The new CIPR PR Certificate and Foundation syllabi: your questions answered

2nd March 2026 8 min read

About the author

Ann is a co-founder of PR Academy. Her special areas of interest are internal communication, change management and project communication. MSc, Dip CAM, Hon FCIPR

The CIPR has launched revised syllabi for its PR Certificate and PR Foundation qualifications – plus given them a new name.

Here I’ve set out to explain the changes and answer the key questions that you may have. To find out more, why not book a call for an informal chat?

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Q: Why have the syllabi for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations PR Certificate and PR Foundation changed?

As with any profession, the world of PR and communication is always evolving. It is good practice to review syllabi on a regular basis and make sure that they support current practice and reflect the latest research.

Q: What are the new names for these PR qualifications?

The Professional PR Certificate becomes the CIPR Public Relations and Communication Management Certificate. The CIPR PR Foundation becomes the Public Relations and Communication Foundation.

Q: What has changed for the CIPR PR Certificate qualification?

One of the changes is structural – there are now two units of study and two assignments instead of three (but they add up to the same amount of content, so about the same amount of work!). There is a strong focus on planning and measurement, and the ethical use of AI is included.

Students enrolling with us at PR Academy from 2 March 2026 will join the new course which opens on 2 April 2026. From this date it will be possible to join the course at any time.

Find out more and download the prospectus

Q: What has changed for the CIPR PR Foundation qualification?

The syllabus for the CIPR PR Foundation has had a refresh, the assignments (a discussion paper and a portfolio of content) haven’t changed too much. As with the certificate level PR course, the ethical use of AI has been included. The changes are quite minor but it is a useful update.

Students enrolling from 2 April 2026 will study the new syllabus.

The readings and webinars were really insightful and I could relate a lot of it to the work me and my team do every day, as well as the challenges we face with engaging employees and working cross-functionally to achieve business objectives through our campaigns. It’s definitely given me good parameters to work within this area, particularly with planning and setting objectives, and evaluating campaigns afterwards.

Ellen Raftery, CIPR Foundation graduate

Q: What will I learn on the CIPR Public Relations and Communication Management Certificate?

You will learn about the role of PR and communication in an organisational and societal context, and develop the knowledge and skills to plan, execute and evaluate PR activities across a range of channels with confidence. This PR course teaches you to:

Research and develop public relations and communication plans.

Create content that helps an organisation communicate with its stakeholders using the most suitable channels to change attitudes and influence behaviours, and/or market products and services.

Measure the impact of communication activities.

Q: What will I learn on the CIPR Public Relations and Communication Foundation course?

The CIPR PR Foundation course focuses on the role of public relations in organisations and on identifying and engaging stakeholders through a range of channels and tactics. Through this PR training programme you will learn to:

Explain how public relations and communication help to support different organisational objectives, and the relationship with related disciplines such as marketing and advertising.

Identify and prioritise different stakeholder groups and suitable messages and channels to help build relationships between an organisation and its stakeholders.

Create content that will engage stakeholders.

The new syllabi will be published on our website from 2 April. Meanwhile if you would like to know more just get in touch.

Book a course advice call

Q: What happens if I have already done – or am presently doing – the CIPR PR Certificate or CIPR PR Foundation? Is my qualification still valid?

Absolutely yes! Over the years these course syllabi have been refreshed a number of times as practice and theory have evolved. Completing the PR Certificate or Foundation to a previous version of the syllabus is as valid today as it was at the time.

Here at PR Academy we are always evolving our teaching so are already teaching much of what is in the new syllabi.

Q: What are the benefits of studying for the CIPR Public Relations and Communication Management Certificate?

Achieving this qualification is great for confidence and can really boost your CV. It shows your commitment to the profession and because the learning is assessed through a robust process it is well respected in the industry.

We hope it will be an enjoyable experience too, giving you the change to step back from the day-to-day and reflect on practice to develop new and effective ways to do things.

Q: What are the benefits of studying for the CIPR Public Relations and Communication Foundation?

This is a great way to start your learning journey. The Foundation prepares you for further study (the PR Certificate is a natural next step) as well as introducing you to some of the key concepts that underpin good and ethical practice.

It will help you to boost your CV and prepare for both job applications and interviews by enabling your to talk knowledgeably about PR and communication.

Read reviews from our graduates

Q: Who is the CIPR PR Certificate for, are there any eligibility criteria?

The CIPR Public Relations and Communication Management Certificate is a good choice if you are in the early years of your PR and communication career or you have had PR and communication added to your role. It is taught and assessed at what is known as “Level 5”.

You are usually expected to have a degree (it doesn’t need to be in a PR or communication subject) or have the CIPR PR Foundation plus some experience of working in PR and communication. However, a degree or the Foundation may not always be necessary, it’s always a good idea to book a call to discuss the right level of course for you.

Book a course advice call

Q: Who is the CIPR PR Foundation for, are there any eligibility criteria?

The CIPR Public Relations and Communication Foundation is a good choice if you are new to PR or thinking about making it your career. Some people do this PR course if they haven’t studied for a while and want to ease themselves back into learning. It is taught and assessed at what is known as “Level 3”. The CIPR expects you to have Grade 5 GCSE English or Functional Skills English Level 2 but this may not always be necessary. If you aren’t sure which is the right level for you, book a course advice call and I’ll be happy to chat through the best options.

Book a course advice call

Q: What are the different study options for the CIPR PR and Communication Management Certificate?

We have today launched two different ways to study the PR Certificate: Guided Learning and Independent Learning.

All our learners benefit from our extensive online library, on-demand lectures from expert tutors, podcasts and case studies. Our Guided Learning programme also includes live online lectures on a range of topics plus one-to-one tutorials.

Visit the course page and download the brochure to learn more

(From 2 April 2026 both options will also be available for the PR and Communication Foundation.)

Q: When can I start to study the new CIPR PR and Communication Management courses?

You can enrol on the CIPR PR and Communication Management Certificate from today (2 March) and the new PR Certificate course based on the new syllabus will begin on 2 April. You will be able to join the course then provided payment has been received. After 2 April the course moves to our “join any time” model enabling you to enrol and start straight away as soon as the course has been paid for or the first instalment made.

The CIPR PR and Communication Foundation will be available to anyone enrolling on or after 2 April 2026. Up until then you can still enrol on the current syllabus.

The date of announcement and implementation date have been set by the CIPR.

Q: If I’m ready to sign up what are the next steps?

You simply enrol via the course page here on our website. If you are paying for yourself we offer an instalment payment plan for which there is no extra fee. If your employer is paying and wants an invoice, we ask you to upload a purchase order, or you can pay with a company card which is much quicker and easier!

If you need any help with the enrolment process, please get in touch. You can contact us via WhatsApp here on the website, call or email.

For more information on all CIPR qualifications, check out our Complete Guide to CIPR Qualifications.

Get the guide