We produce graduates who are confident multimedia public relations professionals, with a range of higher-level professional skills and a reflective awareness of contemporary issues in the communications field. The course focuses on new and emerging areas within the discipline, from both a practical, professional perspective and a critical, analytical point of view. We develop reflective practitioners with sophisticated transferable skills who are able take responsibility for their own future learning and development.
Course structure
Core modules
Digital Platforms and Production
You develop your digital communication capabilities by developing a website around a subject of your choice.
You develop digital content and journalism using a range of technologies, social media production and optimisation, user experience and design and creative innovation.
You are assessed by 100% ICA, digital project portfolio and a 1,000 word evaluation report.
Global Brands/Local Jewels
You investigate the brand driven world we live in today and the role of PR professionals in producing it. You cover the huge commercial corporations recognised across the planet by their symbols down to the ever increasing need to curate one’s personal brand and the various lenses we are seen through by friends, family, potential employers and collaborators. You gain an understanding of how their world is shaped through guided promotion and cohesive narrative.
You are assessed by 100% ICA - a critical analysis and portfolio.
Launchpad: Exit to Industry
This module supports a strategic career vision related to the media and events industries. You are supported through a series of workshops You produce a range of professional assets designed to support your career aspirations through work and analysis of practice/work related practice.
Your assessment is 100% ICA professional portfolio and exit strategy.
Master's Project: Multimedia Public Relations
You undertake a major, in-depth, individual study in an aspect of your course. Normally your project is drawn from commercial, industrial or research-based problem areas. Your project involves researching and investigating aspects of your area of study and then producing a major deliverable, which can be a purely research-led dissertation or a project, which involves the development and production of a media campaign and associated report.
Your assessment is 100% ICA.
Public Relations and Promotional Culture
This module is organised around three central themes of industry, text and audiences. Industry considers how promotional and digital communication industries work for a range of consumer, economic and political contexts. Text focuses on discourse analysis, representation, ideology, bias and multimedia interactions with promotional culture. Audiences considers the intercommunications and blurring of lines between digital communication consumers and the socio-economic and cultural impacts of promotional culture.
Public Relations: Campaigns and Ceativity
You explore communications innovation and enterprise interpreting an industry led or industry standard brief. Through an iterative process of creative professional practice and strategy formation, you develop sophisticated written and verbal skills to become confident communicators, prepared to face the challenges of fast-paced modern public relations work. You work with multimedia technologies and study how social media can be an erratic but powerful platform to reach large audiences.
You are assessed by 100% ICA, pitch and campaign portfolio.
Researching Communications
You explore contemporary developments and research methods within the media industries and the impact developments might be expected to have on institutions, artefacts and audiences. You research a specific area or development within digital communication or journalism - this may be technical, economic, cultural, sociological, or based on a combination of factors - and predict future trends and directions. You develop research methods, skills and knowledge and expertise together to formulate an independent research problematic.
You are assessed through 100% ICA consisting of either a 5,000 portfolio/presentation or an essay of negotiated equivalence.
Advanced practice (2 year full-time MA only)
Internship
The internship options are:
Vocational: spend one semester working full-time in industry or on placement in the University. We have close links with a range of national and international companies who could offer you the chance to develop your knowledge and professional skills in the workplace through an internship. Although we cannot guarantee internships, we will provide you with practical support and advice on how to find and secure your own internship position. A vocational internship is a great way to gain work experience and give your CV a competitive edge.
Research: develop your research and academic skills by undertaking a research internship within the University. Experience working as part of a research team in an academic setting. Ideal for those who are interested in a career in research or academia.
