Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £9,535 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
International/EU: £17,155 per year (£1,200 for placement year) -
How long will I study?
4/5 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
B018
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
Course summary
- Get ready for a full degree by taking an extra foundation year at the start.
- Research, plan and produce journalistic content in audio, video and written formats.
- Use the latest recording and editing technologies to create online content.
- Develop and manage successful PR campaigns and events.
- Gain insights through connections like This Morning, Rise at Seven and Disney.
- Debate the relationship between journalism, PR, media and wider society.
Learn from industry experts in top class facilities, gaining a wide range of knowledge to help you succeed in these dynamic professions. You’ll examine key theories and issues relating to journalism and PR while working with communications professionals, journalists and influencers. You’ll learn essential practical skills relevant to these industries, the media in general and the workplace beyond.
Top 10 in the UK
This course is ranked 10th in its subject area in the Guardian University Guide 2024.
View our students' work
Find out more about the Media Arts and Communications department and view the work of some of our students.
How you learn
Student success story
"Initially I was worried about having to complete a foundation year, but it was invaluable in helping me get onto my chosen BA course (Journalism, Public Relations and Media). It really helped to bridge the gap between A Levels and an undergraduate degree, as well as helping to prepare me for my degree, through developing my creativity, writing skills and overall confidence."
Liv Cooper, BA Journalism, Public Relations with Media with Foundation Year
The foundation year is designed especially for students who need additional skills or experience to begin a full BA Journalism, Public Relations and Media degree. The course is suitable if you don’t meet the entry requirements for our full degree course, or you want extra preparation before starting degree-level study. After completing your foundation year, you’ll have the skills and knowledge you need, and progress directly onto the full degree.
After your foundation year, your studies are led by a team that includes award-winning journalism, PR and media practitioners, alongside internationally recognised theorists with experience across a range of industries. These include TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and digital expertise across a range of sectors, from health and charity to finance and politics.
We’ll draw on the creative industries in Sheffield as well as broader national and international connections. Throughout the full degree course you’ll respond to live PR briefs and/or engage with real-life journalistic stories. The course is outward looking and engages with real-life scenarios, with a special focus on underrepresented communities.
We’ll introduce key topics and concepts through a mix of tutor-directed learning and discussions, as well as student-led exercises and tasks. You’ll engage in collaborative activities both in person and online, supported by digitally enhanced teaching.
You learn through:
- lectures
- workshops
- seminars
- essays
- practical work
- case studies
- reports
- group work
- research projects
- presentations and pitches
- portfolios
Key themes
Your course begins with the basics of journalism and PR. You’ll learn how to manage a PR campaign and how to write and broadcast as a journalist, gaining vital recording and editing skills along the way.
During your second year, you’ll build on these skills with a firm grounding in the legal and regulatory requirements of industry, while also improving your research and investigation skills. The ‘content creation’ module gives you the cutting-edge industry-based skills to create PR or journalistic-based audio, video and written material.
Your final year is about preparing you for the workplace, whether that’s a traditional office, freelancing or being your own boss. You’ll also create a final piece of detailed work in your research project, with the support of a personal tutor. Previous students have researched the health impacts of social media, the representation of women’s cricket in the media, and investigations into whether young people are still interested in politics and voting.
Course support
We’ll support you every step of the way to help you fulfil your potential and personal ambitions. This might be through working with others in small groups, or by developing your own independent learning style. As this is a practical course, we’ll assess you through coursework rather than exams.
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment through a number of key areas. These include:
- access to specialist services to help with your personal, academic and career development
- access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
- industry-specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities
Course leaders and tutors
Peter Spence
Senior Lecturer in Film and TVCurrently teaching a number of film theory modules on the BA (Honours) Film and Media Production course, Peter is also an award-winning film-maker whose work has scr … Read more
Applied learning
Work Placement
You’ll be encouraged and supported to undertake a full-time work placement between your second and third years of the full undergraduate degree. This valuable experience can have a transformative impact on your personal and professional development, which you can enhance further by completing Sheffield Hallam’s Applied Professional Diploma.
