In common with all courses at the University of the Arts London, this course is credit rated. The course is 3 years, levels 4-6. Each year requires you to achieve 120 credit points. To be awarded the BA (Hons) Public Relations qualification, you need to accumulate a total of 360 credits.
In Year 1 and Year 2 students will be able to choose one optional unit from a selection offered by other courses in the Communications and Media Programme.
Year 1
In your first year you will learn the basics of Public Relations, business and promotional communication. You will develop your creative skillset and start building your knowledge of effective communication with and for brands and organisations.
Introduction to Public Relations (20 credits)
You will learn about different approaches to studying and practising PR and prepare an engaging group presentation to reflect on your understanding of the discipline.
Creative Public Relations Practice (20 credits)
In this unit you will gain a better understanding of communication channels and will develop your skills in creative Public Relations tactics. You will develop your fist client-focused communication materials.
Theories of Media and Communication (20 credits)
This unit is focused on presenting current and historical theories that have been shaping the field of PR and aims to contextualise the environment in which PR people operate.
The Business Environment (20 credits)
In this unit you will learn how to assess the stakeholder landscape and analyse forces shaping businesses – and their reputations - today.
Branding and Digital Marketing (20 credits)
This unit brings together theory and practice into designing effective PR and Marketing Communications campaigns and challenges you to improve the communications of a chosen brand.
You will choose an option unit which in the past have included:
- Visual Communication (20 credits)
- Global Media Cultures (20 credits)
- Advertising Theories & Contexts (20 credits)
Year 2
The second year is about strategy, collaboration and preparing your professional profile. We will help you apply your theoretical and practical skills in industry settings. Individual tutorials and coaching sessions will support you for working in industry.
Media Relations (20 credits)
Former broadcast and print journalists will train you to understand effective media messaging. You will test out your new-found media messaging skills by role playing a reputational crisis and answer questions ‘on the record’ and ‘on camera’.
Planning Public Relations Campaigns (20 credits)
In this unit you will focus on developing a consistent and measurable communication strategy. You will learn how to set organisational objectives and develop creative strategies to meet them.
Public Relations Professionalism: Work-based Learning (20 credits)
In this unit we will support you to secure a placement in industry in order to help expand and develop your professional career prospects.
Investigating Contemporary Communication (20 credits)
In this unit, you will learn about the steps you need to take in planning academic research. Experienced academics will guide you through the process of setting research objectives and designing methodology that answers questions about PR and communication.
Collaborative Unit (20 credits)
You will meet and collaborate with students from different courses to create unique communication solutions that touch people’s hearts and change the way they think.
You will choose an option unit which in the past have included:
- Behavioural Insights (20 credits)
- Film Theory & Cinematic Practice (20 credits)
- Digital Cultures (20 credits)
- Convergent Media: From Radio to Podcasting (20 credits)
Year 3
The third year brings together your learning to date with advanced knowledge from all areas of Public Relations as you focus in on your own career and interests.
Reputation Management (20 credits)
In this unit, you will be taught the practicalities of building and maintaining reputation – one of the most critical assets of any organisation, and which underpins professional PR practice.
Persuasion and Public Opinion (20 credits)
We will challenge you to use psychological and media theories to plan persuasive communication strategies to societal problems. You will learn how the human mind works and how to ethically deploy this information for the benefit of individuals and society.
Agency Life (20 credits)
A practical conclusion to the course where PR professionals invite and support you to respond to a live brief in simulated work-place conditions.
Major Project / Dissertation (60 credits)
You can choose between writing a traditional academic paper that researches a communications question or choose to work on a practical solution-based output and design a comprehensive Public Relations plan.
