Public Relations

Public relations specialists are expert communicators who manage and maintain a positive public image for their clients, whether it’s a politician, a large corporation, a non-profit organization or a small business. This program prepares students to competently enter the professional world of public relations with knowledge and skills that include writing for newspapers, feature articles, and preparing public and private presentations. Students will also learn how to shoot and edit professional photos, develop internal and external corporate communications plans, event plans, sponsorship plans, and learn how to handle crisis response. Social media, entrepreneurship, marketing, advertising and working with media are also elements of this in-depth program.

Hands-on learning includes event production, small business creation, creating professional videos using industry-standard professional equipment, recording radio interviews, composing and editing professional photos and using design software to create marketing materials such as flyers and posters and much more.

Two work placement opportunities give students the chance to put their PR skills to use in the real world. Numerous opportunities exist locally and out of town for work placement as well as employment in a wide variety of business, industry, institutional and non-profit organizations.

What You’ll Learn

• Participate in the planning of public relations activities, including the development of clear, measurable communication objectives and project budgets and selection of strategies, tactics, tools and resources to support a range of stakeholder relationships and organizational objectives.
• Support the implementation and management of strategies, tactics, budgets and resources for a range of public relations activities to achieve communication objectives and meet activity guidelines and requirements.
• Write and edit clear, accurate, targeted copy appropriate for the chosen channel(s) and to a specified deadline.
• Apply visual, audio, multimedia and interactive elements, fundamental design principles and accessibility standards, independently and collaboratively, to support the production of effective, timely communications appropriate for diverse channels and audiences.
• Use information sources, research tools and results, and apply analytical skills to support the development of communication objectives, selection of strategies and tactics, and measurement of the impact of public relations activities.
• Engage stakeholders by adapting language, tone and presentation style to the public relations purpose, situation, audience and channel(s).
• Comply with and support others to work in accordance with relevant professional association and industry codes of ethics, public relations professional standards and practices, and legal obligations, protocols and policies.
• Keep current with emerging social and economic trends, and local, national and global issues to inform public relations plans and activities, support organizational effectiveness and stakeholder relationships, and guide ongoing personal professional development.
• Select and use current and emerging technologies to support the quality and delivery of public relations activities and organizational effectiveness.
• Use strategies and tools to build and maintain professional relationships to support public relations activities, organizational objectives and career development.