How does BA Communication and Media Practice differ from a straight PR degree?

A BA in PR focuses on agency-style media relations. BA Communication and Media Practice is broader — strategic communications planning, campaign design, multimedia production and crisis response. It prepares graduates for in-house comms, agency and broadcast-adjacent roles.

Is BA Communication and Media Practice CIPR-recognised?

The curriculum is aligned to CIPR competency frameworks — strategic planning, campaign measurement, ethics. Many BA Communication and Media Practice graduates go on to add a CIPR qualification while working. The two complement each other.

Do I need media production experience to apply?

No. BA Communication and Media Practice teaches production from first principles. What matters more is a curious mind, willingness to be edited, and an interest in why some communication works and other communication does not.

Can I study BA Communication and Media Practice online?

Yes. The degree runs on-campus in central London, fully online with cohort seminars, and as distance learning with structured deadlines. Production work is done in your own location with software access provided by LSJHML.

What fees and scholarships are available?

Fees for BA Communication and Media Practice vary by mode, intake and student status. LSJHML offers instalment plans across the academic year, an early-application discount and a small scholarship pool for outstanding applicants. Contact admissions for the current schedule.

BA Communication and Media Practice in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Communication and Media Practice at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree for students who want to combine the strategic discipline of communications with hands-on media production. You will plan and run campaigns, produce video, audio and written content, work through CIPR-aligned communications theory, and graduate with a portfolio strong enough to walk into a junior in-house comms role, a PR agency desk or a public-sector press office.

This is communications taught as a craft, not a theory. Every term you build something — a campaign, a media piece, a written response — and defend it to industry-experienced tutors in seminar.

Key Features

UK honours degree — three years full-time, with online and distance routes available.
Annual campaign brief in dialogue with a real or simulated UK client across the academic year.
CIPR-aligned curriculum covering strategic communications planning, campaign measurement and crisis response.
Multimedia production modules — short-form video, podcast production, written content, social-first formats.
Industry-led masterclasses from working comms directors, PR account leads and broadcast producers.
Final-year capstone — a self-directed integrated campaign with a public-facing output.

What You Will Learn

The BA Communication and Media Practice is structured around the working cycle of a communicator — insight, plan, narrative, production, channel, measurement. You finish able to design a campaign grounded in evidence, produce the content the campaign needs, place it on the right channels and account for what it did or did not change.

Strategic communications planning — OASIS framework, Government Communication Service standards.
Audience research and segmentation — qualitative and quantitative methods, behavioural insight.
Campaign design — narrative architecture, message-house construction, integrated channel strategy.
Media production — short-form video, podcast, written content, social-first formats.
Public relations practice — media relations, press office operations, stakeholder engagement.
Crisis communications — pre-mortems, holding lines, recovery planning.
Media law and ethics — defamation, privacy, advertising standards, CAP Code.
Measurement and evaluation — AMEC framework, share-of-voice analysis, behaviour change metrics.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers who want a communications career that combines strategy and production.
International students seeking a UK degree in communications taught in London, the European base for most global agencies and broadcasters.
Career-changers in their twenties or thirties looking for a structured degree route into communications work.
Practitioners with strong portfolios who want a formal degree to unlock senior-track recruitment.

Career Pathways

BA Communication and Media Practice graduates compete strongly for junior in-house communications roles, agency accounts and entry-level production positions. Typical first roles include:

Communications Officer (in-house, public sector, charity)
Strategic Communications Adviser (junior consultancy role)
Public Affairs Officer (think tank, trade body, agency)
Press and Comms Officer (NHS trust, local authority, regulator)
Media Analyst (insight agency, in-house comms team)
Junior Producer (corporate video, podcast, branded content)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Communications, Strategic Communication or a specialist field such as Public Affairs or Crisis Management.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; some applicants are invited to short interview.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.