Program Overview

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Advertising, Public Relations and Branding BA Honours

Why choose Advertising, Public Relations and Branding BA Honours at Middlesex?

This unique degree is the only one in the UK which combines the triple opportunity of advertising, public relations and branding. Our graduates have gone on to work for companies such as Ogilvy, Warner Bros, Universal, Adidas and many more.

What you will gain

People are constantly creating, consuming and sharing content in new and innovative ways. If you’re passionate about working in advertising, brand management or publicity campaigns, then this course will set you up with the tools you need to succeed.

You'll develop an understanding of the roles that PR, advertising and branding play across society. You'll also build a portfolio of work by planning and implementing campaigns, producing adverts and other kinds of promotional content for both traditional and online channels.

What you will learn

This course will explore modern promotional industries, developing your essential knowledge and skills in the fields. Exploring historical and contemporary practices, it covers market and audience research alongside AI-driven audience engagement insights, strategic planning, and creative execution within diverse online and offline media landscapes. You will gain insights into how promotional campaigns shape cultural narratives and societal dynamics while mastering brand design and management across sectors.

Year 1 Overview

In the first year, you will learn how brands shape and are shaped by culture. You’ll explore the art and science of key skills in communication and creative industries. Additionally, you will develop your creativity and practical skills in concept development and content design for advertising, PR, and branding industries.

Communication Skills (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module develops your abilities in industry-relevant communication tasks or assets related to illustration or graphic design or fashion communication and styling or advertising, public relations and branding or digital media.

Creative Media and Cultures (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module introduces you to the position of illustration, design, brands, and media in contemporary society and issues of equality and responsible production and consumption. It fosters critical understanding of images, texts, and objects in various contexts.

Creative Workshops (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module introduces you to design disciplines, such as design thinking, life drawing, digital design, moving image, video editing, photography, design for print, and styling. Through hands-on exploration, you will develop a diverse set of practical and technical skills applicable across different design fields, focusing on process, production, and presentation.

Innovative Projects (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module encourages innovation through the exploration of design methods and cultivate conceptual thinking and creative confidence. It will enable you to generate creative ideas adept at addressing diverse communication challenges.

Year 2 Overview

In the second year, you will deepen your expertise in analysing audience behaviours and conducting audience research, creating strong brand identities, developing effective strategic campaigns, and crafting compelling content for promotion and engagement.

Audience Insight and Engagement (30 credits) - Compulsory

In a world where social media and mobile usage have become the norm, it is essential for brands and companies to observe their audience's everyday practices and engage with their shared culture.

Brand Identity (30 credits) - Compulsory

Brands have become integral to all aspects of social life, from the constantly evolving ways in which people use brands as a means of constructing their identities and creating social bonds, to the political as well as commercial value they hold for companies, public institutions and even individuals.

Campaign Planning (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module explores the practical process of campaign planning and how best to communicate awareness of a product, service, idea or societal issue in an effective and engaging way.

PR & Content Creation (30 credits) - Optional

You will be immersed in the dynamic world of digital content creation and PR, empowering you to become an effective communicator and strategic thinker in today's digital landscape.

Work Placement in the Creative Industries (30 credits) - Optional

This module establishes an in-depth understanding of the evolving creative industries and their specialist sectors.

Year 3 Overview

In the third year, you will keep updating with the new cutting-edge AI tools in digital communication and marketing industries, and their applications in the fields.

AI, Digital Communications and Marketing (30 credits) - Compulsory

The module bridges the evolving landscape of digital communications strategy with the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically tailored for aspiring advertising, PR and branding professionals.

Brand Management (30 credits) - Compulsory

In this module, you will explore the fundamental principles and strategies involved in effectively managing brands within the context of the advertising, public relations, and branding industries.

Major Project: Production (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module will provide a crucial step in your learning journey by fostering the high-level critical and practical skills necessary for navigating the diverse landscape of screen production processes.

Professional Identity and Entrepreneurship (30 credits) - Compulsory

This module will develop your understanding of the dynamic career landscape within advertising, PR, branding and beyond.

Entry Requirements

• UCAS points: 112 UCAS points
• A-level: BBC
• BTEC: DMM
• Access requirements: Overall pass: must include 45 credits at level 3, of which all 45 must be at Merit or higher
• Combinations: A combination of A-Level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 112 UCAS Tariff points

Fees and Funding

• UK students: £9,535 (Full-time), £79 per taught credit (Part-time)
• International students: £16,600 (Full-time), £138 per taught credit (Part-time)

Careers

By the end of this course, you will have developed knowledge and skills that are valuable across the creative industries, most specifically in advertising, public relations, brand strategy/consultancy and marketing.

You may go on to become self-employed and run your own business, agency or start-up, or go on to postgraduate study in a related area of media communications, media management and marketing.

We see significant numbers of our students graduating into professional APRB-related fields and developing quickly to work in the following roles: global brand manager, social media specialist/manager, PR manager, marketing specialist, account/client services manager, copywriter, campaigns manager, creative advertising manager, press officer, digital marketing manager, e-commerce manager, web content developer or in the following sectors, editorial services, events & exhibitions production management or project management.

Some students pursue their academic studies by doing a master at MDX, or at other UK and international HE institutions.

We have students who are or become freelancers and influencers in the advertising, public relation and branding sectors, or develop their own businesses, including several Instagram influencers with more than 300k followers.