Marketing, PR and Advertising

Marketing, public relations, and advertising together constitute the broad field of communications that connects organisations to their audiences. Marketing is concerned with understanding what people want and how to offer it to them effectively. PR manages the reputation and relationships of organisations with the publics that matter to them.

Advertising creates paid communication designed to persuade, inform, or shift behaviour. In practice these three disciplines overlap continuously, and professionals in the field move between them throughout their careers.

This programme at the University of Derby gives you a grounded understanding of all three areas, preparing you to work across the full spectrum of communications roles in either an in-house organisational setting or an agency. You will study the conceptual foundations of marketing and branding, the craft of campaign development, the principles of media planning, the ethics of persuasion, and the management of reputation in both conventional and digital media environments. This is a part-time programme, making it suitable for students who are balancing their studies with work or other commitments.

It includes a sandwich year in industry and work placement opportunities, both of which are central to building the professional experience and networks that this field rewards.

Graduates with expertise across marketing, PR, and advertising are well placed to work in agencies, charities, brands, public sector bodies, and media companies. Roles in account management, brand strategy, digital marketing, communications management, content creation, and media relations are all accessible from this foundation. The industry values practical experience alongside academic understanding, and the placement components of this programme directly address that expectation.

Postgraduate study in marketing, communications, or business is an option for those who wish to develop further specialism or move into strategic leadership.