Sustainability Communication Diploma
CIPR Specialist Diploma: Sustainability Communications
About this course
With the CIPR Specialist Diploma in Sustainability Communications course, you will equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to lead an organisation’s (commercial, public sector or non-profit-making) strategic management of sustainability communication with confidence. Learn how to conduct research and develop ethical sustainability communications strategies and plans. Help organisations to enhance and protect their reputation and make a positive impact on communities.
Our course includes live online sessions, tutorials and individual feedback on assignment topics, plus CIPR Professional Student Membership.
July offer: save 10% on tuition fees if you enrol by 31st July 2025. Fees displayed have the discount applied.
Course detail
Study Support Package
Live interactive online workshops
One to one tutorials
Online library with all the books you need
Individual feedback on your assignment idea
Study Hub: our bespoke online learning centre
Networking via our LinkedIn group
Easy tutor contact
Pay monthly
Initial fee: £253.80 (incl. VAT)
8 monthly instalments: £215 (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
Save 10% on tuition until the end of July
PR Academy tuition offer: £1,214 (+ VAT)
CIPR fees: £517 (no VAT)
Total: £1,731 (+ VAT)
VAT is calculated upon enrolment and is dependent on your location and situation.
VAT inclusive fee is £1,973.80
Download our course brochure for all the course details including:
- Full syllabus
- Assignment details
- Reasons to study
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Who is this course for?
Experienced practitioners. You are a senior practitioner working in PR, corporate communication, marketing communication, internal communication, public affairs media relations or a related field. You may be working in-house or on the consultancy side.
Increase your knowledge and confidence. You want to be able to lead and advise on sustainability communication with confidence based on sound knowledge.
Master’s level. This is a Master’s level course so make sure you are ready to study and be assessed at this level.
CIPR Specialist Diploma: Sustainability Communications
Syllabus
- Apply relevant macro, meso and micro contexts of strategic sustainability communications leadership including the role of PR in the relationship between organisations and sustainability.
- Develop ethical sustainability communications strategies and plans.
- Explore the link between sustainability and reputation, issues and crisis management.
- Critically evaluate the role of PR in advancing a corporate sustainability communications strategy including by applying sustainability communications tools, concepts and ethical principles to the organisational context.
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 Dr Kevin Ruck
I get a buzz from teaching as I like to explore new ideas and ways of working. I like to think big about PR, internal communication and employee engagement. I think you tend to always get what you’ve always got if you always do what you’ve always done. So teaching and learning is about thinking differently in ways that can be applied to better practice.
Chris Tucker is your workshop leader. She is a member of the CIPR ESG Panel and chairs the CIPR’s Crisis Communication Network. Chris is also course leader for our Professional PR Diploma and Crisis Communication Diploma.
Professor Paul Willis is your subject matter expert. Paul helped us to design the course. A special area of interest for Paul is strategic communication and leadership which he has embedded in the programme. Along with Professor Anne Gregory, he is the co-author of Strategic Public Relations Leadership, one of our favourite books and available in our online library.
Hear from others
Find out what it’s like to study with PR Academy.
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 CIPR Specialist Diploma (Sustainability Communications) will be of interest to senior PR practitioners working in public relations, corporate communication, marketing communication, internal communication, public affairs and media relations, in consultancy or in-house, or in a related discipline within the strategic management framework. This qualification will equip the candidate with the knowledge and tools to effectively lead the organisation’s (commercial, public sector or non-profit-making) strategic management of sustainability communications in complex situations.
Candidates will research and develop ethical sustainability communications strategies and plans that enable organisations to enhance and protect their reputation and stakeholders to achieve their strategic objectives and make a positive impact on communities.
The assignment is an executive report and summary situation analysis on a case study of your choice. It includes articulation of goals and identification of stakeholders, i.e. the approach, tools and techniques used to collect and analyse evidence from secondary research regarding the situation, and provide insight into its current or potential impact on the organisation and/or sector and its stakeholders. Using the key findings from above, you will advise on the development of a sustainability communications strategy to include, where relevant, objectives, messages, and key influencers/opinion formers. An example topic could be "The role of PR in advancing a sustainability agenda within a public sector organisation".
For CIPR courses, your course fee is a combination of the PR Academy tuition fee and the CIPR awarding body fee (like an exam fee), a CIPR registration fee and since 1 June 2025, CIPR Professional Student membership.
For the tuition fee, PR Academy provides all your tuition via our bespoke online learning centre - our Study Hub. It includes an extensive online library with around 60 books, all the resources you need for your course, tutorials, assignment idea feedback, live online sessions, plus we mark your assignments. Check out our Study Support Package.
You don’t really need to buy any books unless you would like to.
It definitely can. Many of our students are studying in order to increase their confidence and boost their CV and report a new role or promotion as a result of their qualification. In PR Academy’s 2023 research into PR 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.
Some organisations ask for qualifications when advertising PR jobs. While a PR qualification isn't essential it improves your CV and also shows your personal commitment to the profession and continuous learning. Check out our ‘Comprehensive Guide to CIPR Qualifications’ for more information.
If you are looking for a qualification in PR, then a professional qualification is a good option because you can study while you work. The syllabi for CIPR qualifications is very practical while still underpinned by theory so you can apply what you learn straight away.
Yes they are. We have practitioners from all over the world studying with us. The CIPR is the only chartered body for public relations which adds to the recognition of the qualification around the world.
There are CIPR qualifications at all levels. If you are just starting out the Foundation in PR is for you. If you are a few years into your career the Professional PR Certificate or internal communication certificate are designed for you. For more experienced practitioners there are diploma qualifications at approximately Master's level. If you aren't sure check out our Complete Guide to CIPR Qualifications or simply get in touch for a chat.
Our CIPR, PRCA and AMEC qualifications are designed for practitioners who want to advance their career with a stronger understanding of theory leading to more strategic campaigns. Many of our students say it boosts their confidence and they go on to better jobs or promotion.
Yes, we regularly speak to practitioners who are using a qualification as a way to refresh their knowledge, get up to date with latest practice and boost their CV. A qualification can be a great reminder of how much you already know boosting your confidence to get back into the PR job market. In our 2023 research into PR education, 84% of respondents said they were doing it to increase their skills.
