Public Relations

The UK PR industry is the most highly developed in Europe and second only to the US globally. Some 48,000 people work in this multi-billion pound UK industry and the rate of growth in the number of jobs in PR at all levels has been higher than that of any management function over the last fifteen years. It is an industry which values higher education and is firmly entrenched in business, government and the charitable sector. PR is also represented increasingly at Board level and now less at the heart of strategic reputation management. While opportunities are growing for the PR practitioners so too are the challenges, particularly with the explosion of communication technologies.

Why QMU?

Queen Margaret University was instrumental in developing and pioneering Diploma qualifications, developed by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in 1999 to raise professional standards and offer PR practitioners a platform for continuous professional development and is still the only centre teaching it in Scotland. For more details of our highly professional and well published teaching team visit www.qmu.ac.uk/mcpa/CoursesPRIntro.htm.

QMU has vast experience of teaching PR to undergraduate, postgraduate and professional groups. Our teaching team combines years of professional experience with high level academic expertise, undertaking research and contributing to senior academic textbooks and conferences worldwide. All courses are accredited by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and we are the only UK institution to offer CIPR accredited programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level and to teach the CIPR Diploma and CIPR Internal Communications Diploma.

Our MSc Public Relations is offered on a full and part-time basis and our block teaching approach makes it possible to combine study with working full-time. Students also benefit from face-to-face teaching and contact with fellow students and PR practitioners even if you live elsewhere in the UK or abroad.

Industry links

Our teaching team includes senior practitioners with years of professional experience and active involvement, with and membership of, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. We have close links with the PR industry in Scotland too. Practitioners provide placements, guest lectures, networking opportunities and serve on QMU’s Public Relations Advisory Panel. Students are encouraged to joint the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and there are opportunities to play a role in this organisation.

Our approach to learning and teaching

Our MSc Public Relations is offered on a full-time and part-time basis. All our postgraduate courses are block taught, supporting students who want to combine study with work and enabling those who live at some distance from QMU to study with us. Face-to-face teaching is delivered in a variety of forms, including lectures, workshops, seminars, group projects and case studies. Postgraduate students not only gain a great grounding in the field of public relations but are able to focus on an area of specialism of interest to them, undertaking original research. Full-time students learn alongside those studying on a part-time basis many of whom already work in public relations roles.

Working together in these mixed groups adds to the learning experience. Between learning blocks, teaching continues via the internet with, for example, students working in virtual groups, readings and tasks being set and professional portfolios and development plans being progressed and supported through QMU’s online learning tool.

Facilities

All students benefit from the entire range of QMU learning facilities which includes full access to all resources (including electronic books and journals) even when off campus through remote access software.

Career prospects and guideline salaries

Private sector, consultancy and freelance practitioners can expect to earn in excess of £50k per annum. Details are available from the CIPR State of the PR Profession report.

Our courses:

»Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma

»Chartered Institute of Public Relations Internal Communications Diploma

»MSc Public Relations

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