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CMN2

The College of Communication offers a variety of courses leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and Advertising. The program examines theories and practices in the related fields of public relations and advertising, and considers advertising and public relations processes, products and effects from cultural, ethical, organizational, historical, creative and methodological perspectives. Students in Public Relations and Advertising studies learn to think critically and analytically, to develop ideas clearly, and to speak and write effectively. Within the broad context of human communication and the liberal arts, students explore the relationship of public relations and advertising activities to other aspects of human endeavor. Graduates are prepared for entry-level positions within the public and private sectors, or for continuing their education in academic or professional graduate programs.​​​​​

Program Requirements Quarter Hours
College Core Requirements​ 16
Liberal Studies Requirements 84
​Major Requirements 48
​Open Electives 44
Total hours required 192

Learning Outcomes

​Students will be able to:

  • Identify, explain and apply conceptual and historical foundations of public communication disciplines as they relate to information and persuasion theories, concepts and models.
  • Demonstrate facility with writing, speaking and production of media materials to inform, persuade, build relationships, and problem solve.
  • Develop and demonstrate strategic plans and planning methods, as well as critical thinking skills.
  • Construct and analyze audience research by applying measurement, environmental scanning, and evaluation techniques to products, projects, and programs.
  • Classify and analyze the elements of ethical decision making to hypothetical and real world settings.

College Core Requirements 

Modern Language Requirement 

Modern Language Option

All majors in the College of Communication consist of a four-course common core plus an additional combination of program requirements and electives.

College Core Requirements

Four core courses are required of all College of Communication students:

Course Title Quarter Hours
CMN 101INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION4
CMN 102INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION4
CMN 103INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION4
CMN 104PUBLIC SPEAKING4

Students are encouraged to complete all four prior to taking additional coursework in the major.

Modern Language Requirement

Students who intend to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Communication will be required to demonstrate a measure of competence in a modern language, as defined by the college. Such competence may be demonstrated in one of several ways:

  • completing the last course in a second year high school course work in a modern language or Latin
  • completing the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language
  • completing a college course beyond the first-year level in any language
  • achieving a satisfactory score on any of the Modern Language placement examinations administered at DePaul
  • achieving a satisfactory rating in a proficiency examination accepted by DePaul
  • achieving a score of 3 or higher on the Advance Placement (AP) test for any language (must be completed during high school)
  • achieving a score of 5 or higher in the Language B assessment from a Standard or Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) program
  • achieving a satisfactory score on the CLEP examination. 

Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement. Students with some modern language training should consult with the Modern Language Department about the course with which they should begin. Students with little or no previous work in the language will be required to complete the entire three-course introductory sequence.

Modern Language Option

The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level necessary to meet the College’s modern language requirement. Students selecting the option may substitute a three-course language sequence for three learning domain courses, or two upper-level courses in the same language for two learning domain requirements. Modern language option  waivers cannot be applied to courses in the Math and Computing Domain or courses in the Scientific Inquiry domain. Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.

Any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain. ​​​​​​

Liberal Studies Requirements

Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year ProgramHours
Chicago Quarter
LSP 110
DISCOVER CHICAGO
or EXPLORE CHICAGO
4
Focal Point
LSP 112 FOCAL POINT SEMINAR 4
Writing
WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 4
WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 4
Quantitative Reasoning
MAT 120 QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 4
Sophomore Year
Race, Power, and Resistance
LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE 4
Junior Year
Experiential Learning
Required 4
Senior Year
Capstone
PRAD 396 CAPSTONE IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING 1 4
1

Students must earn a C- or better in this course.​  

2

Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam, or by credit earned for advanced math coursework at DePaul (MAT 135MAT 136MAT 147MAT 148MAT 149MAT 150MAT 151MAT 152MAT 155MAT 156MAT 160MAT 161MAT 162MAT 170MAT 171MAT 172, or equivalent) or any transfer, CLEP, IB, or AP Calculus credit. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfil any of the three QR/MCD requirements.

Learning Domains

Arts and Literature (AL)

  • 2 Courses Required

Historical Inquiry (HI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Math and Computing (MC)

  • 2 Courses Required
    [1 CR Course and 1 SR Course]

Philosophical Inquiry (PI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Religious Dimensions (RD)

  • 2 Courses Required

Scientific Inquiry (SI)

  • 2 Courses Required
    [1 Lab Course and 1 SWK Course]​

Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Note

Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.

In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.

Major Requirements

Course Requirements

In addition to the four core College of Communication courses, students take seven required classes, three Public Relations and Advertising electives, and two additional electives from the College of Communication. All Public Relations and Advertising majors must complete a total of 16 classes (64 credit hours).

Course Title Quarter Hours
Required Courses:24
PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING
PUBLIC RELATIONS
WRITING FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING
RESEARCH, DATA AND INSIGHTS
DESIGN APPLICATIONS FOR PRAD PROFESSIONALS
ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ETHICS
DIVERSITY & CURRENT ISSUES IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MEDIA RELATIONS
ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING
Choose one of the following courses:4
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS
BATEMAN PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS
AAF CAMPAIGNS
FOX SPORTS UNIVERSITY
Select three of the following:12
ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD WORKSHOP (2.0 quarter hours) 2
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIP
COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIP SPECIAL TOPICS
RESEARCH PRACTICUM 1
INDEPENDENT STUDY 1
PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING WORKSHOP (VARIABLE TOPICS) (2.0 quarter hours) 2
EVENT PLANNING
ADVANCED EVENT PLANNING
HUMOR AND ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ETHICS
DIVERSITY & CURRENT ISSUES IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS
HEALTH AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS
BRAND ACTIVATION AND CONSUMER PROMOTION
COPYWRITING
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
PSYCHOLOGY OF ADVERTISING
PERSONAL BRANDING
ADVANCED WRITING FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS
ADVERTISING PORTFOLIO
ENGAGING LATINX COMMUNITIES
THE MEETING OF SPORTS AND ADVERTISING
PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING ENTREPRENEURS
MEDIA RELATIONS
COMMUNICATION LAW
CRISIS COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT
CREATIVITY IN ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING
ADVERTISING AND CHILDREN
NON-PROFIT PUBLIC RELATIONS
BRANDED CONTENT
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS
INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING
BATEMAN PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY
BATEMAN PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS
AAF STRATEGY
AAF CAMPAIGNS
SPECIAL TOPICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING
FOX SPORTS UNIVERSITY
EYE TRACKING RESEARCH FOR THE PRAD PROFESSIONALS (2.0 quarter hours) 2
Select two electives (8 credits) from any College of Communication offerings8
1

Students may take up to 4 hours of credit in this course toward graduation requirements. 

2

A maximum of 8 credits from two credit College of Communication courses can be applied to major requirements. 

Internship Credit

Students in the major may take CMN 394 and/or CMN 395 (when work relates to the major). In order to take CMN 394 or CMN 395, students must have completed two of the four communication core classes (CMN 101, CMN 102, CMN 103, CMN 104), two courses in the chosen major and have fulfilled internship program eligibility requirements. ​

Open Electives

Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.