Develop your strategic communications skill set to become a leader for change in your organisation
6 weeks,
excluding orientation
4–6 hours per week,
self-paced learning online
Weekly modules,
flexible learning
1
A deeper understanding of communications challenges and opportunities in a VUCA world, empowering you to shape meaning and drive change.
2
The ability to evaluate ethical issues in strategic communications and employ effective tools to address ethical dilemmas.
3
Valuable insights into the benefits and challenges of working collaboratively with audiences and stakeholders, with an emphasis on an audience-centric approach.
4
A high-level strategic communications strategy that aligns with your organisation's context and influences change.
This Strategic Communications in Society online certificate course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 32 hours of learning.
Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is on you. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
Over the duration of this online certificate course, you’ll work through the following modules:
Module 1 Strategic communications in uncertain times
Explore the importance of leveraging communications as a tool to produce meaning and drive change within the context of a VUCA environment.
Module 2 Understanding communications strategies
Discover the role of strategic communications in fulfilling an organisation's broader strategy and how to interpret its effectiveness beyond traditional measures, given the impact of the VUCA environment.
Module 3 Ethical challenges for strategic communications
Recognise the broad range of ethical issues in relation to strategic communications and the importance of addressing larger ethical challenges through communications practices.
Module 4 Relationships with audiences and stakeholders
Consider how strategic communication generates different meanings for audiences and stakeholders and recognise the importance of investing in relationships with different audience groups to build authentic connections and influence them effectively and ethically.
Module 5 Narratives for strategic communications
Explore the different tools organisations can use to build a narrative and consider the risks and challenges of narrative in strategic communications.
Module 6 Communicating for change
Discover the key elements required to develop a communications strategy and explore the importance of understanding the impact of the strategy on the organisation and its audience.
Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during course development.
Professor Lee Edwards
Professor of Strategic Communications and Public Engagement and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Media and Communications, LSE
Edwards researches and teaches strategic communications from a socio-cultural perspective, with a particular interest in how power operates in and through public relations work. She has edited and authored several books, published numerous journal articles and book chapters, and is a regular contributor to the field’s disciplinary conferences. She was the Secretary of the International Communication Association (ICA) PR Division (2014-2016) and won an ICA Environmental Communication Division Top Faculty paper award in 2020 and an ICA Communication Policy Division Top Paper award in 2013. She was also a regional editor for the Journal of Communication and a co-editor of PR Inquiry.
Dr Claire Forbes
Guest Teacher, Department of Media and Communications, LSE
Forbes’ areas of expertise include government, regulatory, and environmental communication. She combines academic and professional practice in communications. She has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Kent, which explored the use of public relations in the construction of Islam in the UK public sphere. Forbes has more than 20 years of professional experience in the public and not-for-profit sectors. Currently, she works as Senior Director of Corporate Communications for a non-ministerial government department in the UK.
“The VUCA world around us means that it’s never been more important for organisations to communicate with a wide range of audiences. This course gets under the skin of how communications can help organisations navigate through the complexities of the world around them. It also sets out the role that communications can play in driving change in organisations and wider society.”
Dr Claire Forbes
Course Convenor
This LSE online certificate course is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter, part of edX. Join a growing community of global professionals and benefit from the opportunity to:
Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from a world-leading social science university, entirely online and in your own time.
Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.
Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.