Public Affairs Diploma
CIPR Specialist Diploma: Public Affairs
About this course
Gain an insight into the process of policy formation, how public affairs relates to PR and corporate communication and the reputational context in which public affairs operates. The CIPR Public Affairs Diploma explores theory while being rooted in practice. Learn how public affairs contributes to organisational success and what is expected of an ethical practitioner in the complex political environment.
Our course includes live online sessions, tutorials and individual feedback on assignment topics.
Course detail
Study Support Package
Live interactive online workshops
One to one tutorials
Individual feedback on your assignment idea
Online library with all the books you need
Study Hub: our bespoke online learning centre
Networking via our LinkedIn group
Easy tutor contact
Pay monthly
Initial fee: £315.80 (incl. VAT)
6 monthly instalments: £290 (incl. VAT)
A one-off initial fee is taken when you enrol. Instalments are collected monthly from the date you enrolled.
How we calculate your fee
PR Academy tuition: £1,349 (+ VAT)
CIPR fees: £437 (no VAT)
Total: £1,786 (+ VAT)
VAT is calculated upon enrolment and is dependant on your location and situation.
VAT inclusive fee is £2,055.80
Who is this course for?
Public Affairs practitioners. You are an experienced public affairs practitioner or a communication/PR professional working on public affairs activity and looking to gain a specialist qualification to underpin your skills with theory and analysis.
Gain new skills. You want to gain new skills or improve existing skills by learning about the strategic role of public affairs.
Moving into public affairs. You wish to establish yourself as a public affairs practitioner. The course is designed for both generalist public relations practitioners wishing to enhance their understanding of the discipline and also for those intending to specialise in public affairs as a career.
Flexible learning. You want to be able to study at a time and pace that works for you.
Master’s level. This is Master’s level course so make sure you are ready to study and be assessed at this level.
Learning outcomes
Discover how the public policy environment operates and how to engage in the process. Learn about the psychology of communication, persuasion, rhetoric, engaging the electorate, the role of the media and political marketing.
Take a strategic look at public affairs practice and how it integrates with other broader reputation management. Emerging issues and trends that affect contemporary public affairs practice are discussed together with the strategy and tactics of lobbying and campaigning and the theories underpinning the process.
Research and develop ethical public affairs strategies and plans which confront and manage political and societal issues, change attitudes and influence behaviours, and so achieve strategic objectives.
Reviews from our graduates
Discover how our courses work
Ann Pilkington, co-founder of PR Academy explains how our courses work, demonstrates our Study Hub and explains the resources and support you will receive. Also hear from members of the PR Academy alumni.
Download our course brochure for all the course details including:
- Full syllabus
- Assignment details
- Reasons to study
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Meet your course leader Laura Richards
“Studying public relations has provided me with a huge advantage in my career, allowing me to learn new skills and think differently about how we – as professional communicators – can guide the organisations we work for. I love that I now get to support other professionals through their studies.
Hear from others
Find out what it’s like to study for the CIPR Professional PR Diploma with PR Academy.
Underpinning my transferable skills with a qualification has been incredibly valuable and my experience of completing the course has been very positive. In particular, having my tutor as a resource who has worked in the industry, and being able to listen to her experience and that of others on the course who are already working in public affairs has been both interesting and informative.
Your questions answered
It's great news that your employer is investing in your development. The first thing to do is get a purchase order - you will need it when you enrol. This is really important as without it we aren't able to raise an invoice. Alternatively, you can pay using a company credit or debit card at checkout - that's probably the easiest way.
The second thing is to allow plenty of time! We need payment before you can join the course and we know that sometimes company's payment processes can take a while. So act now to get it all sorted in time.
If you need any help or advice, just give us a call.
For CIPR courses, your course fee is a combination of the PR Academy tuition fee and the CIPR awarding body and registration fee. PR Academy provides all your tuition plus an online learning centre with books and resources and marks your work. You don’t really need to buy any books as most resources are online, but you can of course purchase books if you like and we can help you to decide what to buy.
We offer plenty of support. Some courses offer individual tutorials that can be booked. The course leader is easily contactable and there is always someone in the office who can help with day to day queries.
At PR Academy we have been teaching online since we started in 2007. We have a specially designed online learning centre - we don't just put you on Teams!
Our teaching is delivered through a mix of on-demand content, guided reading, live workshop sessions (usually recorded for later playback) plus tutor support. We have an online library that we have curated specially for our courses.
Some courses offer individual tutorials that can be booked and the opportunity to submit an assignment proposal for individual feedback.
There may be funding available in your area, so it is always a good idea to do some research as there may be schemes that we aren’t aware of.
The CIPR occasionally has funding schemes and we'll update here when the next one is announced.