Christmas Sale: Save up to €500 on select courses. Ends soon!

Christmas Sale: Save up to €500 on select courses. Ends soon!

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Save up to €500 with discount code XMAS2024 at checkout

Professional Academy Diploma in PR and Marketing Communications

Live Expert-Led Learning from 

Get attention for your brand through clever, timely strategies that catch the attention of the media and the public. Become integral to how your organisation communicates with the outside world with this Professional Course in PR & Marketing Communications!

Make Your Career Sparkle

Save 20% on all courses & €500 on On Demand courses. Enter discount code XMAS2024 at checkout. Enrol today!

Choose Your Start Date

Browse our upcoming live online classes. Download your brochure to learn more.

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or click ‘Enrol Now’ below and enter this code at checkout:

XMAS2024

Secure your place by paying in full or availing of our payment plan. For Part-time, on demand and on campus courses, pay in three equal interest-free instalments. For full-time Bootcamps enrol with a 50% deposit and the rest at the course start date. T&C's apply.

Why UCD Professional Academy?

  • Valuable, trusted certification
  • Industry expert lecturers
  • Flexible learning options

€42,000 / Annual

Public Relations Manager Salary in Ireland

The average Public Relations Manager salary in Ireland is €42,000 per year. Entry level positions start at approx. €36,000 per year while more experienced workers make up to €54,000 per year.

Salary data source: indeed.com, 5th March 2024

Average
€42,000

Salary data source: indeed.com, 5th March 2024

PR and Marketing Communications Course Modules

On this exciting course, you will learn the fundamentals of PR and Marketing Communications - from working with the media to managing social and digital communications strategies. You will develop your wider understanding of marketing so that your PR strategy works in harmony with other marketing activities within the organisation. This course also looks at how to leverage PR events and launches, close sponsorship deals, and build partnerships. You will also learn about the growing area of influencer marketing.

Or browse our wide range of expert-led online courses and grow your career potential today.

1. Introduction To Public Relations & Marketing Communications

Learn the key differences between PR and marketing. Explore what brands and branding are.

  • Course overview
  • Introduction to PR
  • Introduction to marketing
  • Difference between marketing and PR
  • What is a brand?
  • End of course project outline

2. PR & Marketing Tools

Learn why the power of PR professionals lies in the tools that they use to gain publicity, particularly in an impactful press release. Look at marketing tactics for achieving exposure.

  • PR tools – writing for PR
  • Press release writing
  • GDPR
  • Marketing communications tactics
  • The marketing mix
  • Direct marketing

3. Media Relations

Learn why PR is about two way conversations and how positive media relations is at the heart of this. Explore media training and how to manage brands in a crisis.

  • Media relations
  • Message vehicles – PR and marketing
  • Key media in Ireland
  • Media training
  • Crisis management

4. Sponsorship

Look at how sponsorship straddles both PR and marketing roles and can have national as well as global impact. Understand how sponsorship works, from negotiation right through to activation.

  • Sponsorship – Irish and global
  • Product placement
  • Sponsorship and product placement
  • Sponsorship activation
  • Case studies

5. Strategy & Planning

Look at planning and strategy building step-by-step for both PR and marketing, including knowing your audience through segmentation. Explore SMART goal setting for your campaigns.

  • Public Relations campaigns and strategy
  • Marketing strategy
  • Situation analysis (SWOT)
  • Segmentation
  • Setting objectives
  • SMART goal setting

6. Event Management

Discover how to plan and manage your events so that every detail is mastered seamlessly, taking one of the most stressful roles to one of the most organised.

  • Event management
  • Types of event
  • Press events
  • Conferences and marketing events
  • Brand launches

7. CSR & Corporate Communications

Learn how a mission statement explains what a company stands for. Explore the difference between CSR and purpose and why the best organisations in the word include purpose in their strategy.

  • Brand mission statements
  • Difference between CSR and purpose
  • Internal communications
  • Corporate communications
  • Financial communications
  • Shareholder communications

8. PR, Digital & Social Communications

Understand how PR and digital media are intrinsically linked in today’s communications world. Look at the way digital has impacted PR and explore social media, influencer marketing, and analytics.

  • PR and social media
  • Influencer marketing
  • Google Analytics
  • Social media marketing
  • Social insights

9. Monitoring & Research

Look at PR coverage monitoring, market research, and measurement of campaigns. Discover how to manage a timeline and explore budget management including how much marketing actually costs.

  • PR coverage monitoring
  • Market research
  • Measurement
  • Timelines
  • Budget management
  • Understanding costs and ROI

10. Overview & Course Summary

Review course highlights and raise questions or delve into specific areas in more detail. Prepare for your assignment.

  • Course content and highlights summary
  • Project preparation

What our Alumni Say

The Professional Academy Diploma in PR & Marketing Communications was brilliant, I looked forward to it every week. The lecturer was brilliant and explained everything so well, giving loads of examples from her own work. It was great to hear from others in the course too. I enjoyed learning from the others in the group discussions.

The Professional Academy Diploma in PR & Marketing Communications was thoroughly enjoyable and enriching from start to finish. The content covered was broad enough to provide a good basis in a range of topics and speak to a variety of different job types. The standard of teaching and class content was excellent, while the lecturer was approachable!

PR and Marketing Communications

The Professional Academy Diploma in PR & Marketing Communications was amazing, we learned a lot more than I expected. The teaching material was very complete and the lecturer was always very charismatic and helpful.

Exclusive

Access to thousands of journals, articles and papers. Free of charge.

Students taking part in this course will now have access to the EBSCO Online Library, free of charge, for the full duration of the course. Here you can browse thousands of relevant journals, articles and other reliable academic and commercial texts like the Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg Businessweek and Forbes Magazine, to supplement your learning and assignments.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this course right for me?

You do not need to have any prior industry experience or qualifications in PR or marketing to apply for this course. You may be looking to kickstart a career in public relations or communications or you may have moved into this type of role and are looking to up-skill and gain more professional experience in the field of PR.

You may be:

• A business owner or entrepreneur

• A marketing and communications professional

• A recent graduate

• Someone who is looking for a career change

How will this course help with my career?

PR professionals work in every industry, plus there are opportunities in other areas such as the non-profit sector or politics. You might work in-house or in an agency. It’s a competitive job market so a certification is key to standing out.

A Professional Academy Diploma will demonstrate to employers that you have the professional knowledge and tools to manage public relations and communications projects.

What is the student experience like?

Student care is a high priority at UCD Professional Academy, which is why our Student Services team is on hand to support you throughout your time with us. They will respond to any queries you have, help you with any technical issues, and facilitate your learning experience at every point. All students are given access to our Student Portal, where you can see your timetable, access all your study materials, and manage your account.

What is the online learning experience like?

Our online experience is designed to be just as interactive, supportive, and inspiring as the UCD Professional Academy campus experience.

Online courses can be accessed from any computer or laptop with an internet connection.

Live lectures are delivered using Zoom. During these lectures, your teachers will use technology interactively to ensure an engaging learning experience. When appropriate, students will be encouraged to activate their microphones so that they can ask questions and communicate with other students.

How is this course assessed?

This course is assessed through a a series of weekly written learning logs, and a final written project: an actionable PR strategy for an organisation operating within the public relations industry. You will have two weeks following the end of the course to complete and submit the final assignment. The written project is generally around 3,000 words (that's about 5 pages of a standard Word document).

How do I get my Professional Academy Diploma?

Your UCD Professional Academy Diploma will be issued electronically on a secure platform, with a link that you can share with employers and others wishing to verify your credentials. You can also add this certificate to your LinkedIn profile.

What are the benefits of a Professional Academy Diploma?

UCD Professional Academy Diplomas and Certificates are designed to give your career an advantage. Developed in conjunction with industry thought leaders our courses teach practical, applied skills to support you to achieve your career and business goals. Professional Academy Diplomas are suitable for career minded learners wishing to advance their professional skills and prospects rather than their academic credentials.

The Professional Academy is an independent wholly owned part of UCD designed to address the need for skills development in the workforce. Courses tend to be short, designed and delivered by industry practitioners, and are not part of nor do they lead to a traditional University award such as a degree or a masters. They are widely accepted by employers and many students are sponsored to study by their organisation.

For full details of UCD Professional Academy’s Certifications & Governance please visit https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/governance/

What payment options are available?

You can secure your spot on most of our Live Online, On-Campus, or On-Demand courses with a low 30% deposit. The remaining balance can be paid in two equal instalments (30 and 60 days later).

For full-time Bootcamp courses, you can secure your spot with a 50% deposit, with the remaining balance due prior to the start of your course.

Please note that standard terms and conditions apply, which you can review here: https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/terms-and-conditions/

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