Public Relations Certificate

Program Design

The certificate program in Public Relations, bridging the disciplines of communications and business, is designed to appeal to several populations: new students considering a degree program in communications, employees in other areas of communications seeking retraining, and students with associate or bachelor’s degrees seeking rapid certification in the skills necessary for entry-level positions in public relations.

The program is designed for maximum flexibility. Students who are already proficient in specific areas of communication or technology will be able to fill in the voids in their training by customizing their courses to their individual needs. Similarly, students seeking a broad range of training in all areas relevant to public relations—including marketing, written and oral communications, videography, desktop publishing and graphics—will achieve a generalist’s knowledge.

Transfer Opportunities

Most courses in the certificate program would be transferable to an associate or baccalaureate degree program and all are transferable to the Communication degree program.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all Public Relations certificate program requirements, graduates will

Design, implement and evaluate a marketing/PR campaign.
Write for internal and external publications with an understanding of the needs of the target audiences.
Apply basic graphic design principles to newsletters, brochures, reports and related PR projects.
Establish media contacts.
Serve as an effective spokesperson for an organization or business.
Apply ethical principles to decision making and crisis management.
Understand the role of the public relations practitioner within the context of mass communication.
Understand the effects of print and broadcast media on the practice of public relations.

Required Courses

Business elective — Choose one course
BMK* 201:&nbsp;Principles of Marketing 3 Credits or
BMG* 202:&nbsp;Principles of Management 3 Credits or
BMG* 210:&nbsp;Organizational Behavior 3 Credits
COM* 166:&nbsp;Video/Filmmaking 3 Credits
COM* 201:&nbsp;Introduction to Public Relations 3 Credits
COM* 173:&nbsp;Public Speaking 3 Credits
COM* 295:&nbsp;Internship I 3 Credits
COM* 222:&nbsp;Reporting and Writing News Stories. 3 Credits
COM* 213:&nbsp;Electronic Publishing 3 Credits
GRA* 151:&nbsp;Graphic Design I: Principles & Process 3 Credits
COM* 108:&nbsp;Contemporary Issues in Media 3 Credits
English composition elective — Choose one course
ENG* 101:&nbsp;Composition 3 Credits or
ENG* 200:&nbsp;Advanced Composition 3 Credits or
ENG* 202:&nbsp;Technical Writing 3 Credits

Total Credits Required: 30

Note:

Because many courses in this program are offered on an occasional basis, students should meet with an academic advisor or faculty advisor to plan their program of study.