BA/BA (Hons)
Public Relations and
Marketing Communications*
Public relations and marketing
communications are fascinating,
fast-moving fields that offer
many rewarding career
opportunities. Thanks to modern
media and the voracious
consumer appetite for digital
content, they are constantly
evolving and on this course
you’ll enjoy front-line professional
experience and tuition informed
by cutting-edge scholarship. In Year One key concepts in PR and
marketing are covered and essential
practical skills developed. Students look
at the history of the industries and current
practice, and debate the role the
industries play in economics, politics and
society. You also consider contemporary
communications practice and the
importance of producing dynamic and
creative content including video,
photography, blogs, infographics and
social media posts that are relevant to
target publics.
This course gives you an unrivalled
opportunity to study two closely aligned
disciplines: public relations and marketing.
Organisations often take an integrated
approach to communication, bringing
together these two disciplines to help
drive success. PR manages relationships
with a range of stakeholder groups
including employees, the government and
the media, while marketing focuses on
relationships with the customer. Year Two expands your knowledge and
understanding of professional practices in
PR and marketing. Students consider
how organisations campaign on issues
and communicate with external
stakeholders through the media and
internally with employees.
You’ll gain practical experience of
developing strategic PR and marketing
communication solutions for live clients,
creating authentic digital content for a
range of social media platforms. You’ll find
out how organisations use video,
photography, blogs and podcasts to drive
their marketing, and how you can help
them do it better. You’ll undertake original
research to inform decision making, and
measure the effectiveness of campaigns
using a range of analytics. Students also
gain a wealth of experience through a
work placement as well as having the
opportunity to study abroad at one of our
partner institutions (subject to availability).
You’ll be taught by internationally
renowned academics who are still actively
engaged with the industry. Industry
practitioners will see you in action and
many of our graduates have gone on to
work with contacts that they made on the
course.
In Year Three, the principles of planning
are expanded upon from the perspective
of those who manage marketing and PR
activities. Concepts of strategy and
persuasion are introduced and research
skills are strengthened. Students gain an
insight into advertising and experiential
marketing where the audience is
immersed in an event such as a music
festival and how this emotional response
is used by organisations to build brand
awareness, trust, and loyalty. In Year
Three students can start to tailor their
learning around their interests through the
selection of an option.
In Year Four, students are encouraged to
work more independently, develop their
critical skills and follow their own area of
interest. This happens through working on
your dissertation research project,
working in industry on a one-month
placement and choosing options from
across the two disciplines.
*Subject to validation
70
This course will give you
the theoretical
understanding,
professional experience
and industry contacts
you need to step into an
exciting and rewarding
career in public relations
(PR) and marketing.
Structure
You can opt to study for an honours
degree over four years or an ordinary
degree over three years. You will complete
a range of modules each year as outlined.
Teaching, learning and assessment
We use a mix of methods including lectures,
seminars and practical workshops. As well
as these face-to-face interactions, some
modules are delivered online. Each module
is supported by a virtual learning resource
site. As well as lecture notes, seminar
activities, key readings, assignment
specifications and discussion forums,
additional materials such as videos, radio
edits and links to other resources can be
uploaded to the site. The assessment
strategy uses a range of methods to
support your academic and professional
development. These include: essays,
reports, presentations, on-line
discussions/postings, exams, reflective
diaries, e-portfolios and content
production for different media such as
video, photography, website, blogs, posts
and tweets.
Modules
Year One
Media Industries 1/ Core Concepts in
Media and Communications/ Digital
Content Creation/ Media Production:
Skills and Techniques/ Media Production:
Video Project/ Introduction to Marketing
Year Two
Popular Media Cultures/ Media
Campaigning/ Media Production: Online
Journalism/ Employee Communications
and Dealing with Change/ Event
Management and Evaluation