Graduate Certificate in Public Relations – Corporate Communications

Sheridan emphasizes the creative, critical and strategic skills prized by employers in corporate communications and public relations.

Making statements that matter

Can corporate communications be considered an art form? That's how Sheridan approaches the subject. It's a unique approach among business communications programs, and it produces student work that stands out. The courses in this program feature hands-on, project-based assignments. You'll be working for real-world clients, not just doing classroom exercises.

Hands-on, project-based assignments

• Write persuasive and informative copy for internal and external publications, news releases, conference presentations, speeches and public service announcements.

• Express yourself in a variety of public forums such as media interviews and news conferences.

• Create websites, blogs, podcasts, video content, email blasts and other online communications.

Fast-track to employment

It takes less than a year to earn a Public Relations – Corporate Communications graduate certificate from Sheridan. You'll build a portfolio, get real-world experience and master both practical and theoretical aspects of business communications. You'll spend the last five weeks of the program in an onsite job placement, working with professionals.

Additional information

Sheridan not only emphasizes the critical, analytical and strategic skills prized by employers in corporate communications and public relations, it weaves social media and diversity communications into all aspects of tactical delivery. You'll do more than write catchy prose; you'll learn how to generate buzz, influence attitudes and motivate behaviour.

Sheridan students have taken top honours in the Canadian Public Relations Society's (Hamilton Chapter) Pinnacle Awards for excellence in Public Relations.

Additional skills provided by the program

• Producing internal corporate communications plans and activities — the fastest-growing segment of the industry.

• Preparing strategic plans, crisis responses, media campaigns, fundraising initiatives and other planning documents.

• Developing strategic communication campaigns that integrate all of the above elements.

By year's end you'll have the skill set and the confidence to step directly into the workplace.

Classes for the Corporate Communications program are held at Sheridan's Trafalgar Road Campus, Oakville, Ontario.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Coordinate and contribute to the planning of public relations activities, including the development of clear, measurable communication objectives and project or tactical budgets and selection of strategies, tactics, tools and resources to manage a range of stakeholder relationships and issues and achieve organizational objectives.

• Coordinate, contribute to and adapt the implementation of strategies and tactics and the management of budgets and resources to achieve communication objectives and meet activity guidelines and requirements.

• Write and edit clear, accurate, targeted copy aligned to organizational objectives, appropriate for the chosen channel(s) and to a specified deadline.

• Produce effective, accessible, and timely print, digital and multimedia communications, independently and collaboratively, to manage specific stakeholder relations and/or issues and achieve organizational objectives.

• Use research results and analytical skills to guide the development of communication objectives and public relations activities, evaluate their impact, and support organizational objectives and stakeholder relationships.

• Engage stakeholders by adapting language, tone and presentation style to the public relations purpose, situation, audience and channel(s).

• Comply with and support others to work in accordance with relevant professional association and industry codes of ethics, public relations professional standards and practices, and legal obligations, protocols and policies.

• Monitor emerging social and economic trends, and local, national and global issues to guide the planning and implementation of public relations strategies and tactics and support organizational effectiveness, stakeholder relationships and ongoing personal professional development.

• Assess the selection and implications of current and emerging technologies on the quality and delivery of public relations activities and on organizational effectiveness.

• Select strategies and tools to build and manage stakeholder relationships to support public relations activities, organizational objectives and career development.