Marketing and Public Relations (PR)

Marketing and Public Relations (PR) are closely aligned subjects. The main difference is that marketing focuses on selling or promoting a product or service, whereas PR is concerned with maintaining a positive reputation for a company, organisation or person as a whole.

Marketing is a wide ranging subject including areas such as digital marketing, brand, advertising, retail, marketing communications, research and analytics, supply chain and consumer behaviour.

PR includes public communications theories, strategic public relations planning, media relations, public diplomacy and strategic communication, digital media, public affairs and advocacy, and research methods.

Marketing and Public Relations courses at Stirling help you to prepare for a career in the rapidly-shifting professional landscape in an age of 24/7 connectivity. Our range of courses include Marketing, Retail Marketing, Event Management and PR, with many offering work experience or consultancy project opportunities.

Marketing and Public Relations courses

Courses labelled are available for online study only.

infographic: 3rd in Scotland

3rd in Scotland

and Top 10 in the UK for Marketing

Complete University Guide 2022

infographic: Top 5 in Scotland

Top 5 in Scotland

for Business, Management and Marketing

The Guardian University Guide 2022

Graduate careers in Marketing and Public Relations

Graduates can head towards a specialist career in marketing, PR or events management, or can take a more general route to a management career in the public, private or voluntary sectors. The skills gained from a marketing or PR course at Stirling give you a wide range of analytical, problem-solving and professional skills which are highly valued by employers.

Graduates from Stirling have gone into roles such as:

  • Digital Marketing Manager
  • Marketing and Sales Executive
  • Press Officer
  • Visual Merchandiser
  • UK Retail Marketing Graduate Programme
  • Graduate Management Scheme
  • Public Relations Officer

Our graduates have gone on to work for organisations such as Adidas, Tesco, Heineken, Scottish Media Group, Marks and Spencer, BBC, Nestle and Hewlett Packard.

Partnerships and industry

The University of Stirling has joined up with The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) to give Marketing students the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through the CIM Graduate Gateway.

The University of Stirling Management School is accredited by the Small Business Charter (SBC) for our work supporting small businesses, local economies and student enterprise.

Societies

Stirling University Marketing Society (SUMS) aims to build a vibrant community for anyone interested in marketing as well as creating opportunities, enhancing industry-relevant skills, and giving marketing a practical context.

Marketing and Public Relations research

The University of Stirling’s research in Marketing and Retail looks at consumptions patterns and consumer behaviour in an evolving social landscape.

The Consumers, Cultures and Society research group specialises in bringing the experiences of consumers (and those driving the market) to wider audiences through the evolving character and social structure of the 'consumer society'.

The Institute for Retail Studies is involved with local, national and global research, exploring topics such as how the retail brand has evolved, the processes involved in retail internationalisation and different retail spaces. They carry out many research projects for public and private sector bodies.

Public relations research at the University of Stirling is carried out by the Communications, Media and Culture division. They are committed to wide-ranging research which crosses boundaries between arts and humanities, social sciences and management.

Postgraduate research opportunities

Our Marketing and Retail PhD programme is accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council and is affiliated with the prestigious Business and Management Pathway of the Scottish Graduate School. Our expertise in Public Relations has helped us build strong links with industry, giving PhD students the chance to both learn from and contribute to the latest thinking in the arena. See our PhD and MPhil opportunities in: