Public Relations and Media

Public relations and media together address the full range of how organisations communicate with their audiences and how those communications are made, distributed, and understood. Public relations is concerned with managing reputation, building relationships with stakeholders, and crafting messages that serve an organisation's strategic goals across a range of channels and contexts. Media studies examines how media industries operate, how content is produced and distributed, and how audiences make sense of what they encounter through journalism, film, social media, and other forms of mass communication.

Studying the two together develops both the critical and the practical dimensions of professional communication.

At Swansea University, this three-year full-time BA combines critical theory with practical experience, reflecting a programme designed for students who want to understand the communications landscape analytically as well as operate within it professionally. You will develop skills in PR practice, journalism, digital media, and film production alongside the critical frameworks needed to evaluate how communications work and whose interests they serve. The rapid evolution of the field, shaped by digital technologies, social media, and changing expectations of authentic communication, is treated as a context for both practical skill development and critical inquiry.

With a typical entry tariff of 120 UCAS points, the programme is accessible to students with creative and analytical abilities.

Graduates from public relations and media programmes are sought across a wide range of organisations. PR agencies, in-house communications teams, media companies, journalism, broadcasting, digital content production, advertising, marketing, and the public and third sectors all employ graduates with this combination of skills. The critical dimension of the degree is also valuable in research, policy, and education roles.

Postgraduate study in media, communications, journalism, or public relations provides options for those who wish to specialise.