PGDip in Political Communications

The Postgraduate Diploma in Political Communications aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between political actors, communication industries and the public in contemporary societies.

Specifically, the programme will equip students with in-depth knowledge of the importance of communication in the political process and of how, in a democratic polity, political institutions and others seek to communicate with the public and vice-versa.

For the main part, this will lead to a concentration on the role of the mass media but other forms of political communication - including the techniques of marketing, polling, face-face interaction and internet campaigning - will also be studied. However, the knowledge and skills acquired in such a study will have far broader applications. Students completing this programme will have at their disposal, a range of tools that will enable them to analyse social and communicative interactions in the public sphere and to make judgements about future modules of action based on this understanding.

The programme will provide students with:

• Knowledge of the history and development of political communications with a international emphasis;
• An understanding of the theoretical debates that have informed the study of political communications;
• An awareness of both dominant and alternative models of interaction between political actors, communicators and the public;
• An overview and insight into current debates - both academic and professional - within the field

In addition, the programme will also provide students with practical skills and insights that will enable them to:

• Undertake a range of tasks in relation to the planning and commissioning of political communications work from within various public and private bodies;
• Commission political communications work from within public and private sector bodies or on behalf of clients;
• Analyse political communications activity from and academic and journalistic perspectives

Full-time study mode

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

Optional modules equal to the value of 60 credits, chosen from an approved list published annually.

Part-time study mode

Year 1: Compulsory modules

Year 2: Optional modules

Optional modules equal to the value of 60 credits, chosen from an approved list published annually.

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.