Public Relations - B.S.
Kent State University
Key Information
Campus location
Kent, USA
Languages
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Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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Introduction
Public Relations - B.S.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations can take students from corporate boardrooms and creative agencies to sports arenas, the halls of Congress, global nonprofits, hospitals, fashion runways, and beyond. Students graduate with a grounding in the practice of responsible advocacy and a firm grasp of the inclusive communication practices.
Kent State boasts the only public relations program in Ohio that is both certified by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).
This degree is rooted in professionalism, with a focus on developing writing, critical thinking, digital and visual communication skills, as well as analytics and strategic multimedia storytelling. Students learn to deliver messages through social media, websites, podcasts, videos, press releases and other media tools, events, public policy and more.
Classes routinely involve researching, creating and presenting a public relations plan for real clients. Students will build a strong portfolio through hands-on learning opportunities, including two student agencies, a required professional internship, and public relations campus jobs. Kent State’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and its members consistently win awards at national conferences, placing the chapter in the top tier nationwide.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please visit the university's website for more information.
Curriculum
Semester One
- Media, Power and Culture (DIVD) (KSS)
- Principles of Public Relations
- Destination Kent State: First Year Experience
Kent Core Requirement
Kent Core Requirement
Kent Core Requirement
Semester Two
- Communication Grammar Review
- My Story on the Web
- Writing Across Platforms
Kent Core Requirement
Kent Core Requirement
Kent Core Requirement
Semester Three
- Research and Measurement in Advertising and Public Relations
- Public Relations Case Studies
Kent Core Requirement
Kent Core Requirement
General Electives
Semester Four
- Reporting or Broadcast Reporting
- Public Relations Tactics or Public Relations Publications
College of Communication and Information Core Electives
Kent Core Requirement
Kent Core Requirement
Semester Five
- Digital Analytics in Advertising and Public Relations
- Public Relations Tactics or Public Relations Publications
Journalism and Mass Communication Elective
Kent Core Requirement
General Electives
Semester Six
- Media Relations and Publicity (WIC)
- Digital Public Relations
College of Communication and Information Core Electives
General Electives
Semester Seven
- Law of Advertising and Public Relations or Capstone: Public Relations Campaigns
Journalism and Mass Communication Elective
College of Communication and Information Core Electives
General Electives
Semester Eight
- Ethical Issues in Integrated Communication
- Law of Advertising and Public Relations or Capstone: Public Relations Campaigns
General Electives
Program Outcome
Accreditation
Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC); Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) - Certification in Education for Public Relations
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical thinking, grounded in a legal and ethical framework.
- Gather information, analyze it and make informed judgments using methods and tools appropriate to their professions.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply theory and research appropriate to their professions, including quantitative and qualitative methods.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply basic ethical principles to their professional work.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply laws and regulations applicable to their professional work.
- Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
- Demonstrate understanding of how media and their professions evolved historically, their role in societal development and their global interaction today with institutions and individuals.
- Demonstrate appreciation for diverse cultures and individual differences, and reflect that appreciation in their work.