How long is the Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals?

Three to six months full-time or part-time. The Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals runs a single intake schedule so cohort dates are predictable.

Can the Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals be studied online?

Yes. The Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals is delivered on-campus in central London, fully online or by distance learning, all assessed against the same press-release brief.

Is the Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals recognised by UK employers?

The Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals is designed around CIPR foundation-tier and PRCA entry-level content, giving UK agencies and in-house teams a familiar reference.

What are the entry requirements for the Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals?

Open access with GCSE-level English and Mathematics at grade 4/C, IELTS 5.5 for non-native speakers and two references. Speed and clarity of writing are valued for the Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals.

Certificate in Public Relations | LSIBM London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals at the London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a short foundation programme for anyone starting out in a UK PR agency, an in-house communications team, or a corporate press office. Sitting in the Marketing, Media & Digital Business faculty, it works through the twenty routines a junior account executive is expected to run — the press release, the media list, the interview brief, the coverage report — with a working eye on how UK media buy stories.

Running three to six months on-campus in central London, fully online, or by distance learning, the certificate is designed around the CIPR foundation-tier and PRCA entry-level content. Assessment mixes a written release, a media-list build and a viva. It sits as the practical starting point before the LSIBM Diploma in Public Relations or Content Marketing.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with the CIPR foundation-tier and PRCA entry-level content.
Three study modes — central London campus, fully online, or distance learning.
Press-release brief written to UK national-desk and trade-title standard.
Media-list build using a Muck Rack or ResponseSource style tool.
Coverage-report template used across UK PR agency reporting.
Direct articulation onto the LSIBM Diploma in Content Marketing.

What You Will Learn

The certificate is deliberately pragmatic — it teaches the workflow of a UK PR agency's account-executive tier and finishes with a portfolio a hiring manager can flick through. Students finish able to pitch a story to a UK trade title without embarrassing themselves.

Anatomy of the UK PR industry — agencies, in-house, corporate and public affairs.
Writing a press release that a UK news desk would open past the headline.
Building and maintaining a media list for a UK sector.
Understanding the UK news calendar — political cycles, sector conferences.
Preparing a spokesperson brief and Q&A pack.
Coverage measurement — AVE alternatives, share of voice, sentiment.
UK regulatory basics — Ofcom, ASA, IPSO and defamation awareness.
Crisis-comms basics for a junior team member.

Who This Course Is For

Aspiring PR account executives and comms assistants.
Marketing graduates pivoting into PR or corporate comms.
Small-business owners running their own outreach.
Public-sector information officers needing formal grounding.
International students preparing for UK PR-sector roles.

Career Pathways

Certificate graduates typically enter account-executive and press-office roles across UK PR agencies, in-house comms teams and public-affairs consultancies. The credential works particularly well combined with a portfolio of published coverage from placements or internships.

PR Account Executive
Communications Assistant
Press Officer (junior)
Corporate Comms Coordinator
Public Affairs Assistant
Internal Communications Executive

The Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals articulates into the LSIBM Diploma in Content Marketing and gives useful preparation for the CIPR foundation qualifications and PRCA training courses.

Entry Requirements

Open access — GCSE-level English and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or international equivalent) is the working baseline, with clarity and speed of writing valued for this route.
Applicants over 18 are welcome regardless of prior qualifications, provided a short statement of intent is submitted.
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers, or an equivalent test at CEFR B2.
Two personal references — one professional, one academic; work-based references accepted for career changers.

Why Study at LSIBM

The London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a specialist business-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 — CMI, CIM, CIPD, ACCA, CIMA, CFA UK, CIPS and IOE&IT — so qualifications carry weight with employers.

London puts the City, Canary Wharf, Whitehall, Companies House, the FCA, the Bank of England and the West End within a short tube ride of every classroom. LSIBM Certificate students frequently attend evening events at the CMI, IoD Pall Mall clubhouse, and CIM London — building a working professional network alongside their studies.

Apply for Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals

Take the first step with the Certificate in Public Relations Fundamentals. Click Enrol Now and our admissions team will respond within one working day with intake dates, credit-transfer guidance and the current fee schedule. LSIBM runs a single intake schedule so applicants know exactly when their cohort begins.