Your course is designed to give you the knowledge, confidence and readiness to secure and succeed in your placement. To complement this, you’ll have access to various support activities, resources, employer events and opportunities from our careers & employability team, helping you make the most of your work experience opportunities during your degree.
Recent students have worked with a wide range of organisations, from regional newspapers to the voluntary sector. These include the BBC, Disney, the Purple PR music agency, Mattel, Douwe Egberts, Dentsu Aegis, Top Cashback, South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Sheffield Showroom.
Live projects
During the course you’ll have opportunities to engage in real client-based projects. Previous students have undertaken projects for festivals and events such as Sensoria and Doc/Fest, as well as local and national PR agencies and organisations.
Networking opportunities
We often invite guests from across the journalism and PR sectors to speak to our students. In previous years, our visiting speakers have lectured on topics ranging from regional and national journalism to digital and social skills, search engine optimisation, crisis management, charity, sports and music PR.
Every year we hold industry events to link you with regional and national PR experts. Graduates return to share their experiences and top tips for finding jobs, and selected students are offered a chance to be mentored by PR professionals for a year.
You’ll also have the opportunity to join our award-winning PR and Journalism Society. The society has contacts in the industry and regularly organises networking events.
Field trips
On the full degree, you'll have the opportunity to attend journalism and PR events where you can meet industry experts. Previous students have visited the Berlin Film Festival and Media City, The Branding Museum in London, and CIPR conferences. You’ll also have the chance to visit PR and media agencies to get an insight into what it’s like to work for one.
You can even apply for our Go Global student initiative – which has taken our students to destinations such as Malaysia and Paris – gaining new skills and a broader cultural insight into how journalism and PR are applied internationally.
There’s also an opportunity to study abroad, with the possibility of funding through the Turing Scheme.
Teaching Quality
Sheffield Hallam University is ranked 8th amongst UK providers for journalism in the Guardian University Guide 2023 league table.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- journalism
- music and entertainment management
- in-house and agency PR
- media relations
- digital PR
- event management
- corporate communications
- lobbying and political communications
- radio
- film and TV production
- blogging
- social media
- content creation
Previous journalism and PR graduates have gone on to work in social media campaigning and environmental lobbying positions, as well as for:
- BBC World Service
- BBC local radio
- Channel 4
- Sky
- TalkSport
- Oxford University
- Diva Creative
- Edelman
- Nelson Bostock
- Liverpool FC TV
- TUI’s head office PR team
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn more about your department
Media, Arts and Communications Facilities Tour
Take a look around the media, arts and communication facilities at Sheffield Hallam University with lecturer Saskia Wilson.
Equipment and facilities
On this course you work with:
- our PR Hub, a custom-designed flexible teaching and learning space
- our TV studio to broadcast news bulletins and learn about production
- our radio studios to gain skills for audio broadcast
- editing software and video/audio hardware
- our Creative Media Centre’s skilled support team
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 80
With at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- CDD at A Level.
- MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with C from core.
- A combination of qualifications which must include an A level grade C or BTEC grade M.
GCSE
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
• An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.
We may also accept you, if you have limited qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying Journalism, Public Relations with Media.
We treat the foundation year as part of the Journalism, Public Relations with Media degree programme. Offers made to students will be for four years of study (or five years of study including a placement). This is made up of the foundation year plus one of our Journalism, Public Relations with Media degrees.
Some applicants may be invited to attend an informal interview with the course leader to ensure that the programme is suitable for themselves and their aspirations.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.5 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Creative Synergies In Media Production
Media In Context
Media Project
Preparing For Independent Practice And Study
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Broadcast Journalism
Campaign Management
News Writing
Pr Essentials
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Content Creation
Crisis And Reputation Management
Media Law, Regulation And Government
Research And Investigation Skills
Elective modules
Study Abroad - Creative Industries
Year 4
Optional modules
Placement Year
Final year
Compulsory modules
Entrepreneurship And Freelancing
Journalism, Pr With Media Research Project
Long Form Journalism
Workplace Practice And Ethics
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
We are currently reviewing our tuition fees for the foundation year stage of this course following the Government announcement of fee changes for some foundation year courses and will confirm fees as soon as possible.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Creative Industries Institute (PDF, 153.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
