Public Relations Links
Major in Public Relations
School of Arts and Sciences
(Bachelor of Science Degree)
Public relations is a dynamic field that involves expertise in building and managing relationships between an organization and its specific publics or audiences such as employees, consumers, communities, and government. Public relations practitioners are highly sought after in business, government, education, sports, health care, and human service organizations.
Public relations professionals are skilled in counseling, problem solving, conflict resolution, writing, speaking, and campaign/event planning. Their efforts create understanding and acceptance of policies, decisions, products, and services that strengthen reputation and result in organizational success.
UC public relations majors are provided with a broad general education as well as specialized training in public relations principles and practices, research, strategic planning, writing, and media techniques. UC public relations graduates are working in all segments of the field: as public relations counselors and public relations firm executives; corporate communications directors and specialists; media relations and event planners; writers, editors, and desktop publishers; researchers and department heads for Fortune 500 companies; sports marketing and promotion; and fund raising and not-for-profit public relations.
Total credit hours required for degree: 120
Academic Requirements
| Course | Credit Hours | Year Taken | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | 31-60 | ||
| Major Course Requirements | |||
| Journalism Studies 181 | Introduction to Mass Communication | 3 | 1 |
| Journalism Studies 261 | Newswriting | 3 | 1,2 |
| Journalism Studies 365 | Publication Design | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 182 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 | 1,2 |
| Public Relations 372 | Publicity and Public Relations Writing | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 375 | Public Relations Research and Planning | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 385 | Public Relations Campaigns | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 450 | Field Work in Public Relations | 3 | 4 |
| Public Relations 482 | Cases and Problems in Public Relations | 3 | 3,4 |
| 27 |
|||
| Concentrations | |||
| Students must select one concentration from either General Public Relations or Sports Communication. |
|||
| General Public Relations Concentration | |||
| Choose 5 courses from the following: | |||
| Management 101 | Introduction to Contemporary Business | 3 | 1,2,3 |
| Management 201 | Principles of Business Management | 3 | 1,2,3 |
| Marketing 311 | Elements of Advertising | 3 | 3,4 |
| Journalism 363 | Magazine Article Writing | 3 | 3,4 |
| Journalism 364 | Editing | 3 | 3,4 |
| Journalism 372 | Essentials of News Photography | 3 | 3,4 |
| Journalism 461 | Writing for the Web | 3 | 3,4 |
| Journalism 467 | Communication Law | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 400 | Public Relations Topics | 3 | 3,4 |
| Communication Arts 305 | Group Problem Solving and Decision Making | 3 | 3,4 |
| Communication Arts 324 | Intercultural Communication | 3 | 3,4 |
| Communication Arts 341 | Organizational Communication | 3 | 3,4 |
| Psychology 237 | Group Dynamics | 3 | 3,4 |
| Government and Politics 215 | Public Opinion and Political Behavior | 3 | 2,3,4 |
Note: A maximum of four Journalism courses can be applied to this concentration. |
15 |
||
| Sports Communication Concentration | |||
| Public Relations 285 | Introduction to Sports and the Media | 3 | 1,2 |
| Select one from: | |||
| Journalism 241 | Introduction to the Sport Report | 3 | 2,3 |
| Journalism 374 | Sportswriting | 3 | 2,3,4 |
| Select one from: | |||
| Public Relations 395 | Sports Information and Public Relations | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 396 | Sports Marketing Communication and Promotion | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 397 | Sports Event Planning and Management | 3 | 3,4 |
| Select one from: | |||
| Public Relations 300 | Topics in Sports Communication | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 433 | The Olympics | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 435 | Sports and Television | 3 | 3,4 |
| Select one from: | |||
| Public Relations 454 | The Business of Sports | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 456 | Athlete Management and Representation | 3 | 3,4 |
| Public Relations 458 | Sports Law | 3 | 3,4 |
| 15 |
|||
| Electives | |||
| The student must complete sufficient elective courses to earn at least the minimum credit hours required for this degree, and at least 60 credit hours of the 120 required must be in the liberal arts and sciences. | |||
* Students wishing information about the public relations retention policy should consult with their academic adviser.