Internal Communication Certificate
CIPR Specialist Certificate: Internal Communication
About this course
Become a great internal communicator. Discover the role of internal communication in employee engagement, learn how to plan and deliver effective communications. Explore theory including communication theory, persuasion and storytelling, learn how to apply them in practice.
Our course includes live online sessions, tutorials and individual feedback on assignment topics.
NOTE: From 1 June CIPR ‘Professional Student’ membership is mandatory, the cost of £80 will be added at enrolment. For more information see FAQs at the bottom of this page.
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
A copy of the book 'Exploring Internal Communication'
Pay monthly
Initial fee: £191 (incl. VAT)
8 monthly instalments: £165 (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: £950 (+ VAT)
CIPR fees: £371 (no VAT)
Total: £1,321 (+ VAT)
VAT is calculated upon enrolment and is dependent on your location and situation.
VAT inclusive fee is £1,511
Who is this course for?
Getting started in internal communication. You may be interested in pursuing a career in internal communication. You are working in any related field of PR (e.g. media relations, event management, CSR or public affairs) or HR and would like to understand more about internal communication.
Early career. You have been working in internal communication for at least a year and want to obtain your first professional qualification in the subject.
Grow in confidence. Internal communication is an exciting and demanding area of communication practice and this course will help you to grow in confidence as well as learn new skills.
CIPR Specialist Certificate: Internal Communication Syllabus
- How internal communication impacts organisational effectiveness;
- Select and apply internal communication and engagement models;
- How internal communication and engagement can support organisational change;
- Key issues facing internal communicators in strategy setting;
- Research to support development of an internal communication plan;
- Written and verbal communications (engagement, tone of voice, storytelling, brand alignment and managing communities).
Apply what you learn. Be assessed on real-life or work-related projects which is great for employers, showing the practical relevance of the course.
Download the full syllabus and brochure below.
Download our course brochure for all the course details including:
- Full syllabus
- Assignment details
- Reasons to study
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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.
Meet your course leader Martin Flegg
“I’ve been an internal communications practitioner for over twenty years and have witnessed some big changes in what we do and advances in our understanding of theory and practice. I’ve never stopped learning and am passionate about helping other internal communicators to do the same. The satisfaction I get from seeing them develop and grow into true professionals is the reason why I’m still working in this business after all this time.”
Hear from others
Discover what it’s like to study with us.
Your questions answered
From 1 June 2025 you will need to be a member of the CIPR if doing one of their qualifications. This will be included in the cost of the course and applied at the time of enrolling.
The grade of membership is "Professional Student" at the time of writing this had not been added to the CIPR website but it is equivalent to Affiliate Membership - you can see the benefits on the CIPR website here.
The costs from 1 June are:
- £160 for a 2-year course (PR Diploma and PR Certificate)
- £80 for a 1-year course (Specialist Diplomas and Certificate)
- £38 for the Foundation course
We asked the CIPR and the answer is yes, this is what they said:
We recognise that some candidates may already hold an individual membership with the CIPR (and that this will not be at Professional Student Membership grade) at the time of registration. To ensure fairness and avoid duplication of charges, we propose the following:
- Membership Extension Offered Where a candidate has already paid for their own membership which overlaps with the qualification period, that existing membership will not be refunded. Instead, the individual will receive a free extension of their current membership by one or two years, in line with the length of their course. The same applies to Corporate Affiliate membership.
- Membership Grade During Qualification If you are an existing member you will remain on your existing membership grade throughout the course in order to retain any professional accreditations that you already hold e.g. Accredited PR Practitioner, Chartered PR Practitioner. You will continue to receive communications and services appropriate to your existing grade.
The aim of the CIPR Specialist Certificate (Internal Communication) is to introduce candidates to the key concepts, theories, techniques and skills needed to operate effectively as an internal communicator.
Candidates will learn where internal communication fits into the structure, systems and processes, leadership and culture of an organisation; how to research, create and curate content that works and has impact across a range of available channels; and how internal communicators can support management in the achievement of strategic and transformational objectives.
The assignment is an internal communication plan, content curation and brief for piece of creative work. The aim is to enable candidates to demonstrate competence in developing: an internal communication plan informed by research; content curation; and a brief for written content. The plan will typically be for a relatively small scale activity. An example topic is "Developing new organisational values".
Yes. Our CIPR Internal Communication Diploma and Certificate are taught by internal communication experts who show you the theory and how to apply it in practice. Our students say it leads to increased confidence and that can help to advance your career. In PR Academy’s 2023 research into PR and comms education, respondents were asked - if they hold a professional qualification - has it led to career progression/promotion. This is a question that PR Academy has tracked since 2013. There is a consistent report of between 74 and 85 percent that a professional qualification has led to a career progression combined with confidence that it will.
Our CIPR qualifications are all about helping you to become a more strategic practitioner. You'll understand how to use theory, research and planning models to develop effective communication strategies.
At PR Academy we help you to achieve the CIPR Internal Communication Diploma or Certificate. We also work with the PRCA to deliver a diploma in change management and communication. These are practical, applied professional courses where you can apply the learning straight away. Check out our ‘Complete Guide to CIPR Internal Communication Qualification Courses’ for more information.
The CIPR Specialist Diploma: Internal Communication is taught and assessed at approximately Master's Level (sometimes called Level 7). It is designed for practitioners with more experience. The CIPR Specialist Certificate: Internal Communication is more at degree level and works well for people early in their career.
With our internal communication qualifications at PR Academy everything is included in the price you see. We provide lots of resources including an extensive online library with all the books you need.
Our internal communication qualifications are designed to be studied part time and fit in around home and work life. Our online learning platform - the Study Hub - sets all the learning out into management chunks to help you plan your studies.
Yes. Both our CIPR specialist internal communication qualifications cover change communication. Our PRCA Change Management and Communication Diploma also looks at the role of the change manager.
Yes. The majority of students are combining work and study for their internal communication qualification. You'll find our courses broken down into management chunks of learning to help you.
