MSc Strategic Communication and Public Relations (Joint Degree PFU Barcelona)

Awarded with a CEI label (International Campus of Excellence) by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Pompeu Fabra is a modern university with prestigious international rankings.

If you’re interested in studying a module from this course, the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma then please email Graduate Admissions to discuss your course of study.

Communications, Media and Culture at the University of Stirling had 70 percent of its research rated as either ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014). Pompeu Fabra staff are also research active and publish internationally.

You’ll be taught by lectures, seminars, workshops, case studies, small group tutorials, field trips and visiting speaker presentations.

Guest lectures from public relations practitioners provide networking opportunities and expose students to current practice in the industry. We work closely with  the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and you can attend CIPR Scotland events, allowing you to meet practitioners working in the field and to extend your network of contacts. 

You’ll have the opportunity to attend a Public Affairs and Lobbying seminar series in Brussels, which includes visits to the European Parliament, the European Commission as well as specialist industry seminars with leading public affairs and public relations experts in Brussels.

Methods of assessment include:

• essays
• papers
• timed assignments
• public relations and communication campaigns including presentations and reports
• media conferences
• a media relations portfolio which includes press releases, feature articles, and blogs
• practical communication reports and strategic plans
• case studies
• research designs and projects
• in-class contributions and presentations

You will also complete a 12,000-word dissertation.

For some of the more practical modules, you’re required to produce a portfolio of work – which you can present to potential employers at job interviews. 

You will spend at least one semester at Pompeu Fabra University, Spain.  

The timetable below is a typical example, but your own timetable may be different.

Guest speakers and fieldtrips are not included here; these will be announced during term time. During each of our two semesters, you can expect to spend around two-to-four hours per week in lectures, seminars or workshops for each of your modules. There may also be dedicated fieldtrips as part of the teaching on particular modules. In the summer semester, you will have regular meetings with your dissertation supervisor. Students can conduct their research overseas, communicating with their supervisor using email, the telephone, Skype and Microsoft Teams. 

Dr Alenka Jelen

+44 (0) 1786 466225

alenka.jelen@stir.ac.uk

University of Stirling

Dr Alenka Jelen is Programme Director of the MSc Strategic Communication and Public Relations (Joint Degree), and teaches public relations theories; public affairs and advocacy; and research methods. Her current research focuses on public relations as an academic discipline; relationships between media and politics; gender in media and public relations; and health communication.

Dr William Dinan teaches and researches on promotional culture, communication and power. Interests include spin; propaganda; political communication; lobbying and civil society advocacy; freedom of information; transparency and governance.

Dr Derek Hodge teaches digital media in public relations; strategic public relations planning; media relations; and research methods. Originally trained as a biologist holding a PhD from the Department of Microbial Genetics at the University of Sussex, he was working in a variety of management roles in the retail sector before moving into public relations. He was a partner in a public relations consultancy in Scotland for nine years, working mainly on corporate communications campaigns for clients in the public and private sectors.

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Professor Jordi Xifra is Programme Co-Director of the MSc Strategic Communication and Public Relations (Joint Degree) at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. His research focuses on the intellectual history of public relations, and the role of film in building public relations discourses. He has published more than 15 books on public relations and public affairs in Spain, and his articles have been accepted for publication in Public Relations Review, Journal of Public Relations Research, and American Behavioral Scientist, between others. He founded Public Relations Inquiry (Sage), a key critical journal in the field of public relations.

Professor José Fernández-Cavia is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Communication, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He teaches and researches in the fields of advertising, public relations, place branding and public diplomacy. He currently leads a research project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness entitled 'The Tourist on the Web. Informational habits and destination choice' (ITOURIST).

Dr Lluís Mas specialises in the relationship between branding and political communication in social media; sound branding; body image and advertising; and PR strategies. He teaches Public Affairs and Advocacy. 

Dr Mònika Jiménez-Morales is a Senior Lecturer at the Communication Department of Pompeu Fabra University. She has also been Visiting Scholar in the University of California, Berkeley. Her main research lines are focused on the effects of media discourse, as well as on PR and events management. She has published several papers and books, and has coordinated several studies related to the mentioned topics.

Elisenda Estanyol is a Lecturer at the Information and Communication Sciences Department at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) – and an Associate Professor at both the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, the Institut d’Educació Contínua (IDEC-UPF) and at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). Before joining the University, she worked for several years in public relations consultancies (Llorente and Cuenca, Hill + Knowlton Strategies) and in-house communication departments (CAATEEB, DiR).  Her research interests are focused on public relations, creativity, social media and gamification.

Dr Rumen Dimitrov is Honourable Academic of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Currently he lives in Barcelona and teaches at the University Pompeu Fabra and the Global Communication Institute of the University Ramon Llull. His research interests have been in the areas of nonprofit communication, strategic communication, public health communication and promotional cultures. 

Ask an expert

Lecturer, Dr Katherine Champion, a specialist in Media and Communications, explains how studying at Stirling can enhance your career prospects.

Ask an expert in media, culture and communications

If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.

Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.

If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

European Union and overseas students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling

We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay

We offer a comprehensive employability and skills programme to help you maximise your time at both universities and develop the attributes that employers look for. 

In the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Stirling we have a dedicated Employability and Skills Officer. The University of Stirling’s Career and Employability Service works in partnership with academic staff to ensure you get the most out of your University experience, and are ready for the employment market. Similar programmes are in place at Pompeu Fabra University.

Companies and organisations we work with include the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the Scottish Government, the European Commission, the European Parliament, Scotland Europa, Weber Shandwick, CONCORD, United Technologies Corporation, Creative Stirling, FC Barcelona, DIPLOCAT (Public Diplomacy Council for Catalonia) and several local organisations and small businesses in Scotland and Catalonia.