Course summary

This course is designed to produce public relations leaders who are creative, resourceful and technically proficient.

You'll learn the practical skills needed to embark on a career in PR together with the research and analysis skills that will help you progress.

You'll conceive creative campaigns, build social media content, understand audiences, pitch your ideas and make videos as well as writing research reports and academic essays.

For your final module, you'll choose between a dissertation and a professional project.

Throughout the course you'll get opportunities to meet, question, and network with a wide range of leading industry professionals. All of the teaching staff on the course have extensive professional experience in public relations at senior level with most currently practising PR alongside their course teaching.

The course has close links to the UK PR industry and is one of a select few accredited by both of the UK's professional PR bodies, the Chartered Institute of PR (CIPR) and the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA).

The course is highly participative and you’ll join workshops, seminars and group projects throughout.

Westminster is a leading provider in this academic discipline and is ranked top 10 among UK institutions for Communication and Media Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2021. The University is also ranked 4th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2022 for Research Quality in Communication and Media Studies.

Top reasons to study with us

• Industry links – This course has close links to the UK PR industry and is one of a select few chosen by the UK’s professional PR bodies, the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) and the Chartered Institute of PR (CIPR) for their university partnership initiatives
• Get ahead in your PR career – You'll learn the practical skills required to embark on a PR career such as creative thinking, planning campaigns, pitching and audience analysis, together with the research and reflective skills that will help you get ahead
• Learn from industry professionals – Most of the course's teaching team continue to practice PR at senior level alongside their teaching and research activities. This offers us excellent links to the PR industry and helps our teaching to maintain currency and relevance
• Optional modules in fashion, advertising, branding and corporate communications – Our optional modules cover a wide spectrum of industry practices, demonstrating the highly integrated nature of contemporary public relations

Course accreditation

CAREERS

The Public Relations MA will equip you with the skills and knowledge to pursue a career in public relations, or any other field where creative communication plays an important role. It is designed to broaden, enhance and update practical skills while engaging in serious study of the context, issues and theory that informs contemporary public relations practice.

Get ahead in your PR career

You'll learn the practical skills required to embark on a PR career such as creative thinking, planning campaigns, pitching and audience analysis, together with the research and reflective skills that will help you get ahead.

Links with leading professionals

Our close links with leading professionals in the international PR industry, including many of our course alumni, will help enhance your practical knowledge and networking opportunities.

3,000

Employers around the world

The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Industry links

This course has close links with the UK-based PR industry and is one of a select few chosen by the UK’s professional PR bodies, the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) and the Chartered Institute of PR (CIPR) for their university partnership initiatives.

Working closely with the industry, our students get the opportunity to meet and talk to a wide range of senior PR professionals through class visits and guest lectures. We offer details of PR graduate internship schemes and assist our students in applying. We maintain the relevance of the course curriculum through regular consultation with professionals working within the PR industry, including members of our course team.

Job roles

This course will prepare you for roles such as:

• PR agency account executive/manager/director (level depending on prior experience)
• In-house communications specialist
• Charity campaign executive
• Fashion PR
• Promoter/publicist

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:

• Christian Louboutin
• Edelman PR
• Lego
• Lotus Group
• Publicis Groupe