Public Relations MA

Postgraduate

In London

£ 7,500 + VAT

Description

  • Type

    Postgraduate

  • Location

    London

This course is designed to produce the future leaders of the Public Relations Industry. You will not only learn the practical skills required to embark on a career in PR but also the research and analysis skills that will help you get ahead. You will create campaigns, pitch to clients, stage a press conference and create videos and blogs, as well as write research reports, essays and a dissertation. You will also explore issues affecting the industry, such as professional ethics and the impact of digital media.
The course has close links to the London-based PR industry, and is one of a select few chosen by the professional body PRCA for its University partnership initiative. These connections with leading PR practitioners help you gain the practical knowledge and understanding you need to work in PR.
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Course content.
The course combines practice skills with analytical tools and is highly participative. You will take part in workshops, debates, seminars, presentations and group exercises including making pitches and presenting creative campaign ideas. The course runs for one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).
There are no formal examinations on this course. You are assessed on course work including essays, presentations, blogs, group work and your participation in class exercises.
Modules
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course. For more details on course structure and modules, and how you will be taught and assessed, see the full course document.
Core modules
CONTEMPORARY THEORY AND ISSUES IN PR
This module explores a range of perspectives on PR. We look at the social, cultural and management approaches to PR, and examine the tension between these theoretical models and their practical application.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH SKILLS
This module provides guidance on how to plan and conduct a piece of independent research into the PR industry. You will...

Facilities

Location

Start date

London
See map
Harrow Campus, Northwick Park, HA1 3TP

Start date

On request

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Reviews

This centre's achievements

2018

All courses are up to date

The average rating is higher than 3.7

More than 50 reviews in the last 12 months

This centre has featured on Emagister for 14 years

Subjects

  • Ethics
  • Public Relations
  • PR training
  • Public Affairs
  • Advertising
  • University
  • Public
  • Planning
  • Communications
  • Industry
  • Government
  • Part Time
  • Full Time
  • Cultural Management
  • Media
  • PR
  • Press

Course programme


The course combines practice skills with analytical tools and is highly participative. You will take part in workshops, debates, seminars, presentations and group exercises including making pitches and presenting creative campaign ideas. The course runs for one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).
There are no formal examinations on this course. You are assessed on course work including essays, presentations, blogs, group work and your participation in class exercises.
Modules
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course. For more details on course structure and modules, and how you will be taught and assessed, see the full course document.
Core modules
CONTEMPORARY THEORY AND ISSUES IN PR
This module explores a range of perspectives on PR. We look at the social, cultural and management approaches to PR, and examine the tension between these theoretical models and their practical application.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH SKILLS
This module provides guidance on how to plan and conduct a piece of independent research into the PR industry. You will learn how to apply the theories, research methods and scholarly practice learned in your other modules to produce an original 15,000 word dissertation.
PLANNING AND MANAGING A PR CAMPAIGN
This module gives you an opportunity to develop and enhance your campaign management skills. You will plan, design and present a creative public relations campaign and explore the relationship between PR agencies and your clients.
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE MEDIA
The module equips you with the professional practice skills to manage media relations including writing press releases, conducting media interviews and preparing media events. It also looks at the increasing role of digital media including Twitter feeds, blogs and online newsrooms.
UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC RELATIONS
This module provides a critical evaluation of the public relations industry and the context in which it operates. You will look at the role of the practitioner and explore whether perceptions of the industry are valid. You will also consider the professional aspirations of PR, ethics and how the industry is changing in the context of digital media.
Optional modules
The option modules are taught by leading practitioners and allow you to develop your interest in specialist sectors within the PR industry. You choose two option modules.
ADVERTISING PLANNING AND STRATEGY
This module focuses on the need for strategic planning to produce compelling advertising, and evaluate its effectiveness. You will study a range of planning processes including market research, insight identification, and trend forecasting, with a key focus on media selection and analytics. Throughout the module you would work with a client in order to structure a business problem into a creative brief.
BRAND MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
This module highlights the role of brands in contemporary society, their use by organisations, and their significance for contemporary advertising and PR professionals. You will study the meanings of ‘brand’ and ‘branding’, and investigate the relationship between a brand, its products and its promotional strategies. Brand image and corporate identity are covered with attention paid to the ideas of brand building, brand development, brand equity and brand extension.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
As trust in institutions declines how can NGOs maintain their influence and change their techniques to deliver successful campaigns? What does the new political and campaigning landscape look like? What are the current techniques? And how can you decide which is the best technique to use for your campaign?
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
How do organisations manage their reputation even when in a crisis? These are some of the questions which you will address in this module. You will learn how to analyse stakeholders and prepare a communications strategy.
FASHION PR
From luxury brands to the high street, the world of fashion relies on promotion and public relations. This module gives you an opportunity to take a backstage tour of the fashion industry and design a campaign for a leading fashion brand.
ONLINE PR
Digital and social media are changing both the communications landscape and the role of PR. This module looks at the different tools and explores how they can be used in PR campaigns as well as how they can be analysed and evaluated.
POLITICAL COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
This module is designed to offer a comprehensive introduction to the theory, principles and practices of political communications and public affairs. The course involves looking at the roles and responsibilities of the key actors involved – politicians, journalists, campaigners and public affairs practitioners – and the changing nature of the relationship between them. In particular, the course will focus on the role and impact of new digital technologies, online and social media, and convergence.
Course team
Pam Williams, course leader
Pam Williams was a key player in setting up the highly successful MA in PR and has over 20 years experience in a variety of senior roles in the industry. Her diverse career includes working in the corporate, political and creative sectors. As director of communications for the international brand strategy agency, Imagination, she advised major clients such as Ford and BT. Her corporate roles include that of director of Corporate Communications for BAA, a leading FTSE 100 company, where she was responsible for communications strategy and management. She began her career as a journalist before moving into Government communications where she worked on major public information campaigns in health and welfare and was a press secretary to Government ministers.
Visit Pam's profile page.
Jon Cope, course leader
Jon’s experience in public relations and journalism spans more than 20 years, with experience in the consumer, health and fashion sectors, both in senior agency and in-house roles and as a freelance journalist. Most recently, Jon’s freelance practice has focused on content creation for global healthcare and consumer/lifestyle brands. His current research concentrates on the use of visual materials in promotional communication. Jon co-authored and produced most of the photographs for the book Fashion Promotion in Practice, published by Bloomsbury in 2016. He holds an MA in Critical Global Politics from Exeter University.
Visit Jon Cope's profile page.
Michaela O'Brien, senior lecturer
Michaela O'Brien has 20 years experience in strategic communications roles and award-winning campaign communications (both online and offline). She has worked with major not-for-profits including Amnesty International, Action Aid, Business in the Community, Carers UK and Gingerbread, as well as government departments and trades unions. She established the first PR course module on NGO campaigns and communications in the UK as part of the MA in Public Relations and is currently planning research into public communications and public relations in NGOs.
Visit Michaela's profile page.
Associated careers
This course is particularly relevant if you want to start, or to progress, a career in public relations or one that involves communications with either internal or external stakeholders.
Related courses
Communication MA
Media Management MA
Length of course
One-year, full-time
Location
Harrow and Central London
Additional costs information

Public Relations MA

£ 7,500 + VAT