School of Creative Industries

MA Public Relations and Corporate Communication

Award
MA
Start date(s)
13 January 2025,16 September 2025
UCAS Code
Course specifications
Course length
Part-time (2 years),Full-time (12 months)
Campus location
Wolverhampton City Campus
School
School of Creative Industries
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

This course offers a critical examination of the academic theories and contemporary professional practices that shape the profession in the 21st century.

The course will focus on the design and planning of organisational change campaigns, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and rhetorical and non-rhetorical responses and tactics to tackle issues and crises. Students will be equipped with the tools and skills needed to address different stakeholders and to approach any challenge from a strategic perspective.

Also the course programme is taught by professionals with extensive experience in different areas of the industry. This certifies that our students will have the opportunity to learn up to date techniques that are relevant to the current workplace, whether their prospective or current posts involve practicing at a local, national or an international level.

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What happens on the course?

Typical core modules include:

  • Principles of Public Relations and Management
  • Organisational Communication
  • Qualitative Research Methods
  • Communicating CSR
  • Political Communication
  • Convergent Media
  • Public Relations and Corporate Communication Dissertation

How will I be assessed?

Case studies and essays.

Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

There are two distinct areas of practice: in-house, working for an organisation, or working at an agency, where you will be advising a range of clients.

Public relations practitioners are responsible for: internal communications, media relations, public affairs/lobbying, community relations, corporate social responsibility, investor relations or financial public relations. They also manage issues, crisis and business-to-business relations.

Graduates may also go on to assist human resources departments, activist organisations or public sector institutions with social change campaigns.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

You will study PR from a range of different perspectives, considering the impact of PR on society and the media. You will also learn the techniques and practices of public relations that contribute to the evolution of PR as a management discipline.

Our teaching staff comes from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. They have had considerable experience of working in PR and other media sectors of the industry. Close contact with the industry enables staff to invite guest speakers and visiting lectures who are involved in various aspects of the industry in the UK and abroad.

The university of Wolverhampton is a partner institution of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA). Therefore, our students are entitled to full PRCA membership for the duration of their postgraduate course. 

Unlimited and free access to PRCA webinars – including the PRCA Online Certificate.

For a complete list of benefits associated to our partnership with the PRCA click here.

Members | PRCA

The member of academic staff who leads this course is Manuel Hernandez

At the end of this course you will be able to:

  • Critically analyse on-going debates relevant to the field of public relations and the media industry in general. 
  • Produce specific situational analyses and assessments of the political, economic, social and technical factors surrounding an organisation or sector. 
  • Draw upon academic models and frameworks for planning, implementing and delivering effective communication and managerial tactics.
  • Interact with culturally diverse stakeholders or constituents to negotiate positive outcomes in challenging situations for all the parties involved, following ethical and professional principles. 
  • Apply technical knowledge of ICTs to the process of planning and managing organisational outcomes, as well as well as to the production of media content for new media/digital platforms.
  • Carry out academic research demonstrating sufficient knowledge of the subject and originality.

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Full-time £7995 per year 2022-23
Home Full-time £8395 per year 2023-24
Home Full-time £8395 per year 2023-24
Home Full-time £8815 per year 2024-25
Home Part-time £3998 per year 2022-23
Home Part-time £4198 per year 2023-24
Home Part-time £4198 per year 2023-24
Home Part-time £4408 per year 2024-25
International Full-time £14450 per year 2022-23
International Full-time £15450 per year 2023-24
International Full-time £15450 per year 2023-24
International Full-time £15950 per year 2024-25

These fees relate to new entrants only for the academic year indicated for entry onto the course, any subsequent years study may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

 

  •  You should have a good Honours Degree (2:2 or above is desirable) in a relevant subject (eg. Media and Communication Studies, Public Relations, Marketing, Business Studies, Journalism), but candidates with a degree in other subjects such as Humanities, Social Sciences, Arts and Business will be considered too.
  • Have professional experience in any area of the media industry regardless of your educational qualifications.
  • You are also encouraged to apply if you:
  • Have significant professional experience in any area of the media regardless of your educational qualifications.

'I found the course interesting. It was a big challenge and a great experience. It encouraged me to discover new ideas that I did not realise were of interest to me. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in combining ideas from fields such as business, communication and journalism.'

Chra Majeed

 

'As a Practitioner, I found the degree to be invaluable. It gave me a solid theoretical foundation for my job. The course is taught by professionals and academics who encourage open and honest discussions about topics which create real intellectual stimulation.'

Archana Nair

Postgraduate Loan (Home Fee Status):

You may be able to get a postgraduate student loan from Student Finance England of up to £12,167 to help pay for a Master’s degree. Applications are made through Student Finance England and more information on the regulations and eligibility criteria can be found at Masters Loans gov.uk.

* Any RPL will invalidate your eligibility as you must study a minimum of 180 credits


Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as Overseas (International) students for fee purposes. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) click here.


Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

You can get 20% discount on a taught on-site postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.


Self-funded:

If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.


Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Charitable Funding:

You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts; please see the following websites Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Action. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.


You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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