Strategic Public Relations and Communication Management

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Where better to study public relations than at the first European University to have offered a Masters degree programme in the field?

The MSc/Dip in Strategic Public Relations & Communication Management is an interdisciplinary, advanced level programme taught by established academics and practitioners. It offers a hands-on approach while at the same time providing you with the theoretical foundations necessary to practise public relations at a managerial level.

The programme aims to develop a critical appreciation of the role of public relations in contemporary society as well as key analytical, management & communication skills. By the end of the programme you will have mastered the skills needed to work at a managerial level in the public relations industry. You will be able to:

* Analyse environments, issues, organisational cultures and relationships relevant to an organisations reputation
* Set objectives, design and implement public relations programmes
* Carry out research and evaluation including opinion polls and be able to commission market research
* Apply mass communication, media and psychological theories in a variety of contexts
* Write for a variety of audiences, including journalists
* Manage news conferences and crises and make effective oral presentations
* Analyse and make full use of digital media

The MSc/Dip in Strategic Public Relations & Communication Management is recognised by the UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Previous graduates of the Department of Film, Media and Journalisms Masters level courses in public relations have successfully established careers in the public relations field, either in consultancies or in-house.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: The degrees offer necessary conceptual skills for managerial careers in public relations, organisational communication, corporate communications and communication management and related posts in a variety of contexts and sectors.

Students on this programme will study the following modules:
* Strategic Public Relations Planning: Develops the ability to identify and diagnose public relations problems and design campaign strategies. Presentation and media broadcast skills are taught.
* Public Relations and Communication Management Theory: Provides an overview of key public relations and communication theories, and thus provides a conceptual introduction to the discipline of public relations and communication management.
* Media Relations: Describes the context within which journalists operate and teaches you to write press releases and feature articles.
* Public Relations Contexts: The study of public relations and communication management practice in a variety of organisational, cultural and symbolic contexts; international and ethnic contexts; practice contexts such as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), crisis and employee relations.
* Research for Dissertation: Teaches the necessary research skills to carry out academic research in the field of public relations and communication management.
* Research and Evaluation for Practice: Teaches the necessary conceptual and computational research skills to operate as a public relations manager.

Plus two of the following optional modules:
* Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication: Explores the conceptual overlaps between public diplomacy, public relations and strategic communication, including rhetorical perspectives and inter-cultural issues.
* Conflict Resolution & Negotiation: Explores strategies and techniques in a workshop setting.
* Strategic Management: An MBA module that explains the process of managing strategic change within organisations.
* Marketing Communications: Examines the role of advertising, branding, PR and corporate identity.
* Public Relations and Digital Media: Explores the impact of internet and communication technologies on public relations and communication management.

Summer
* Dissertation: Students for all our MSc degrees complete a piece of empirical research, written up as a 12,000-word dissertation.

Qualifications equivalent to an upper second class undergraduate degree from a university or college recognised by the University of Stirling. Applications will also be considered from those with significant experience in public relations, but without the normal qualifications for entry (normally for the Diploma in the first instance).ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum 6 in each skill) or TOEFL 577/233/90 (Paper/Computer/Internet). English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 577 TOEFL iBT® test: 90 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Financial information
Deciding to do postgraduate study isnt just about finding the right university and the right course for you. Many students need to think about how theyre going to fund their studies and meet their living costs while working towards another degree.

It is important to be aware that postgraduate study is a huge financial commitment so it is crucial that you start to think about funding arrangements as soon as possible (ideally up to a year before your programme starts). Funding is notoriously competitive so dont be surprised if you have to rely on more than one source of funding as this is becoming increasingly common.

Accreditation

The MSc/Dip in Strategic Public Relations & Communication Management is recognised by the UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).



In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, around half of the research submitted from the subject areas that now make up the School of Arts and Humanities was judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent in quality, with over 10% of that research placed in the highest (world-leading) category. 85% of the assessed research from the Arts and Humanities was judged to be recognised internationally.