with Avid Media Composer editing software and Adobe Creative Cloud. The fully equipped TV studio also has a large green screen area, lighting and photo-flash facilities. We also have a track and dolly, sliders, Glidecam and various cranes, and you’ll have access to a new photographic dark room.
We also run a loans service where you can borrow a range of HD digital camcorders and various Canon stills cameras to help with your project work.
The programme is based around two core modules that develop your understanding of PR and its role in contemporary society. You’ll think about PR as a cultural force, exploring theories and research in the field to apply them to different PR campaigns. As you investigate the relationships between PR, the media, politics and commerce, you’ll consider PR practices as they relate to other communications functions like branding, and advertising.
On top of this, you’ll build specialist knowledge through your choice of optional modules. These vary every year, but can include topics such as television narrative, media and globalisation, urban narratives, and media and democratisation. The optional modules allow you to focus on topics that suit your own interests or perhaps reflect your career plans.
Throughout the year, you’ll also be preparing for your dissertation through the Dissertation and Research Methods module. Your dissertation is a major independent research project on a topic of your choice, which you submit at the end of the year.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll complete the MA over two years, instead of one, taking fewer modules each year.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
MA modules will use a range of teaching and learning methods including lectures, group learning and project work, seminars, tutorials and workshops. Independent study is also crucial to this degree, as an opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the subjects introduced in lectures and seminars, and to develop your skills in analysis and research. You should anticipate spending at least 20 hours per week on independent study associated with your modules.
Assessment methods may vary depending on the modules you choose. They’re likely to include essays, case analyses, group projects and reports. Optional modules may even use literature reviews, campaign reports or even video and photography projects.
This is not a practical training course, but it gives you a real insight into the construction, influence and impact of PR in a range of contexts.
You’ll also acquire or refine high-level skills in areas such as research, analysis, interpretation and oral and written communication, as well as having good cultural, political and critical awareness.
You’ll be well prepared for a career in PR or public affairs in a wide range of sectors, working in-house for large or small organisations or in an agency context. There are also opportunities for PR professionals in specialist sectors such as finance or the non-profit sector.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
