How long is the Higher Diploma in Public Relations?

The Higher Diploma in Public Relations runs for 15 to 18 months, with on-campus, fully online and distance-learning routes sharing the same UK CIPR-aware syllabus.

Can I study the Higher Diploma in Public Relations fully online?

Yes. The Higher Diploma in Public Relations is offered fully online with live press-line workshops, on-campus near the West End, or by structured distance learning.

Is the Higher Diploma in Public Relations recognised by UK PR consultancies?

The Higher Diploma in Public Relations is mapped to CIPR and PRCA professional standards used by UK PR consultancies and in-house comms teams.

What are the entry requirements for the Higher Diploma in Public Relations?

You need a Level 5 Advanced Diploma, HND or three years' UK PR / in-house comms experience, plus IELTS 6.0 — particularly welcome on this programme.

How much does the Higher Diploma in Public Relations cost and are scholarships available?

Fees for the Higher Diploma in Public Relations vary by route and domicile; merit awards and consultancy-sponsored places are available — contact LSCT admissions.

Higher Diploma Public Relations London Course | LSCT London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Public Relations sits inside the Media, Journalism & Communication department at LSCT and is built for PR account executives, in-house comms officers and HND finishers ready to step up into senior account-handler or comms-manager seats. Delivered over 15 to 18 months on-campus in central London, fully online or by structured distance learning, the programme covers strategic PR planning, media-relations craft, digital reputation, crisis communications and the day-to-day work of UK CIPR- and PRCA-graded consultancies and in-house teams.

From the first month you will be drafting live press lines, planning real consumer and corporate PR campaigns and reading current IPSO rulings rather than only generic case studies. By the end you will hold a portfolio of campaign plans, an SMARTER-style evaluation pack and a clear route into the BA Public Relations top-up or the CIPR Professional PR Diploma.

The programme runs on a weekly newsroom rhythm: pitch on Monday, file on Wednesday, edit on Thursday and review on Friday. Tutors include working UK journalists, agency leads and in-house comms practitioners drawn from London newsrooms, PRCA-graded consultancies and FTSE press offices. Cohort sizes are deliberately small so feedback is line-by-line rather than generic, which is how editorial standards actually improve.

Key Features

CIPR- and PRCA-aware syllabus reflecting Chartered Institute of Public Relations and PRCA professional standards.
Three study modes — on-campus near the West End, fully online with live press-line workshops, or distance learning with structured deadlines.
Live press-line studio — students draft and revise press lines under real deadline pressure each fortnight.
Crisis simulation week with rolling social-media monitoring, journalist call-backs and stakeholder briefings.
Digital reputation module covering listening platforms, owned-media measurement and CIPR's PR evaluation framework.
BA top-up pathway into the LSCT BA Public Relations final year.

What You Will Learn

You will graduate able to plan a credible UK PR campaign, draft a press line under deadline pressure, run a crisis week without losing accuracy and evaluate a campaign with the metrics a senior client will actually accept. Modules include:

Strategic Public Relations Planning (RACE / OASIS frameworks)
Media Relations: Press Lines, Pitches and Background Briefings
Digital Reputation, Social Listening and Owned-Media Strategy
Crisis and Issues Management
Corporate and Consumer PR: Tone, Audience and Channel
UK Reputation Law: Defamation, IPSO and the Online Safety Act
Evaluation: AVE Replacement, Outtakes, Outcomes
Ethics and the CIPR Code of Conduct

Assessment is portfolio-led: you are graded on published work, on-the-record copy and live editorial defence in front of the cohort and a working UK practitioner. This pattern is deliberate — it mirrors how UK newsroom and consultancy candidates are actually tested at interview, and it forces every student to develop the habit of standing behind their copy when a tough question lands rather than retreating behind a brief.

Who This Course Is For

PR account executives at UK consultancies moving towards senior account-handler roles.
In-house communications officers stepping into a senior comms-manager seat.
HND or Advanced Diploma finishers in media or business preparing for a PR career.
International applicants seeking a UK-recognised PR qualification before BA top-up.

Hybrid candidates with one foot in editorial and the other in commercial communications are particularly well-served, since UK in-house teams increasingly need people who can switch between newsroom and boardroom registers.

Career Pathways

Graduates step into the senior account and in-house roles that UK PR consultancies, FTSE comms teams and public-sector press offices hire from each quarter, particularly across the City, Westminster and Soho. Typical first roles include:

Senior PR Account Executive (UK consultancy)
Account Manager (junior, UK PRCA-graded firm)
Corporate Communications Officer (in-house)
Public Affairs Officer (Westminster-adjacent)
Digital and Social Reputation Manager
Crisis and Issues Manager (junior)

Graduates often progress to the LSCT BA Public Relations top-up year or to the CIPR Professional PR Diploma.

Beyond the obvious newsroom and consultancy routes, graduates are picked up by UK in-house communications teams at FTSE companies, NHS trusts, large charities and central government departments. Hiring conversations test how you draft under deadline pressure and how you defend an editorial decision when challenged, so the cuttings and case-study portfolio you build during the programme matters more than the certificate itself.

Entry Requirements

An Advanced Diploma (Level 5), HND, Foundation Degree, or equivalent prior study in media, business or communications.
Three years' relevant work experience considered in lieu of academic prerequisites (mature applicants) — confirmed UK PR or in-house comms experience is particularly welcome on this programme.
English language: IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A personal statement and one academic or professional reference.

Why Study at LSCT

The London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. We teach in small cohorts so every student is visible to their tutor, run a single intake schedule that students can rely on, and partner with UK professional bodies so qualifications carry weight with employers. London puts Whitehall, the City, Silicon Roundabout, the Royal Courts of Justice, the West End and the NHS estate within a short tube ride of every classroom — and our students use that proximity in their projects, placements and graduate job hunts. For PR students the proximity is the working lab: senior consultants from UK PRCA-graded agencies and in-house press officers from FTSE firms run the crisis simulation week in person.

We also run a structured careers service from intake onwards: scheduled mock editorial interviews with working UK newsroom and consultancy practitioners, CV and cuttings-book reviews aligned to UK hiring norms, and live cohort sessions on how UK editors, agency MDs and in-house heads actually filter candidates. Every student is paired with an alumni mentor working in their target UK media sector — a small touch but one that compounds across the year.

Apply for Higher Diploma in Public Relations

Close the gap to a Bachelor's degree with the Higher Diploma in Public Relations. Click Enrol Now to apply; admissions confirm your credit-transfer route within one working day, including a CIPR Professional PR Diploma progression map.