FAQs

It varies according to the course and the stage you are at. As a general guide, allow around two to four hours a week, although you'll need more time when working on an assignment. Most courses have a maximum completion time, allowing you to either spread learning over a longer period or complete it more quickly by studying more hours each week. For example, the CIPR Professional PR Diploma can be completed comfortably in about ten months. The short CIPR diplomas can be completed in about six months and the Foundation in about two months. But all can be done more quickly if you have the time.

The course leader is easy to contact, and someone from the PR Academy team is available to help with day-to-day queries. Depending on your course, you may also be able to book individual tutorials with your tutor.

Yes, you can. All our courses are available online. Students from all around the world study with us. You can access our online courses at any time, and live sessions are usually recorded so that you can catch up if you're in a different time zone.

Since 1 June 2025, you need to be a member of the CIPR if you are doing one of their qualifications. This is included in the cost of the course and applied at the time of enrolment. The grade of membership is "Professional Student" - you can see the CIPR membership benefits ↗ on their website. Membership fees are the same at all CIPR Teaching Centres. If you are already a CIPR member, see our FAQ that explains how the CIPR will manage your membership. If you enrolled before 1 June 2025 and would like to purchase this level of membership, please get in touch, and we can arrange it. PLEASE NOTE: It can take the CIPR up to eight weeks to process your application and for your membership to start. The PRCA and AMEC do not require you to be a member, but there may be a discount available to members and many other benefits to joining  - check when you enrol with the organisation.

No. You can study while on a career break, for example. However, some higher-level courses require relevant professional experience. For example, for CIPR Diploma-level courses, you need to have a minimum of five years’ experience and be at a reasonably senior level. Some of the assignments are designed to be based on your work, but if you aren’t currently employed, a tutor can help you with other options.

Yes, most of our students are working full-time, and many have family commitments too. Our courses are demanding, but our flexible approach allows you to fit your studies around work and other commitments.

Our courses aren't purely academic. We explore theory because it helps us become better practitioners, and we show you how to apply it in practice. The assignments are mostly in the style of business writing rather than academic essays or dissertations.

Funding may be available in your area, so it's worth researching local schemes. The CIPR also occasionally offers funding opportunities, and we'll update this page when new schemes are announced.

It's great that your employer is investing in your professional development. Paying by company card at the time of enrolment is the quickest option. We can provide a receipted invoice after payment. If your employer needs an invoice for payment by bank transfer, you'll need a purchase order (PO) before we can raise one. You'll need to upload the PO during enrolment. If your organisation doesn't use purchase orders, please contact us, and we'll explain what information we need. Allow plenty of time.  We need payment before you can join the course, and we know that sometimes company 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 or message on WhatsApp - we're here to help!

We offer instalment payments on selected courses. Alternatively, you can pay the full course fee at enrolment. If you choose to pay by instalments, Stripe, our payment processor, will collect your monthly payments automatically. Payments are taken on the same date each month as your first payment. For example, if your first payment is made on the 22nd, subsequent payments will be taken on the 22nd of each month until the course is paid for. You must pay the full fee, or the first instalment, before starting your course. Please also read our  terms and conditions, which explain your payment obligations if you decide not to continue your studies.

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. On some of our courses you can select between "Guided Learning" which includes tutorials and live sessions or "Independent Learning". All our learners benefit from all the brilliant resources on our Study Hub and there is always someone available to help with queries.

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 all our courses: 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 and, depending on the course and learning option, tutorials, assignment idea feedback, live online sessions, plus we mark your assignments. Check out our Study Support Package. You don’t need to buy any books unless you would like to.

Most courses have a maximum completion period of one or two years, depending on the course. If you need additional time, our extension policies explain the options available.