Mass Communications, Advertising and Public Relations BA (Hons)



Prepare for a career in mass communications, advertising and public relations, with this new professionally accredited course

Overview

Know you’re interested in Communications, but not a 100% sure what career? Edinburgh Napier University has more than 20 years' experience in teaching professional communication. 

Recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), this new course will prepare you for employment or postgraduate study in a range of disciplines such as advertising, public relations, branding, marketing, corporate communications, mass communications, media and digital communications.  

The course provides the opportunity to study at a partner university overseas, or complete a work placement in industry.

Whether you choose direct entry from college into third year, or study the first two years of our BA (Hons) Mass Communications degree and transfer across, the BA (Hons) Mass Communications, Advertising & Public Relations degree will give you the opportunity to explore a variety of career options and find the best fit for you. 

Choose choice, choose Edinburgh Napier.

We are a top 2 UK modern university for Communication and Media studies - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.
International student ambassador Ja Wei Ho.

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

4 years

Start date:

Sep

UCAS code:

W123

Course details

Mass Communications, Advertising & PR offers a great deal of choice for those students interested in careers in, for example: 
  • Advertising & PR
  • Branding & Brand Management
  • Creative Industries
  • Corporate & News Media
  • Marketing Communications
  • Media & Communication
It also provides students with the knowledge & skills for postgraduate study in related areas.

The programme will:
  • develop your transferable skills to prepare you for graduate employment, including your critical, analytical, problem-based learning and communication skills
  • provide you with the knowledge and skills to equip you for a career in Mass Communications and the Professional & Creative Communication Industries (such as: advertising, PR, branding/ brand Management, marketing, media and digital content management
  • develop your appreciation for academic, philosophical, and professional debates, concepts and theories related to communication
  • prepare you for post graduate study in mass communications and the professional and creative communication industries (such as: mass communications, media, advertising, PR, branding/brand management, marketing, digital communication and international communication)
  • enhance your personal and professional growth and develop your interpersonal and networking skills.

Gary Lunt is the Programme Leader for all three degree routes.  Gary has been a tutor at Edinburgh Napier for 20 years and a Programme Leader for 10 years.  Gary has a specific interest in Branding & Brand Management, Corporate Communication, International & Intercultural Communication and Communication Theory.

Year three of the Mass Communications, Advertising & Public Relations degree is also delivered at our partner institution, Hong Kong University Space.  It is open to students on a full-time or part-time basis. After successful completion of year three, students can exit with a BA Mass Communications, Advertising and Public Relations qualification, or progress to fourth year study based at Edinburgh Napier University for the award of BA (Hons) Mass Communications, Advertising and Public Relations.   

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    How you’ll be taught

    Students will participate in a variety of learning and teaching methods, including lectures, tutorials, team work, class discussions, one-to-one supervision, independent study, practical projects, and workshops.
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    Assessments

    Assessments are designed to reflect the academic and/or professional focus of a module. Students will write essays, develop research portfolios, undertake individual and team presentations, develop research projects along with creating advertising, PR and branding strategies and creative solutions to set briefs and established professional standards,.
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    Work placement

     There is an optional placement module in the 3rd year of the Mass Communications, Advertising & Public Relations programme. In addition a number of 3rd & 4th year modules have Live Projects with small student teams working with external organisations.
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    Facilities

     Our Merchiston campus, situated in the heart of Edinburgh, is home to creative industries students along with engineering and computing.

    This mix of disciplines helps create an inspiring, innovative and collaborative atmosphere. 

    This is enhanced by excellent facilities including newsroom, TV, radio, design and photography studios and soundproofed music studios.  There are also Mac Labs for creative design work.

    Inside you’ll also find the 500-seat Jack Kilby Computing Centre and library, open 24 hours a day in Trimesters 1 and 2, student support services and Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association.

Popular modules

Year 3

  • Communication Management
  • Advertising Theory & Practice
  • Public Relations Theory & Practice
  • Branding
  • Visual Communication
  • Online Communication

Year 4

  • Dissertation
  • Professional Project in Advertising Management
  • Professional Project in Public Relations Management
  • International & Intercultural Communication
  • Professional Communication Production Module 

All Year 4 modules are core and reflect the professional and academic focus for accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Public Relations and Communications Association.

In addition to core modules studied each year, the programmes are option rich, this allows you to choose from a pool of modules which reflect your personal interests and career goals.

RECOGNISED BY

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Our entry requirements indicate the minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

Minimum year 3

HND

Pass HND with grade B at SCQF level 8 in all graded units. 

Accepted HNDs - Advertising and PR, Media and Communication, Events Management.  We will consider other HNDs where primary subject areas include Advertising, PR, Marketing, Branding etc.

English language requirements

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test. The English Language requirements for this programme are IELTS (Academic) with 6.0 overall and no element below 5.5.  For guidance on the acceptability of other English Language tests please contact ugadmissions@napier.ac.uk.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English. Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BN Nursing/MSc Nursing (Pre-registration) (Adult, Mental Health, Child, Learning Disabilities)
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2023/24 2024/25
Scotland £1,820 £tba
England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £9,250 £tba
Overseas and EU £15,160 tba
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland will be invoiced the tuition fees for 3 years of their 4 years of study. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.
Please note tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other Tuition Fee matters please see Frequently Asked Questions about Fees Click this link for Information of Bursaries and Scholarships
If additional compulsory costs other than the tuition fees are applicable, these will be detailed in the course details.
Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.


The University offers a 10% discount on MSc Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes.

Careers

Future graduate promotional pins.
You’ll benefit from our reputation in the creative industries, with excellent employment prospects in the public and private sectors. You’ll graduate with the relevant skills to enter the main communication industries, including:

  • creative industries
  • advertising
  • corporate communications
  • marketing communications
  • public relations
  • public affairs 
  • corporate & news media
  • branding
  • brand and reputation management
  • internal and employee communication
Recent graduates at Usher Hall.