The MA in Public Relations and Advertising equips students with the expertise and skills necessary to strategically manage an organization’s communication with its publics. The Public Relations component stresses counseling and relationship management, while Advertising combines the management and creative aspects of persuasive communication.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 24 |
| Elective Requirements | 24 |
| Total hours required | 48 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Identify, explain and apply conceptual and historical foundations of public communication disciplines as they relate to informational, relational, and persuasion theories, concepts and models.
- 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, as well as articulate the ethical, legal and social responsibilities of public communications professionals.
- Develop and demonstrate strategic plans and planning methods, issues management techniques, and message development practices in a variety of settings and applications.
- Demonstrate facility with writing, speaking and production of media materials to inform, persuade, build relationships, and problem solve.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
The Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising (PRAD) requires 12 courses (48-credit hours).
Core Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Six core courses are required | 24 | |
| WRITING FOR A COMMUNICATION CAREER | ||
| ADVERTISING FOUNDATIONS | ||
| PUBLIC RELATIONS FOUNDATIONS | ||
| COMMUNICATION ETHICS AND LAW | ||
| RESEARCH, DATA AND INSIGHTS | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| PERSONAL BRANDING AND CAREER STRATEGIES | ||
| RESEARCH THESIS 1 | ||
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Students who attain a 3.7 GPA or higher and obtain prior approval from the graduate program director have the option to complete a thesis instead of the portfolio. Approved students completing a thesis need to start the process at least 9-12 months prior to graduation and will enroll in PRAD 599 RESEARCH THESIS as their final course in the quarter they defend their thesis.
Elective Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select six of the following: 1 | 24 | |
| CONSUMER INSIGHTS | ||
| ENGAGING LATINX COMMUNITIES | ||
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING | ||
| PR/AD AGENCY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES | ||
| ADVERTISING AND HEALTH CAMPAIGNS | ||
| CRISIS COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS | ||
| ADVERTISING AND COPYWRITING | ||
| CREATIVE PROCESSES | ||
| MEDIA PLANNING | ||
| BUSINESS SKILLS FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATORS | ||
| PUBLIC RELATION & ADVERTISING WORKSHOP | ||
| COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING | ||
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY | ||
| RESEARCH PRACTICUM | ||
| STUDY ABROAD | ||
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With approval of the graduate program director, students can take up to two relevant elective courses from other College of Communication graduate programs or relevant elective courses from other graduate departments/programs outside of the College of Communication.
Portfolio
Students in the Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising program complete their degree requirements by submitting a comprehensive portfolio. Students present their portfolios and network with industry professionals at the annual Portfolio Showcase.
Master's Thesis
Students who attain a 3.7 GPA or higher and obtain prior approval from the graduate program director have the option to complete a thesis instead of the portfolio. Approved students completing a thesis need to start the process at least 9-12 months prior to graduation and will enroll in PRAD 599 as their final course in the quarter they defend their thesis.
Optional Latino Media & Communication Concentration
The graduate concentration in Latino Media & Communication is comprised of at least three graduate courses drawn from the areas of advertising, journalism, media and cinema studies, multicultural communication, organizational communication and public relations. Graduate students in any of the College of Communication Master of Arts programs can elect to complete the Latino Media & Communication concentration. Students may need to use outside electives to complete this concentration.
Students who complete the concentration will:
- Develop an understanding of the heterogeneous and rapidly changing Latino communities locally, nationally and globally
- Ground their knowledge of intercultural studies within a more extensive and concrete knowledge of a particular (even though diverse), rapidly growing, and increasingly important population within the U.S.
- Increase their cross-cultural competence (understanding and ability to dialogue across difference, develop cultural sensitivity and awareness) with Latino communities
- Enhance their capacity to communicate with and learn from Latino populations in the workplace, in community situations and other sites of engagement
- Recognize the impact of the movement of Latinos across the globe and develop the skills to critically consume and produce media, public relations and advertisement representations that communicate to and about Latino communities
- Develop field-specific knowledge of Latino media and communication along with an understanding of how Latino studies shapes other fields of communication
Courses
Students are required to take three courses (12 credits) from the following list:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION 1 | ||
| MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN JOURNALISM 1 | ||
| TOPICS IN CINEMA STUDIES 1 | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA/MEDIA | ||
| CONSUMER INSIGHTS | ||
| ENGAGING LATINX COMMUNITIES | ||
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING 1 | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING 1 | ||
| INTERNSHIP 1 | ||
| STUDY ABROAD 1 |
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Topic must be related to Latino Media and Communication.
Grade Requirements
All students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.000 in their coursework. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.000, the student will be allowed to complete an additional 16 credits or 3 quarters (whichever comes first) to attain the 3.000 minimum GPA. If the cumulative GPA remains below a 3.000 at the conclusion of this time period, the student may be dismissed from the program. The student's cumulative and term GPAs along with overall academic performance will be factored into the dismissal decision.