Advertising and Public Relations with Foundation Year

Are you a creative, innovative spirit with a big-picture business view? Do you like doing a lot of different things creatively and conceptually? Then our interdisciplinary BA (Hons) Advertising & Public Relations course is for you. You’ll learn all about the fast-paced world of integrated creative communications, with projects for real clients starting in your very first year. Through live projects, competition briefs, and other coursework, you’ll get hands-on experience developing effective creative strategies and grow your practical creative skills in design and writing. Practitioners and academics with in-depth industry know-how get you ready for a brilliant career in marketing, advertising, and PR. Our advertising and PR course reflects the latest in industry thinking, showing you how to tell stories that sell across a range of media— everything from traditional TV ads to influencer PR to the cutting edge of marketing with AI. This dynamic learning experience and our London location help our students land roles in advertising and PR at agencies, companies, non-profits, and government communications teams upon graduation, if not before. The course also has a strong entrepreneurial ethos, and several of our students launch their own start-up businesses for their Major Projects in their final year.

What you'll study This interdisciplinary course is designed to provide you with a holistic view of marketing, advertising and PR, helping you understand how the communications industry works as a whole. This well-rounded perspective will make you ready for the range of opportunities that exist for graduates in our field, including roles at agencies, businesses, non-profits, and public sector organisations. The key areas you will cover include: • brand strategy and design • creative campaign development • consumer insight • media planning • copywriting • content creation for social media and other digital platforms.

Based in London - one of the world’s creative communications capitals - you will have opportunities to take part in advertising and public relations industry events, visit London’s top agencies and companies for employer insight, and find inspiration in the city’s many cultural institutions. London's status as a global start-up hub also gives you the chance to work with emerging companies and experiment with the latest in digital media. Our BA (Hons) Advertising and Public Relations course is all about hands-on, real-world experience. Under the guidance of expert academic and industry practitioners, you will work on live marketing campaign briefs from real clients, student competitions, and individual projects tailored to your interests. With all this practical output, you build a creative portfolio that helps you land the roles you want with employers. You will have the beginnings of a strong professional network from your first day on the course. Students on the course are members of the PRCA (Public Relations and Consultants Association), one of the trade bodies that represents the public relations industry in the UK. Lecturers on the course all have industry experience, giving you a wider network for opportunities in advertising and PR. Guest speakers and masterclasses from industry professionals give you the latest insights into advertising and public relations and what employers are looking for. Our alumni—most of whom work in marketing, advertising, and public relations-- are also frequent guest speakers and guest judges for pitches.

The foundation year course is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to continue onto your Honours degree. You will study a range of subjects that will underpin your future study and also gain valuable experience of university life, with full access to campus facilities. Successful completion of the year allows you to progress straight onto Level 4 of this course.