When one rises, we all rise. Get 15% off course fees with the code IWD2026 until March 31, 2026 in honor of International Women's Month. Invest in your potential, invest in your community.

THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS IN SOCIETY

ONLINE CERTIFICATE COURSE

Develop your strategic communications skill set to become a leader for change in your organisation

VIEW COURSE PROSPECTUS
Duration

6 weeks,
excluding orientation

Effort

4–6 hours per week,
self-paced learning online

Learning Format

Weekly modules,
flexible learning

Get 15% off until March 31, 2026.

Celebrate International Women's Month with us.

This International Women's Month, we're embracing reciprocity with the theme of "Give to Gain". Invest in your personal and community development and get 15% off this course.

*Offer applies to any start date for participating courses where registration is currently open as long as you register and pay by March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.). To redeem the offer for executive education courses, register on getsmarter.com, using code IWD2026 at checkout. The discount cannot be combined with any other offers for executive education courses.

ON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH:

  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.

Accreditation Logo

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.

    COURSE CURRICULUM

    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.

    "Working with communication in a world in flux requires communications practitioners to manage multiple challenges every day and constantly balance conflicting forces in their practice. In this course we explore how to work with this difficult context, and approach communication as a flexible, adaptable discipline. Participants will explore how to centre their strategies around a realistic view of context, the interests and motivations of audiences, and a strong narrative - all while putting ethics at the heart of their practice."Professor Lee Edwards
    Course Convenor

    AN ONLINE EDUCATION THAT SETS YOU APART

    This LSE online certificate course is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter. Join a growing community of global professionals and benefit from the opportunity to:
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    Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from a world-leading social science university, entirely online and in your own time.

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    Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.

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    Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.