Is the Diploma in Communication Studies a PR qualification?

PR is a major application within it. The Diploma in Communication Studies covers strategic communications, internal communications, public affairs basics and campaign planning alongside core PR practice. It's broader than a pure PR diploma.

How does the Diploma in Communication Studies compare with a CIPR award?

CIPR awards are professional-body qualifications focused on day-to-day practice. The Diploma in Communication Studies is a UK education qualification with broader theoretical grounding and a Bachelor's top-up route. Many students take both during their early career.

Can I study the Diploma in Communication Studies online?

Yes. The Diploma in Communication Studies runs on-campus in central London, fully online with cohort seminars, and as distance learning. The final portfolio is the same across all three modes.

Do I need PR experience to enrol?

No. The Diploma in Communication Studies is open to A-Level leavers, career-changers and Certificate-level graduates. Many students arrive without prior PR experience and finish with a publishable portfolio of communication work.

What fees and instalment options are available?

Fees vary by mode and intake. LSJHML offers an instalment plan across the academic year and a small employer-sponsorship discount where your employer funds the course. Contact admissions for the current schedule.

Diploma in Communication Studies in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Diploma in Communication Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a nine-to-twelve-month UK qualification for working communicators, junior PR professionals and career-changers wanting a structured grounding in communication theory and applied practice. The course is built in dialogue with the International Communication Association and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

You will work through major communication theories, learn to plan and run campaigns, develop hands-on skills in writing, presenting and engagement, and graduate with a portfolio of published or simulated communication work ready to show employers.

Key Features

UK Diploma at Level 4/5 — recognised by employers and a credit-transfer pathway into a Bachelor's top-up.
Theory module covering rhetoric, framing, agenda-setting, two-step flow, current platform research.
Campaign-planning workshops using current CIPR-aligned planning frameworks.
Writing and content production across press release, blog, podcast script, social and presentation formats.
Industry-led masterclasses from working in-house communicators and PR account leads.
Final portfolio of six to eight communication pieces with measurement framework.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma in Communication Studies is structured around the working cycle of a communicator — insight, plan, narrative, channel, measurement — backed by the theoretical grounding to defend each choice. You finish able to plan a campaign, produce the content it needs, place it across the right channels and account for its outcomes.

Communication theory — rhetoric, framing, agenda-setting, two-step flow, network effects.
Campaign planning — OASIS, RACE, IPA campaign frameworks.
Audience research — qualitative and quantitative methods, behavioural insight.
Writing for communication — press release, blog, briefing, social post, podcast script.
Presentation craft — slide discipline, narrative structure, handling questions.
Media relations — press office basics, journalist engagement, story pitching.
Crisis communications — pre-mortems, holding lines, recovery framing.
Measurement — AMEC framework, share-of-voice analysis, attribution at a working level.

Who This Course Is For

Junior communicators in in-house teams, PR agencies and press offices wanting a structured external credential.
Career-changers from journalism, marketing or design moving toward in-house communications.
Charity and third-sector staff handling communications alongside other duties.
Certificate-level graduates ready to commit to a substantive UK qualification.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the Diploma in Communication Studies move into junior in-house and agency communications roles. Typical first roles include:

Communications Officer (in-house, public sector, charity)
Public Relations Account Executive (consultancy, junior agency role)
Internal Comms Assistant (corporate, NHS trust, regulator)
Campaigns Coordinator (advocacy organisation, membership body)
Press Officer (junior role, NGO, professional body)
Engagement Officer (university, cultural body, regulator)

The Diploma articulates into the final year of a UK BA in Communication or Strategic Communication via the top-up route, or supports progression into a CIPR qualification.

Entry Requirements

Completion of secondary school (A-Levels, BTEC, or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement.
Mature applicants (21+) may apply with two years of relevant work experience.

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.