Program Overview

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.

Course overview

Year 1

• 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.
• 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.
• Innovative Projects (30 credits) - Compulsory This module encourages innovation through the exploration of design methods and cultivate conceptual thinking and creative confidence.

Year 2

• 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

• 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.

Teaching and learning

• How you'll learn The three-year degree is taught through interactive seminars with tutor-led and small-group seminar discussions, practice-based workshops, developing creative solutions in response to industry briefs, critical reflection on personal and cultural experience, engagement with recorded key concept videos, group work and presentations, collaborative digital platforms, independent and group research project work, guided and independent study and research, and writing in academic and professional formats.
• Assessments The three-year degree is entirely coursework-based, with no exams. Assessments include creating personal branding elements like portfolios, CVs, and online profiles, completing group and individual writing and creative projects, conducting research projects and presentations, designing and implementing campaigns, producing promotional media texts such as brand identities, press releases, advertisements, and social media content, and engaging in critical reflection culminating in a major project.

Facilities and support

• Student support We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.
• Library We provide a wide range of resources and support to help you to succeed in your studies.

Careers

• How can our BA Advertising, Public Relations and Branding support your career? 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.
• Graduate job roles and employers Recent students successfully gained employment in the following roles after graduating: creative copywriter at Forever Beta, senior account executive at Whynot!, international events director at Innovation Enterprise, social media specialist at Marin Software, account manager at APS Group, researcher at THIRD BRIDGE, student engagement and marketing officer at Compass Group, content and social media manager at HeadShotBG, PR account executive at Samphire Communications Ltd, community manager at Adidas, and account executive at TBWA.

Entry requirements

• Qualifications 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.
• Academic credit If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.

Fees and funding

• UK students Full-time: £9,535, Part-time: £79 per taught credit.
• International students Full-time students: TBC, Part-time students: TBC.
• Scholarships and bursaries To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students, Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees, and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.