Communication Management & Public Relations
The Communication Management and Public Relations degree provides an understanding of the Communication industries in general, and the Public Relations industry in particular. The course helps to develop knowledge and skills in areas such as interpersonal, group and organisational communication, as well as studying public relations in different situations, for example political and media contexts.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
4 years full-time
Attendance
Attendance is full-time. This will normally mean you are expected to attend timetabled classes which equate to approximately 10 hours per week in total. However, it must be stressed that this can vary with individual modules. You will also be expected to engage in group and team work in some of your modules and so may need to have further meetings outside of class time.
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
112 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at Higher Level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher Level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.
Careers / Further progression
Career options
The Communication Management and Public Relations degree has been designed to help prepare you for a career in a variety of contexts, e.g. integrated communications, public relations, public affairs, management and consultancy. Its broad and varied modules are appropriate for careers in the public, private and voluntary sectors, both local and international. The degree is built on the heritage of the BSc Hons Public Relations degree and BSc Hons Communication suite of degrees, which have developed a reputation for nurturing their graduates many of whom now hold senior management positions locally, nationally and internationally.
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
Developing knowledge & skills in Public Relations & Communication.
Summary
The Communication Management and Public Relations degree provides an understanding of the Communication industries in general, and the Public Relations industry in particular. On this course you will develop knowledge and skills in areas such as interpersonal, group and organisational communication, as well as studying public relations ideas and strategies in different situations, for example political and media contexts.
About
The Communication Management and Public Relations degree will give you the opportunity to study both Internal Communication which will focus on our relationships with others in for example personal and work contexts, and External Communication which will focus on the theory and practice of Public Relations, including media and political contexts. New and emergent digital technologies relevant to these fields are explored throughout the curriculum. A key aim of the course is to give you a deeper understanding of different theory & ideas and how these relate to the professional and working environment. An optional placement year where students work in a supervised, industry-based setting is also offered. There are also formalised options to study abroad as part of the degree in year 2 (usually 1 semester), and to spend a year (between 2nd and final year) studying specialised electives at a US university as an alternative to placement.
The opportunity to plan and undertake research in the field of Communication and Public Relations is key aspect of the degree particularly in the final year, thus giving you the opportunity to work independently and learn effective time management skills.
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Communication and Language
Social Psychology of Communication
Interpersonal Communication: Skills and Strategies
Principles of Marketing
Language, Media and Society
Principles of Public Relations
Year 2
Research Methods
Written Communication for Public Relations and Advertising
Political Communication
Advanced Interpersonal Communication - Optional
Communication in groups & teams - Optional
Student exchange programme - Optional
Digital Communication - Optional
Year 3
Work Placement - Optional
International Academic Studies - Optional
Year 4
Organisational Communication
Critical Perspectives in Public Relations
Dissertation
Political Lobbying
Rethinking Communication - Optional
Groups, Identities and Relations - Optional
The Communication Consultant - Optional
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Associate awards
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in Professional Practice International DPPI
Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
Work placement / study abroad
Successful completion of the optional placement year will give you the additional qualification of the Diploma in Professional Practice. We have a dedicated placement coordinator who is also an Academic member of staff. They will ensure you are kept up to date and informed about all relevant opportunites that are available to potential placement students. We also work closely with our Employability and Careers service to offer additional support in CV writing, developing a digital profile and interview skills. Whilst most students opt to stay in Northern Ireland, in previous years students have gained placement in London, Sydney, Barcelona and Dublin, and in organisations such as L'Oreal, Coty and Warner Bros.
If you undertake a formalised option to study abroad for a year (between 2nd and final year) successful completion will lead to the Diploma in International Area Studies. CMPR students have successfully completed the Study USA programme (SUSA) in the last number of years, in NY State, Pennsylvania and Minnesota
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