Program Overview

PGDip Promotional Media: Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing

Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in Promotional Media crosses the formalised boundaries established between media, public relations, marketing, and advertising, and will equip you with the knowledge necessary to pursue a related career.

Why study PR, Advertising & Marketing at Goldsmiths?

• You will explore contemporary issues in the fields of PR, Advertising, and Marketing, and develop techniques for analysing promotional media texts.
• This PGDip will also equip you with specific skills that will provide opportunities for career enhancement. You will develop critical and cognitive skills in analysing and interpreting developments in the PR, advertising, and marketing sectors, learn to apply your knowledge and insights to new areas and projects.
• The Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies has been ranked second in the UK for 'world-leading or internationally excellent' research (Research Excellence Framework, 2021) and 16th in the world (third in the UK) in the 2024 QS World Rankings for communication and media studies.

Develop valuable skills

• The programme will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue careers related to public relations, advertising, marketing communications, and promotional campaigning. You will be encouraged to seek work experience in relevant institutions during the programme, although these are not compulsory and will not be organised by Goldsmiths.
• You will also develop specialist 'routes' by choosing optional modules, and provided with access to contemporary industry activity and case studies to gain an understanding of how your qualification can be used in a professional context.
• The Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies has a strong record of employment prospects for its graduates. Graduates from our programmes have won numerous awards for their practice work, and have gone on to a variety of jobs in the media industry and academia.

Who should apply?

• The programme is primarily aimed at students who want to develop their skills or retrain. The Department has strong industry links and hosts a range of events that bring together industry experts, academics and students.
• The Academic Skills Centre works with academic departments offering bespoke academic literacy sessions and provides a programme of academic skills workshops and one-to-one provision for students throughout the year.

Length

• 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Entry requirements

• Applicants will normally be expected to hold a good first degree in a relevant subject. Consideration will given to students without this if they have professional experience in this area and are able to demonstrate ability and commitment to the pursuit of a programme of rigorous academic study.

Fees

• Home - full-time: £7500
• Home - part-time: £3750
• International - full-time: £14650

Department

• Media, Communications and Cultural Studies

What you'll study

Overview

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Promotional Media I: Changing Fields & Contexts (30 credits)
• Promotional Media II: Campaign Skills & Techniques (30 credits)

Promotional Media I: Changing Fields & Contexts

• Introduces you to power theories and applications to the promotional professions, as well as providing individual and group practice in using discursive analytical techniques.

Promotional Media II: Campaign Skills & Techniques

• Enhances your knowledge of PR, advertising and marketing; enabling you to apply that knowledge to practical examples and case studies as well as incorporating acquired knowledge into practical projects.

Optional modules

• You will also study 60-credits worth of optional modules from a list approved annually by the Department.

Teaching and learning

• You'll attend lectures and seminars, which provide an opportunity for you to clarify your understanding of particular themes and topics. Seminars include tasks that ask you to discuss, analyse and critically assess different models and perspectives; in this way, seminars also support skills in critical reasoning, and in the development and communication of complex arguments.
• You are expected to read at least one article ahead of each lecture-seminar, but are strongly encouraged to conduct further reading, and to share your insights with other students in seminar discussions.
• You will be able to meet with tutors to further consolidate the knowledge and understanding of subject skills you acquire through lectures, seminars and your independent study.

How you'll be assessed

• Each of the compulsory modules will be assessed by a 3,500-4,000-word essay.
• You will also complete two group projects that assess your knowledge and understanding of: power theories and the ability to apply discourse analytical techniques to explore and deconstruct promotional media texts; promotional skills and techniques and the ability to apply this in a practical way through the designing of a promotional campaign.
• For the optional modules, assessment will vary depending on specific combinations of modules chosen.

Entry requirements

• Applicants will normally be expected to hold a good first degree in a relevant subject area. However, consideration will also be given to students without an academic background in a relevant subject area if they have professional experience in this area and are able to demonstrate their ability and commitment to the pursuit of a programme of rigorous academic study.

International qualifications

• We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

English language requirements

• If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

• These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2025/2026 academic year.
• Home - full-time: £7500
• Home - part-time: £3750
• International - full-time: £14650

Funding opportunities

• Explore the Goldsmiths scholarships finder to find out what funding you may be eligible for.

Paying your fees

• Find out about paying your tuition fees.

Additional costs

• In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying.

Careers

• PGDip Promotional Media: Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing graduates can expect to enter a wide range of careers.
• The programme will equip students seeking professional development with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue (or enhance) careers related to public relations, advertising, marketing communications and promotional campaigning, as well as other related communications roles.