Marketing and Public Relations with foundation year

Marketing and public relations together form the communications backbone of virtually every modern organisation. Marketing is concerned with understanding audiences, creating value, and connecting products or services with the people who need them, while public relations shapes how organisations are perceived and manages the flow of information between institutions and their many stakeholders. Together these disciplines demand creativity, strategic thinking, and a thorough understanding of human behaviour, media, and digital platforms.

This four-year full-time programme at Coventry University is designed to equip you with the knowledge, competencies, and practical skills needed to succeed in both fields. You will study the theory and practice of consumer behaviour, brand strategy, integrated marketing communications, media relations, crisis communications, and digital marketing. The curriculum keeps pace with an industry that changes rapidly, ensuring that you understand not only established techniques but also the evolving landscape of social media, content marketing, and data-driven campaign management.

A foundation year is embedded in the structure of this programme, giving you time to build your academic and professional foundations before progressing to more advanced study.

A distinctive feature of this programme is the opportunity for a sandwich placement year, giving you the chance to work within a real organisation and apply your learning in a professional environment. You will also have the option to spend a year abroad at an international partner institution, broadening your understanding of how marketing and communications operate across different cultural and regulatory contexts. Work placement opportunities are integrated throughout the degree, meaning that the connection between academic learning and professional practice runs from the beginning.

These experiences mean you will graduate with a portfolio of practical experience as well as academic knowledge.

Career paths for graduates are broad and include roles in marketing agencies, in-house marketing departments, public relations consultancies, media organisations, the public sector, and non-profit communications. Some graduates go on to postgraduate qualifications in marketing, communications, or business, or pursue professional accreditation with bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing or the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.