Marketing with Advertising and Public Relations

Marketing with advertising and public relations is a degree that addresses the full spectrum of how organisations communicate with the world. Marketing provides the strategic foundation: understanding customers, positioning products and services, and making decisions about price, product, and place. Advertising brings the creative and strategic expertise to develop campaigns that engage audiences across different channels, from television and outdoor to digital and social.

Public relations focuses on managing reputation, building relationships with media and stakeholders, and communicating organisational messages in a way that maintains trust and credibility. Together they cover the main disciplines through which contemporary brands seek to be noticed, understood, and believed.

At Birmingham City University, this three-year full-time programme is practice-based, emphasising the development of hands-on skills alongside theoretical understanding. You will study the principles of marketing strategy and consumer behaviour alongside the creative and technical skills needed to develop advertising campaigns and manage PR activities. The programme includes a sandwich placement year, giving you professional experience in a marketing, advertising, or PR role during your degree, which is a significant advantage when you graduate into a competitive communications job market.

The practical orientation of the programme reflects the reality that employers in these fields value demonstrated capability as much as academic qualification.

Graduates work in marketing departments, advertising agencies, PR consultancies, digital marketing agencies, and communications roles within public sector and voluntary organisations. The three disciplines are increasingly integrated in practice, and a graduate who understands the connections between them is well placed in a market where organisations expect communications professionals to work across boundaries. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in marketing, communications, or digital media, while others build careers as account managers, brand managers, campaign strategists, or freelance communications specialists.