PGDip
Promotional Media: Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing

Why study PR, Advertising & Marketing at Goldsmiths?

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.

  • 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.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Clea Bourne.

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: £TBC
Home - part-time: £TBC
International - full-time: £TBC

Department

Media, Communications and Cultural Studies

Learn from the experts
Our academics are industry professionals and you'll have access to industry speakers and networking events.
London life
Study in London – rich in culture and history, and voted the best student city in the world (QS Best Student Cities 2024)
Research leaders
In the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021), our department was ranked fourth in the UK for 4* research – the highest level possible.

What you'll study

You will study the following compulsory modules:

Module title Credits
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.

Note about optional modules (if available): The above is indicative of the typical modules offered, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. The module content and availability is subject to change.

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. These tasks also provide you with an opportunity to rehearse skills that will be used in some of the formal assessments.

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.

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. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

How to apply

Apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Find out more about applying for a postgraduate qualification at Goldsmiths.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £TBC
  • Home - part-time: £TBC
  • International - full-time: £TBC

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

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.

If you are a UK student you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

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. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

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. Such students will be encouraged to seek work experience in relevant institutions during the programme, although these will not be compulsory and will not be organised by Goldsmiths.

Students will be provided with access to contemporary industry activity and case studies to gain an understanding of how their diploma can be used in a professional context.

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