Public Relations and Strategic Communications

Entry requirements

For admission to the MSc in Public Relations and Strategic Communications programme, successful applicants will have:

• A degree at the level of an Irish or UK Honours undergraduate degree (H2.2 or above) or equivalent. Entry to this programme is very competitive and places are limited. Applicants will normally have a strong honours primary degree in a related discipline.

• Appropriate combinations of professional qualifications and experience may be accepted as equivalent to an honours degree, in accordance with the relevant regulations of the university. This may apply to applicants who have worked in advertising, journalism, marketing, media, public relations, or in a communications role / function for several years.

• International candidates who are non-native speakers of English must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language.

As part of the application process applicants may be called for interview.

Months of entry

September

Course content

DCU’s MSc in Public Relations and Strategic Communications (MScPR) provides a focus on the “why” of communication decisions, rather than merely on the “how” of any communication activities. The programme is designed to provide the skills and ability to think strategically and make effective use of the latest tools in modern communications.

The MSc in Public Relations and Strategic Communications has been developed in partnership with the public relations industry in Ireland and with the advice and expertise of academics and practitioners across Europe and in the United States. The course is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII), which is part of the Global Alliance of PR associations, representing 280,000 practitioners and academics in 126 countries. The MScPR programme is revised annually to reflect the changing landscape of communications and the emerging use of the latest digital technologies.

The programme provides students with public relations theory and practice alongside an understanding of recent developments and challenges for the profession. These include the impact of social media; the decline of traditional media; growing issues of corporate social responsibility influencing organisational reputation; strategies for effective crisis communications management and the increasing influence of globalisation on Public Relations theory and practice.

At the end of the academic year, you'll take part in a three-month formal supervised work placement in a leading public relations agency or within a significant in-house communications department. Placements are at the discretion of the employer and, while not guaranteed, every effort is made by the MScPR team and the DCU Intra office to ensure students are offered an internship.

The success of the MSc in Public Relations and Strategic Communications contributes to DCU's School of Communications ranking in the top 200 communications schools worldwide in the QS World University Rankings.