Public Relations BA(Hons)

Why study BA(Hons) Public Relations at University College Falmouth?

BA(Hons) Public Relations course leaflet (1.51 MB)

"The London study visit provides a priceless opportunity for students to interact with practitioners in the workplace. It's a testament to the quality of staff contacts within the industry that this visit is so well-run and successful." Jo Patterson, Head of Consumer Public Relations, Lexis PR

Whether it's setting the national news agenda for the day or building international online communities through social networking, the world of PR is one of the most engaging and exciting in the media industry.

Taught by friendly and approachable staff, Falmouth's Public Relations course offers a varied and creative approach to this popular profession, taught by staff working at the very highest levels of the PR industry. Contacts made during study visits to London and Amsterdam, and a strong record of excellent work placements makes Falmouth students well-placed to secure jobs in the industry upon graduation.

Providing flexibility and choice, the course is designed to ensure you graduate with a real understanding of PR and the theories that constitute it. During the course, you'll develop an increasing level of industry awareness, including two periods of work placement and study visits to London and Amsterdam, which will help you acquire key practical skills as well as making those all-important contacts. You'll also be encouraged to work collaboratively with students from other courses including Journalism, Digital Media and Fashion.

University College Falmouth is part of the Cornwall Skillset Media Academy network - a UK-wide group of institutions identified as centres of excellence in creative media education and training.

Tell me more about the BA(Hons) Public Relations course

Whether you're interested in working for a public relations agency, in events management, or online promotion, Public Relations at Falmouth ensures you'll be equipped with the necessary skills and understanding to launch your career.

This degree is highly practical. During the first year, you'll gain vital media skills such as interviewing, photography, persuasive writing and how to use web production software. You'll also develop an understanding of key issues currently affecting (and affected by) the PR industry. From globalisation and corporate social responsibility to the ethics of political persuasion and the public as product endorsers, these are matters that reach to the heart of democracy.You'll also learn about media law, the political economy, media ethics, human rights and campaign production, these are matters that reach to the heart of democracy. In addition, you'll discover how PR works closely with marketing as a powerful force in contemporary consumer society.

We put our PR students at the heart of the industry, honing their skills working on campaign planning for Brazilian audiences for international disaster relief charity, Shelterbox. They've visited the some of the world's top consumer, health and fashion PR agencies like Ketchum, Weber Shandwick, Frank and The Red Consultancy. Communications experts like David Rowe, Head of Press for the Eden Project, are also regular visitors to the College.

While practical work is paramount, the PR degree at Falmouth is also designed to ensure that you graduate with a critical understanding of public relations, and the theories that inform and constitute it. The distinctive structure of our course - including several units undertaken in the industry - provides flexibility and choice.

Whether you're interested in working for a public relations agency, in events management and promotion, or web content management, this highly practical course ensures you'll be equipped with the necessary skills and understanding to launch your career.

Public Relations at Falmouth will provide you with a solid understanding of how public relations works and equip you with the vital skills you need to succeed in this varied and exciting industry.

Work placements

BA(Hons) Public Relations students get the opportunity to participate in two periods of work placement during their second and third years at Falmouth. These can take place in the UK or overseas and the course team will assist you in getting the placements you want. Examples of the placements achieved by current students include:

• Giorgio Armani press office
• Tate St Ives PR department
• Halpern PR
• Henry's House PR
• Frank PR
• Borkowski PR
• Ford UK public affairs department
• The Vine PR and Marketing

University College Falmouth is part of the Cornwall Skillset Media Academy network - a UK-wide group of institutions identified as centres of excellence in creative media education and training.

Study visits

London Study Visit (during your first year)

"I had loads of fun, thoroughly enjoyed the agency visits, made closer friends with everyone on the course and now have a broader understanding of the career I wish to go in to. It's made me think a lot about London, what I could go into and what makes money - loads of stuff! All round, a great trip where I learned loads and feel a lot happier about what I am doing each week at Falmouth." Emma Clunie, Level 1 BA(Hons) Public Relations student

See what this year's first year students got up to in London at: ucfinlondon09.blogspot.com

The venues for this three day visit change each year. During 2009, students visited:

• Halpern PR
• Cohn & Wolfe Healthcare
• Frank PR
• Diageo
• The Camden Arts Centre
• Weber Shandwick

In previous years, London Study Visit venues have also included:

• The Red Consultancy
• Cow PR
• BUPA corporate communications department
• The Daily Mirror
• Ketchum

Amsterdam Study Visit (during your second year)

**New for 2009**

The venues for the first three-day Amsterdam study visit, taking place during 2009 include:

• Porter Novelli Netherlands
• Pleon Communications
• Edelman Netherlands
• TriMedia Netherlands
• Coebergh Public Relations

In addition, to these study visits, Falmouth is part of the Erasmus scheme, which enables higher education students in 31 European countries to study for part of their degree in another country. Some of Falmouth's partnerships include universities in Sweden and Spain.

Facilities

Our Media Centre and Learning Resource Centre include:

• Dedicated print and radio newsrooms with professional script-writing and editing software and live news feed
• Video editing suites with AVID Media Composer for video editing and surround sound capability
• Audio post-production suites with Pro Tools for sound design and editing
• Digital production suite with software including Adobe Creative Suite
• Equipment store with a range of cameras, tripods, monitors, microphones, DVD players, PA systems, lights, film dollies and tracks
• 106-seat cinema
• An extensive DVD & video library featuring over 17,000 titles
• Access to over 140,000 books
• A comprehensive electronic journal resource base including Public Relations Review and PR Week
• Newspaper and slide archives

Course outline

Level 1

• London Study Visit
• Writing for the Media
• Media & Popular Culture
• Media Law & the Political Economy
• Public Relations Histories & Practices

Level 2

• Amsterdam Study Visit
• International Campaign Production (including Presentation Skills)
• Online Campaign Production
• Media Ethics & Human Rights
• Five-week supported work placement

Plus two of the following options:

• Issues Management
• Medium & Message
• Multimedia Newsroom
• Photography for Public Relations

Level 3

• Public Relations Portfolio
• Dissertation or Major Project
• Three-week supported work placement

Plus one of the following options:

• PR & Intercultural Communications
• Public Relations Specialism
• Publishing for Public Relations

Answers and advice about the course

If you have any queries about the course please visit our HelpMe Forum

HelpMe Forum

Career opportunities

• In-house communications
• Public relations consultancy
• Events management & promotion
• Journalism
• Postgraduate study

Course entry requirements

UCAS Tariff 220 points, mainly from the A2 level, or the equivalent in appropriate 14-19 Specialist Diploma, National Diploma or Access to HE Awards, or experience.

For further information about BA(Hons) Public Relations at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 213856.

Interview dates and selection process

Interviews will commence in late January.

The interview will include a group tour of facilities and course talk, followed by a group brainstorm around a brief, then an individual interview. Applicants will be sent a brief for a brainstorming session and will also be required to bring a PR generated story that appeals to them to interview.

Location: Tremough Campus

Related courses

• Digital Media BA(Hons)
• English with Creative Writing BA(Hons)
• English with Media Studies BA(Hons)
• Journalism BA(Hons)