Advertising and Public Relations

Are you a creative, innovative spirit with a big-picture business view? Do you like doing a lot of different things creatively and conceptually? Then our interdisciplinary BA (Hons) Advertising & Public Relations course is for you.

You’ll learn all about the fast-paced world of integrated creative communications, with projects for real clients starting in your very first year. Through live projects, competition briefs, and other coursework, you’ll get hands-on experience developing effective creative strategies and grow your practical creative skills in design and writing.

Practitioners and academics with in-depth industry know-how get you ready for a brilliant career in marketing, advertising, and PR. Our advertising and PR course reflects the latest in industry thinking, showing you how to tell stories that sell across a range of media— everything from traditional TV ads to influencer PR to the cutting edge of marketing with AI.

This dynamic learning experience and our London location help our students land roles in advertising and PR at agencies, companies, non-profits, and government communications teams upon graduation, if not before. The course also has a strong entrepreneurial ethos, and several of our students launch their own start-up businesses for their Major Projects in their final year.

What you'll study

This interdisciplinary course is designed to provide you with a holistic view of marketing, advertising and PR, helping you understand how the communications industry works as a whole. This well-rounded perspective will make you ready for the range of opportunities that exist for graduates in our field, including roles at agencies, businesses, non-profits, and public sector organisations.

The key areas you will cover include:

• brand strategy and design
• creative campaign development
• consumer insight
• media planning
• copywriting
• content creation for social media and other digital platforms.

Based in London - one of the world’s creative communications capitals - you will have opportunities to take part in advertising and public relations industry events, visit London’s top agencies and companies for employer insight, and find inspiration in the city’s many cultural institutions. London's status as a global start-up hub also gives you the chance to work with emerging companies and experiment with the latest in digital media.

Our BA (Hons) Advertising and Public Relations course is all about hands-on, real-world experience. Under the guidance of expert academic and industry practitioners, you will work on live marketing campaign briefs from real clients, student competitions, and individual projects tailored to your interests. With all this practical output, you build a creative portfolio that helps you land the roles you want with employers.

You will have the beginnings of a strong professional network from your first day on the course. Students on the course are members of the PRCA (Public Relations and Consultants Association), one of the trade bodies that represents the public relations industry in the UK.

Lecturers on the course all have industry experience, giving you a wider network for opportunities in advertising and PR. Guest speakers and masterclasses from industry professionals give you the latest insights into advertising and public relations, and what employers are looking for. Our alumni—most of whom work in marketing, advertising, and public relations-- are also frequent guest speakers and guest judges for pitches.

It's not too late to study at London’s 2nd highest-rated university for student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2026).

UWL's world-class facilities and outstanding teaching will give you all the tools you need to succeed. Musicians can rehearse in performance rooms, audio recording spaces and a 200 seat black box studio. Pilots can brave the storm in the Boeing 737 flight simulator. Lawyers can perfect their argument in the mock courtrooms, and chefs can whip up delicious creations in industry-standard kitchens and serve real customers at Pillars, the student-run fine-dining restaurant located on campus.

You'll also be learning in one of the world's best student cities (2026 QS Best Student Cities) - think Saturday afternoons in Covent Garden, study sessions in the British Library and live concerts in the O2 arena. With scholarships and bursaries reserved for Clearing applicants, no ambition is out of reach!