This programme will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the promotional media and communications industries and their role in social, cultural and economic life. Promotion has become a fundamental activity in modern society and as such it has become a core element in many areas. From the marketing of goods and products to raising funds for a local hospice, promotional culture is everywhere. Therefore, promotion is a rationale that now encompasses a series of areas that although distinctive are closely intertwined such as public relations, marketing communication, advertising and others. As such, the MA fills an important gap in theoretically-driven teaching of critical analyses of promotional communication, where practice is analysed rather than taught. The degree seeks to be a distinctive and unique taught postgraduate experience by combining a series of areas that overlap to then proceed to critically analyse them from a multidisciplinary perspective. Particular emphasis will be placed on critically examining the ethics of those who participate and help articulate the social framework within which promotional culture happens. In so doing, the ethics of promotion activities such as PR, marketing communication and branding will be at the centre of the research-led critique in this course. The new MA programme builds on the School’s existing strong reputation in the area of critical research and teaching about the communications and cultural industries, while combining this with other critical areas such as journalism studies, political communication and sociology. The programme will develop students’ understanding of the principles of promotional communication across a number of areas – branding, marketing, advertising and public relations – while critically reflecting on the implications of promotional culture for us individually and as a society as a whole.