CIPR Professional PR Certificate

Aims of the module

Candidates will:

• Research and develop PR plans, create content that helps an organisation to tell a story, change attitudes and influence behaviours, and/or market products and services; and measure the impact of communications activities.

Module structure

Unit 1: PR in Context: Research and Planning
Unit 1 positions public relations in the economic, social and political contexts in which it functions and considers areas of PR practice. It examines where PR sits within organisations and how it adds value. It considers practical challenges and introduces conceptual underpinnings relating to PR planning within a framework of organisational strategy, vision and goals, developing capabilities in PR, and communications research and planning. An analytical perspective is applied to encourage candidates to reflect on their own experience alongside case studies of organisations and scenarios.

Unit 2: Content, Media and Engagement
Unit 2 considers: how to create and manage communications that work; how individuals and groups react and respond to PR activities; and how PR can affect that response. It examines concepts and theories related to PR practice. The ways in which developments in technology have affected the balance between organisations, stakeholders and publics are discussed. The key concepts and related methods underpin the study of media and social media channels, the creation of ethical and compelling content, storytelling, content curation, and interpreting, and using data. Candidates are encouraged to draw on their own experience alongside case study examples of campaigns and professional practice.

Unit 3: Measurement, evaluation and professional ethics
Unit 3 focuses on the delivery of communications and PR activities; and how they are managed, monitored and measured, including the contrasting roles of consultancy and in-house professionals. Current best practice on evaluation (AMEC guidelines) is introduced to equip the candidate with practical tools to use in the workplace. The links between objective setting (Unit 1) and content development (Unit 2) and their impact on the organisation’s strategic goals are explored. The Unit also considers the professional status of the discipline, and introduces key legal and regulatory concepts. The ethical dimension within which public relations operates, including the CIPR Code of Conduct, is examined.