Hands-on Education
Public Relations revolves around the management of organizational relationships. It includes research and planning as well as the implementation of social media campaigns, special events, publicity, advertising, newsletters, and other communication activities.
Our program provides plenty of opportunities to apply what you’re learning in the classroom through projects, immersion courses, and internships. We also host a student chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which meets frequently to learn from and network with public relations professionals, plan chapter activities, and help local businesses and organizations solve public relations problems.
What You’ll Learn
As a public relations major, you will have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare for a career in a dynamic, broad-based field. The backbone of our program is five basic public relations courses:
- Introduction to Public Relations
- Public Relations Writing
- Public Relations Research
- Public Relations Programs and Campaigns
- Public Relations Internship or other capstone experience
In today’s digital media world, we also ensure that our students have experience in several related areas, such as news writing, video production, and graphic design.
Finally, in keeping with Capital’s liberal learning approach, we require our students to augment their public relations major with an academic minor in another area of interest. This might include a minor like business management for those interested in the corporate world or biology for those who want to work in healthcare; but many of our students just select minors in academic areas they enjoy, such as psychology, English, history, communication, or music. We believe the breadth of study – whatever the minor – helps to make a more effective professional communicator.
Check out our full curriculum here.
High-Impact Practices
Capital uses high-impact practices like internships, immersion courses, pre-professional activities, and capstone projects proven to optimize student learning. Here are just a few of the recent courses and activities in which our students have engaged to apply what they’re learning:
Our Zombie Apocalypse allowed students across a range of majors, including public relations, to get realistic experience dealing with a crisis situation.
An event-planning course worked with a community organization to put on a formal dance event for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our public relations client-based immersion class partnered with award-winning integrated marketing and communications firm Fahlgren Mortine to take on the issue of youth experiencing homelessness by working with the Community Shelter Board.
Where You'll Go: Careers and Placement
Here are just a few examples of what our graduates are doing now:
- communications director
- director of media and public relations
- account specialist
- event planner
- senior media specialist
- director of events and special projects
- internal communications manager
- communications coordinator
- senior associate and managing director