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Public Relations Curriculum and PRSSA

Students from any major are welcome to seek a certificate in public relations. Typically, students seeking a certificate in public relations major in communication with a focus on the strategic communication emphasis area.

Students earning a certificate in Public Relations will be able to:

  • Interpret and apply basic public relations principles as they design, research and plan public relations campaigns.
  • Compose written public relations materials in a clear, brief, concise format following the appropriate format and style.
  • Make use of broad knowledge combined with principles of public relations and critical thinking to evaluate and create effective public relations campaigns.
  • Plan and implement public relations research projects; read and interpret research data as they apply to public relations campaigns and message strategy.
  • Create and conduct ethically sound, legal, and socially responsible public relations strategies and campaigns.


Courses Required to Earn a Certificate in Public Relations

15 credits required plus 6 elective credit hours = 21 credit hours

Required Courses
COMM 1150 Introduction to Public Relations
COMM 2180 Introduction to Public Relations Writing
COMM 3330 Research Methods in Communication
COMM 4100 Communication Campaigns
COMM 4199 Applied Strategic Communication/Internship

Elective Courses (select two)
COMM 1135 Communication Theory
COMM 1369 Introduction to Health Communication
COMM 3150 Crisis, Disaster & Risk Communication
COMM 3370 Social Media in Public Relations
Media St  3355 Media Law & Ethics
MKTG 3700 Basic Marketing
MKTG 3721 Introduction to Digital Marketing Strategies


Public Relations Faculty

Jill Alexander, APR, Fellow PRSA
Lara Zwarun, PhD
Yan Tian, PhD
Alisa Agozzino, PhD, APR
Brandie Piper
David Lange

Student Involvement

Students are invited to join the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter at UMSL. On a national basis, PRSSA aspires to advance the public relations profession by developing ethically responsible pre-professionals who champion diversity, strive for an outstanding education and advocate for the profession of public relations.

For additional information contact umslpublicrelations@umsl.edu.