Bachelor of Public Relations (Honours)

Conestoga’s Bachelor of Public Relations degree was the first to be approved in Ontario and the fourth of its kind in Canada. Public relations is the management of communication between an organization and its public. Public relations specialists work in employee communication, media relations, investor relations, marketing communication and other specialized communication functions. This profession demands strong communication skills, diplomacy, strategic thinking and the ability to understand complex issues, and Conestoga’s Bachelor of Public Relations degree responds with a case-based approach.

The goal is to provide graduates with the critical thinking skills and the practical experience required to manage reputations, responses, and relationships on behalf of their organization. They offer students the opportunity to combine their learning with paid co-op terms to allow students to apply theory to public relations practice. Courses in public relations management, global public relations, business and project management, and the ethics and philosophy of public relations offer unique perspectives. Students will be encouraged to join one of several professional organizations during their degree program. Professional development, networking, and volunteerism are of tremendous benefit to the public relations graduate throughout their career.

What You’ll Learn

• Apply a strategic understanding of communication principles and skills to a wide variety of public relations situations.
• Demonstrate capabilities in the interpretation, creation, and effective delivery of messages through various formats including public speaking, professional writing, visual design and multimedia technology and other emerging technologies.
• Describe the evolution of the public relation profession.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the forms and functions of business relevant to public relations.
• Develop plans for lifelong learning and professional development.
• Consider global implications in the development of public relations strategies.
• Consider media and communications law and the implications of those on the development of public relations strategies.
• Utilize quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to provide evidence required to address public relations needs as well as to measure outcomes and influences.
• Manage event and other campaigns that arise in the fulfillment of public relations work.
• Organize and synthesize information in order to communicate new understanding in public relations, by the use of reading, research, and critical and creative thinking skills.
• Employ intellectual curiosity with the ability to think conceptually to analyze, problem solve and select and combine multiple communication strategies.
• Weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect the values that underpin public relations while adhering to professional codes and standards.
• Recognize, understand and respect the complexity of socio-cultural and international diversity.
• Understand the role diversity plays in how people communicate and ensure that organizations demonstrate inclusiveness toward the diversity of employees, volunteers and other key publics.
• Listen with literal and critical comprehension.
• Demonstrate the ability to counsel and build effective relationships in working environments.
• Demonstrate the ability to be responsible, flexible and professionally oriented self-managers.
• Demonstrate the ability to lead and manage communication strategy for the purpose of employee communication, issue, crisis communication, investor communication and corporate social responsibility.