Foundation Certificate (FCert)
Overview
For those at the start of their career in PR who are looking to fast track their development
Flexible enrolment so you can begin whenever you're ready
1 year to complete
Member fee: £1000 + VAT
Non-member fee: £1400 + VAT
What to expect
Anticipated Time Commitment
The following is a rough guide as to the time commitment that should be expected for this qualification.
Active learning
Training Sessions | Total |
3 webinars and 2 full-day training | 20-30 hours |
Assessment work
Ethics (15%) | Portfolio (60%) | Reflection (25%) | Total |
3-5 hours | 10-15 hours | 8-10 hours | 21-30 hours |
What our graduates say
"I am delighted to have completed the PRCA Foundation Certificate. The course was an engaging and enjoyable experience which has provided me with many helpful tools and takeaways I am now implementing into my work and will use moving forward in my career." - Account Executive, 8020 Communications
"I learnt so much from professionals within the industry and this has allowed me to grow in confidence across a range of vital skills required for my role and transfer over to the Liquid Australia team." - Junior Account Executive, Liquid Australia
Learning outcomes
The core units of the course is curated to establish the central skills at a foundational level. There are also a variety of optional units to supplement these core units with either role/sector-specific training. The optional units are shared with your confirmation of enrolment and are regularly reviewed and updated.
Core Units
TITLE | OBJECTIVES |
Ethics in PR and Communications | To have a clearer understanding of what is acceptable professional advice and behaviour and what is not acceptable/illegal. |
Introduction to PR | Define PR and define what it can contribute to reputation Structure a basic PR campaign, including targeting and evaluation Identify the core range of PR tactics Structure a news story and employ the key steps in calling a journalist |
Good News and Bad News | We'll help you get inside the head of a journalist, to make them more likely to listen to you and pay attention to your press releases. You'll be equipped with useful tools for improving your PR output, and gain insight from senior journalists working on national titles. And you'll learn that the PR challenges you face are industry-wide: the PR environment is more challenging than ever and understanding that you're not alone is a great confidence builder. |
How to Manage Your Time and Workload More Effectively | Learn to track time effectively Understand how time-tracking can be used to make you a more efficient PR pro Develop techniques for setting priorities and meeting deadlines Learn how to tell what’s important, and what’s not Learn how to stop technology from dominating your time, and to use it to your advantage Develop anti-procrastination techniques Learn when and how to delegate Be able to analyse and reduce stress |
Successful Media Relations | How to invest in, and manage, your single most valuable professional asset What journalists want and how to develop lifelong relationships with them The rules and dynamics which govern MSM and online journalists' careers How to be a reporter's ‘first port of call' How to deliver better media results for their clients |