Professional Diploma in PR and Marketing Communications
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! PR Managers in Ireland earn an average salary of €44,000.
Why UCD Professional Academy?
- Valuable, trusted qualification
- Industry expert lecturers
- Flexible online learning

Course Information for PR & Marketing Communications
Secure your place with a 5% deposit and pay the rest in instalments. Flexible payment options available.
ON DEMAND - 100% Self Paced Learning
Start today
€1,350 €1500 Save €150
- Choose your own schedule
- 36 hours of pre-recorded course material
- Complete in 18 weeks or less (average 6 weeks)
- Attend optional live Q&A sessions
Showing dates for: Jul - Sep 2022
LIVE ONLINE - Scheduled Interactive Classes
Starts 21 Jul - Ends 22 Sep 2022
Part-time
Live online lectures with an industry expert
10 weeks: Thursdays, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Starts 21 Sep - Ends 23 Nov 2022
Part-time
Live online lectures with an industry expert
10 weeks: Wednesdays, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Compare On Demand and Live Online Learning in more detail
What will I learn about PR & Marketing Communications?
On this exciting course, you will learn the fundamentals of PR and Marketing Communications - from working with the media to managing social 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.
PR & Marketing Communications Course Modules
Choose between live online classroom learning or our on-demand courses, where you set the schedule. Download your brochure form more information.
Secure your place with a 5% deposit today and pay the rest in instalments.
Module 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
Module 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
Module 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
Module 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
Module 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.
- PR strategy
- Marketing strategy
- Situation analysis (SWOT)
- Segmentation
- Setting objectives
- SMART goal setting
Module 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
- Brand launches
Module 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
Module 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
Module 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
Module 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
Why study with us
We deliver all instructor-led courses via an easy-to-use online study environment. Engage with your instructor and classmates from your computer. Our friendly Student Services team is on hand to assist with any questions or issues you may have.
96%
of alumni said they would recommend us to friends and family
98%
of our students say they would take another course with us.
14,000+
students have enrolled with us in the last 12 months

Now includes 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 books, relevant journal 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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Have questions about the Professional Diploma in PR & Marketing Communications?
Find out how this industry-focused course will give you the job-ready skills and knowledge to advance your career.
Is this course right for me?
You do not need to have any prior 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.
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. An average PR Manager salary in Ireland is €44,000 but it’s a competitive job market so a qualification is key to standing out.
A professional diploma will demonstrate to employers that you have the professional knowledge and tools to manage public relations and communications projects.
How is this course assessed?
If you are studying an online course, your assessment will also be submitted online.
This course is assessed through a written project: an actionable PR strategy for an organisation. 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).
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 are the benefits of a Professional Diploma?
UCD Professional Academy diplomas and awards are designed to give your career an advantage. Developed in conjunction with industry thought leaders and academic specialists our courses teach practical, applied skills to support you to achieve your career and business goals. Professional Diplomas are suitable for career minded learners wishing to advance their professional skills and prospects rather than their academic credentials.
The Professional Academy in 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 Awards & Governance please visit https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/governance/
How do I get my Diploma?
This qualification is certified by Amazon Web Services (AWS) - the world’s most comprehensive and widely adopted cloud platform.
Upon successful completion, you will also be awarded a Professional Diploma from the UCD Professional Academy. You will be asked to provide proof that you successfully passed the exam to be awarded your diploma.
Your UCD Professional Academy Diploma will be issued electronically on a secure platform, with a link that you can share with anyone wishing to verify your credentials. You can also add this qualification to your LinkedIn profile.
What payment options are available?
A place on any of our programmes can be secured with a 10% deposit.
For full-time (boot camp) programmes, the balance must be paid in full before course commencement.
For part-time programmes students will be required to pay 45% of the fees before the start of the course, with the remaining balance due within 30 days of the course commencing.
Please note that standard terms and conditions apply, which you can review here: https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/terms-and-conditions/
Ready to start?
It’s easy - you’re just a few secure clicks away
On Demand
- Choose your own schedule
- 36 hours of pre-recorded course material
- Complete in 18 weeks or less (average 6 weeks)
- Attend optional live Q&A sessions
Live Classes
- Weekly Live Online Classes
- 36 Hours of Course Material
- Complete in 12 Weeks
- Live classes delivered via Zoom