The Certificate in Public Relations offers a sequence of courses that will prepare students for a successful career in public relations. This writing-intensive certificate program includes a selection of required and elective courses that integrate practical knowledge of the public relations industry with communication planning and research tactics needed in today’s ever-changing world. The sequence of courses is based upon the latest report from the Commission on Public Relations Education and the certification requirements of the Public Relations Society of America. To earn the certificate, student must complete a minimum of 21 credits in the designated courses with a grade of “C” or better.
| Required Courses | ||
| COMM 1150 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 |
| COMM 2180 | Public Relations Writing | 3 |
| COMM 3330 | Research Methods in Communication I | 3 |
| COMM 4100 | Communication Campaigns | 3 |
| COMM 4199 | Applied Strategic Communication 1 | 3 |
| Elective Coursework (minimum of 6 credit hours required): | 6 | |
| Introduction to Health Communication | ||
| Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Communication | ||
| Social Media in Public Relations | ||
| Media Law and Regulation | ||
| Basic Marketing | ||
| Introduction to Digital Marketing Strategies | ||
| Total Hours | 21 | |
| 1 | COMM 4199 may count toward internship credit for the BA Communication degree. |
For more information on this certificate, please contact the Department of Communication and Media’s Public Relations Coordinator.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Interpret and apply basic public relations principles to design, research and plan public relations campaigns.
- Compose written public relations materials that are written in a clear, brief, concise format following the appropriate format and style.
- Make use of broad knowledge combined with principles of public relations in order to evaluate and create effective public relations campaigns.
- Plan and implement research projects; read and interpret research data as applied to public relations campaigns and message strategy.
- Create and conduct ethically sound and socially responsible public relations strategies and campaigns.