BA (Hons) Marketing Communications courses (with Advertising, Digital Media & Public Relations)

Year Two and Final Year

BA (Hons) Marketing Communications

The course has been designed to produce visionary marketing communications professionals. You will obtain a critical understanding of the full suite of marketing communication tools. Based on this knowledge, you will cultivate strategic skills to best effect for clients and organisations by developing persuasive communications and integrated campaigns that draw on marketing, advertising, digital media, and PR. This degree will enable you to excel in a variety of roles in the industry and lead in the field with much needed ethical abilities in today’s society, such as the ability to grasp a wide array of perspectives and to effectively affiliate with them.

In your second year, you’ll be encouraged to take the CIM Certificate in Professional Marketing, putting you ahead of many others starting a career in marketing communications. This will give you an edge when applying for your work placement.

As a BU Marketing Communications student you’ll also have the opportunity to organise and host the annual Mike Warne Event - the only student-organised event in the CIM’s national event programme, bringing together leaders in the industry.

UCAS code: N591

Key areas of study

Marketing Communications in a Global Context | Strategic Marketing | Customer Experience – How to Deliver & Enhance It | Marketing Communications in Practice – Responding to Client Briefs & Creating Campaigns | Build a Portfolio of Marketing Communications Work

Shared key areas of study

BA (Hons) Marketing Communications with Advertising

On this course, you’ll develop strategic, advertising-focused solutions to marketing communications problems, based on a clear understanding of the communications environment, the client’s brand and consumers and how to develop relevant advertising that prompts the desired response. You will graduate with a second-to-none proficiency in the strategy, development and planning of advertising in conjunction with other marketing activities, as well as specific knowledge and skills related to core advertising functions, including branding, creative, media planning and strategy.

You’ll be encouraged to take the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Foundation Certificate, making your CV distinctive and prominent, giving you improved placement and employability prospects, as employers will recognise proven practitioner skills as well as academic knowledge.

UCAS code: N592

Key areas of study

The Role of Advertising in Brand Building & Strategy | Media PlanningDeveloping Campaign Solutions for Brands | Campaign Planning for Advertising | Build a Portfolio of Advertising Work

Shared: Creating & Decoding Marketing Communications Content | Principles of Branding & Branding as a Strategic Tool | Research Methods to Generate Insights for Industry & Academia | Dissertation

BA (Hons) Marketing Communications with Digital Media

This course will give you specific skills in digital marketing communications, including digital consumers, digital insight, digital futures and innovation in the sector. You’ll explore the value of digital media in marketing communications and develop a command of cutting-edge digital media practices and communications that will enable you to be innovative, strategic, and creative in your own practice. You’ll study a range of applications, tools, strategies and techniques to understand and engage with digital consumers and gain specialist digital practice skills including social media marketing, digital content creation and digital analytics.

BU is one of only 20 universities and colleges to offer accreditation by the Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM), which is part of the Data and Marketing Association (DMA). The course has been reviewed by the IDM to ensure you’re learning everything you need in order to pass the IDM Certificate in Digital and Data Driven Marketing, which you’re encouraged to sit in the second year. This additional industry qualification will help to bolster your CV making you stand out when it comes to placement and employability prospects.

UCAS code: N593

Key areas of study

The Interaction Between Digital Media, Consumer Culture & Behaviour | Digital Media Practices | Media PlanningDeveloping Campaign Solutions for Brands | The Role of ‘Real World’ Insights for Digital Media Professionals | The Rise, Impact & Future of Digital Culture & Technologies

Shared key areas of study

BA (Hons) Marketing Communications with Public Relations

On this course you will develop a solid understanding of marketing communications with a specific focus on public relations. You will learn how to communicate with an organisation’s stakeholder groups to ethically and sustainably achieve mutually beneficial gains, and in turn, how to build lasting stakeholder relations and positive reputations. You will hone your strategic and creative skills in strategic public relations management, crisis communication, influencer relations and event management.

BU is an Accredited Teaching Centre of the UK’s professional public relations industry body, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Being accredited distinguishes our public relations degree in industry as leading in the field. This partnership gives you an opportunity to obtain a practice-focused certificate in Public Relations during your time at BU, which you are encouraged to take in your second year. This will help you to stand out when applying for your placement as well as making you even more employable when you graduate.

UCAS code: N594

Key areas of study

Influencer Relations - How Organisations can Harness the Power of Influencers | Plan, Create & Execute Successful PR Events | Campaign Planning for Advertising | Strategic Management for PR | Reputation Management & Crisis Communications

Shared: Creating & Decoding Marketing Communications Content | Principles of Branding & Branding as a Strategic Tool | Research Methods to Generate Insights for Industry & Academia | Dissertation