BA (Honours) Journalism, Public Relations with Media

Study Mode Full-time
Year of Entry 2024/25
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BA (Honours)

Journalism, Public Relations with Media

Prepare for a career in the fast-moving fields of journalism, PR and media — gaining the skills and knowledge you need for a range of exciting roles.

Everything you need to know...

  • Pound sign

    What is the fee?

    Home: £9,250 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
    International/EU: £16,655 per year (£1,200 for placement year)

  • Time

    How long will I study?

    3 / 4 Years

  • Location

    Where will I study?

    City Campus

  • Bookmark

    What are the entry requirements?

    112-120 UCAS points

  • Checkmark

    What is the UCAS code?

    B004

  • Date

    When do I start?

    September 2024

  • Avatar

    Placement year available?

    Yes


Course summary

  • Gain in-depth knowledge of journalism, PR and media.
  • Research, plan, implement and manage successful journalism, PR and media campaigns.
  • Use cutting-edge facilities for content creation and editing.
  • Engage with current debates about the relationship between journalism, PR, media and wider society.
  • Study flexibly — tailoring your learning to your career plans, while gaining a solid understanding of all three subjects.

On this course, you’ll examine key theories and issues relating to journalism, PR and media. You’ll learn with industry experts, and gain wide-ranging knowledge along with useful practical skills. You’ll graduate ready for a range of exciting positions within a dynamic sector. See articles written by our current students. 


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Teaching Quality

Sheffield Hallam University is ranked 10th amongst UK providers for marketing and public relation in the Guardian University Guide 2024 league table.

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Your studies are led by a team that includes award-winning journalism, PR and media practitioners, along with internationally-recognised theorists. They have experience across a range of industries — including TV, health and charity — across the public and private sectors.

Throughout the course, you attend a combination of lectures, workshops and seminars where key topics and concepts are introduced and explored. This includes a mix of tutor-directed learning and discussions, and student-led exercises and tasks. You’ll engage in collaborative activities in person, and online.

You learn through

  • essays
  • practical work
  • case studies
  • reports
  • group work
  • concept maps
  • research projects
  • oral presentations
  • portfolios

Applied learning

Work placements

You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you real-world experience to prepare you for your future career.

Recent students have worked with the BBC, regional newspapers, local and national PR agencies, Disney, Purple PR music agency, Mattel, Douwe Egberts, Dentsu Aegis, Top Cashback, South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield Showroom and Sheff Doc/Fest, the international documentary festival. Students also work in the voluntary sector.

Networking opportunities

Our staff are active in the journalism, PR and media industries. As a result, experts from across the sectors are a core feature throughout your course. They cover topics from regional and national journalism, digital and social skills to search engine optimisation, crisis management, charity, sports and music PR.

Every year we hold industry events that link you with regional and national PR experts. Graduates return to share their experiences and top tips for finding jobs. Selected students are offered a chance to be mentored by PR professionals for one year.

You will gain automatic free student membership of the Public Relations Communications Association (PRCA). Benefits include exclusive access to work placements, internships, graduate schemes and entry-level jobs, free and unlimited online training, and free access to the industry-recognised PRCA Online Certificate.

We also work closely with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Professional Publishers Association.

Field trips

We take student trips to regional, national and international events, including the Berlin Film Festival, where you get the chance to meet industry experts. 

You can also apply for our Go Global student initiative, which has taken our students to destinations such as Malaysia and Paris, gaining new skills and a broader cultural insight into how journalism and PR are applied internationally.

There is an opportunity to study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Turing Scheme

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View our students' work

View our gallery of student work and learn more about the exciting projects they've been working on this year.

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Future careers

This course prepares you for a career in

  • journalism
  • music and entertainment management
  • in-house and agency public relations
  • media relations
  • digital PR
  • event management
  • corporate communications
  • lobbying and political communications
  • radio
  • film and TV production
  • blogging
  • social media
  • content creation

Previous journalism and PR graduates have gone on to work in

  • BBC World Service
  • BBC local radio
  • Sky
  • TalkSport
  • environmental lobbying positions
  • social media campaigning
  • Oxford University
  • Diva Creative
  • Edelman
  • Nelson Bostock
  • Liverpool FC TV
  • TUI travel - head office PR team

Where will I study?

You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

City Campus

City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.

City Campus map | City Campus tour 


City Campus map
Location

Howard Street
Sheffield
S1 1WB

Get directions
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Adsetts library

Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.

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Learn more about your department

Media, Arts and Communications Facilities Tour

Take a look around the media, arts and communication facilities at Sheffield Hallam University with lecturer Saskia Wilson.

Department page

Equipment and facilities

On this course you work with

  • PR Hub — our custom designed flexible teaching and learning space
  • TV studio — to produce content packages and learn about news and programme production
  • Radio studios — learning essential journalism and PR skills for audio broadcast
  • Film screening facilities — the chance to see your work showcased in our state of the art facilities
  • Creative Media Centre skilled support team

Entry requirements

All students

UCAS points

  • 112-120

This must include at least 64 points from two A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications, including at least 32 points in a relevant* subject. For example:

  • BBC-BBB at A Level
  • DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
  • Merit overall from a T level Qualification
  • A combination of qualifications, which must include 64 points from two A levels and may include AS Levels, EPQ and general studies. Where an applicant has not taken AS Level qualifications we may make a lower offer.

* Relevant subjects are: media studies, communication studies, film studies, English, creative writing, a foreign language, sociology, politics, history, psychology, accountancy, finance, business, economics, hospitality, events management, dance, performing arts, drama, theatre studies, geography, art and design, graphic design, IT/computing, music, sciences, sport, world development.

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

  • English Language at grade C or 4
  • Maths at grade C or 4

Access - an Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above, from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

If English is not your first language you must have an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent.

Additional information for EU/International students

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.


Modules

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

Important notice: The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Digital Skills And Client Management
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
History Of Communication
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Introduction To Pr
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Making Media
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Media Law And Democracy
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Pr And Persuasion
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Year 2

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Brand Management And Entrepreneurship
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Reputations, Issues And Crisis Management
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Research Skills
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Researching And Reporting
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Elective modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Digital Communications In Practice
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Feature Writing
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Foreign Language (French,Spanish,Italian,Chinese)
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Global Communications Strategy And Critique
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Life And Style Journalism
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Radio And Sound Production
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Tv And Video News Skills
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Year 3

Optional modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Placement Year
Credits -
Assessment
Final year

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Contemporary And Professional Issues In Public Relations
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Dissertation/Applied Project
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Pr Specialisms
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Elective modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Corporate Communications: Strategy And Critique
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Foreign Language (French,Spanish,Italian,Chinese)
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Magazine Creation
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Magazine Publishing
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Moral Panics
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Pr And Power
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Tv2: Tv Journalism And Production
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Fees and funding

Home students

Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.

If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.

International students

Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £16,655 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.

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Financial support for home/EU students

How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.

Learn more

Additional course costs

This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

Additional costs for Media, PR and journalism courses (PDF, 216.1KB)

Legal information

Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.

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Financial support for home/EU students

How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.

Learn more
 

How do I apply?

Apply now via UCAS

Not ready to apply just yet?

Why not come to our next open day? Open days are the perfect place to talk to staff and students, visit our campuses and get all the information you need. Alternatively, feel free to ask us a question.

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Why choose us?

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Teaching

We are Gold rated in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and student outcomes

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Accommodation

We guarantee to find you an affordable place to live that’s close to campus and comes with all bills included

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Employment

95% of our UK graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (2020/21 Graduate Outcomes Survey)

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