Corporations, charities, politicians, movie stars and sports celebrities all hire public relations specialists who help them build their brand and maintain good relationships with strategic stakeholders. This program provides a strong foundation in the theory, practice, and techniques of public relations in the digital age. You will learn how to write for media, design campaigns, implement innovative social media strategies, and manage client-based projects. The program resides in the School of Communication and Media.
120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
Program Requirements
Students must complete General Education requirements and World Languages and Cultures Requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| CMDA 110 | Introduction to Communication and Media Arts | 3 |
| CMDA 210 | Theorizing Communication and Media Arts | 3 |
| CMDA 220 | Writing for the Media | 3 |
| CMDA 320 | Transmedia Projects | 3 |
| Colloquium Series | ||
| CMDA 490 | Colloquium Series 1 | 0 |
| Major Requirements | ||
| CMST 130 | Public Relations Principles | 3 |
| CMST 233 | Public Relations Writing | 3 |
| CMST 280 | Investigative Research Methods | 3 |
| CMST 333 | Public Relations Cases and Campaigns | 3 |
| CMST 339 | Public Relations Techniques in a Digital Age | 3 |
| CMST 430 | Public Relations Management | 3 |
| Major Electives | ||
| Select 18 credits from the list (see below) | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
| 1 | Complete the course a minimum of 8 times. There is no credit associated with this course. |
Major Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMDA 360 | Communication and Media Coop Ed | 4-16 |
| CMDA 440 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| CMST 102 | Voice and Speech Improvement | 3 |
| CMST 160 | Introduction to Health Communication | 3 |
| CMST 170 | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| CMST 200 | Going Viral | 3 |
| CMST 202 | Listening | 3 |
| CMST 205 | Race, Ethnicity and Media | 3 |
| CMST 215 | Media History and Form | 3 |
| CMST 222 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| CMST 225 | New Media and Participatory Culture | 3 |
| CMST 235 | Youth Culture and The Popular | 3 |
| CMST 237 | Public Relations Ethics | 3 |
| CMST 242 | Speaking Culturally | 3 |
| CMST 245 | Communication, Media and Gender | 3 |
| CMST 246 | Interpersonal Communication I | 3 |
| CMST 260 | Health Communication Theory | 3 |
| CMST 263 | Health and Mass Media | 3 |
| CMST 270 | Organizational and Group Leadership | 3 |
| CMST 273 | Democracy and Communication | 3 |
| CMST 275 | Building Bridges through Dialogue | 3 |
| CMST 302 | Interpersonal Communication II | 3 |
| CMST 322 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| CMST 325 | Media Criticism | 3 |
| CMST 326 | Integrated Communications | 3 |
| CMST 330 | Public Relations Research | 3 |
| CMST 331 | Online Video Production for Public Relations | 1 |
| CMST 335 | Globalization, Communication and Media | 3 |
| CMST 337 | Specialized Writing in Public Relations | 3 |
| CMST 342 | Argumentation and Debate | 3 |
| CMST 345 | Critical Television Studies | 3 |
| CMST 355 | Visual Communication | 3 |
| CMST 360 | Emerging Technologies in Health Communication | 3 |
| CMST 362 | Nonverbal Communication | 3 |
| CMST 363 | Health Communication in Interpersonal Contexts | 3 |
| CMST 365 | Health Communication and the Arts | 3 |
| CMST 370 | Managing Diversity and Conflict | 3 |
| CMST 373 | Collaborative Problem Solving | 3 |
| CMST 375 | Organizational Change | 3 |
| CMST 377 | Mediated Organizations | 3 |
| CMST 379 | Community-Based Organizing | 3 |
| CMST 402 | Speaking in Varied Contexts | 3 |
| CMST 405 | Persuasion and Transmedia Campaigns | 3 |
| CMST 410 | Career Management | 3 |
| CMST 415 | Production Culture | 3 |
| CMST 425 | Seminar in Mediated Communication | 3 |
| CMST 433 | Seminar in Public Relations | 3 |
| CMST 435 | Special Topics in Communication and Media Arts | 1-3 |
| CMST 437 | Crisis Management in Public Relations | 3 |
| CMST 439 | Global Public Relations | 3 |
| CMST 460 | Planning and Implementing Health Campaigns | 3 |
| CMST 470 | Organizational Consulting | 3 |
| CMST 475 | Seminar in Organizational Communication | 3 |
| CMST 499 | Honors: Senior Seminar | 3 |
| FILM 200 | Film Making I | 4 |
| FILM 201 | Digital Filmmaking I | 3 |
| FILM 205 | Acting for Filmmakers | 3 |
| FILM 221 | Digital Filmmaking II | 3 |
| FILM 222 | Production Design I | 3 |
| FILM 230 | Introduction to Screenwriting | 3 |
| FILM 250 | Film Forum | 3 |
| FILM 255 | Film Story Analysis | 3 |
| FILM 260 | Film Making II | 4 |
| FILM 261 | Theatre - Film Collaborations I | 3 |
| FILM 262 | Filmmaking Workshop | 1 |
| FILM 265 | Principles of Cinematography | 3 |
| FILM 277 | Audio Production for Film/Digital Media | 3 |
| FILM 280 | Film Art: Historical and Contemporary | 3 |
| FILM 282 | The Avant-Garde Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 283 | Mythic Structure in Screenwriting | 3 |
| FILM 300 | Documentary Workshop | 3 |
| FILM 310 | Intermediate Screenwriting | 3 |
| FILM 320 | Directing for Writers | 3 |
| FILM 321 | Writing the Feature Film | 3 |
| FILM 322 | Writing Television/Web Series | 3 |
| FILM 323 | Adaptation | 3 |
| FILM 324 | Writing for Interactive Media | 3 |
| FILM 360 | Film Editing | 3 |
| FILM 361 | Theatre - Film Collaborations II | 3 |
| FILM 363 | Integrated Media | 3 |
| FILM 364 | Production Management | 3 |
| FILM 365 | Motion Graphics | 3 |
| FILM 367 | Production Design II | 3 |
| FILM 368 | Producing: Development through Distribution | 3 |
| FILM 410 | Advanced Screenwriting | 3 |
| FILM 420 | Independent Study in Production Design | 3 |
| FILM 422 | Art Directing Workshop | 3 |
| FILM 425 | Advanced Editing | 3 |
| FILM 426 | Advanced Cinematography | 3 |
| FILM 430 | Film III: Directing Workshop | 3 |
| FILM 440 | Actor/Director Master Class | 3 |
| FILM 452 | Game Development | 3 |
| FILM 455 | Commercial Directing | 3 |
| FILM 460 | Experimental Film/Digital Workshop I | 3 |
| FILM 461 | Experimental Film/Digital Workshop II | 3 |
| FILM 462 | Advanced Master Class in Screenwriting | 3 |
| FILM 463 | Advanced Film Workshop | 3 |
| FILM 464 | Filmmaking Internship | 1-9 |
| FILM 491 | Thesis Project I | 3 |
| FILM 492 | Thesis Project II | 3 |
| TVDM 101 | History and Development of TV and Digital Media | 3 |
| TVDM 201 | Language of Television | 3 |
| TVDM 205 | Fundamentals of TV and Digital Media | 3 |
| TVDM 220 | How to Watch Television | 3 |
| TVDM 221 | Developing the Documentary | 3 |
| TVDM 233 | Radio Production | 3 |
| TVDM 243 | Media and Culture | 3 |
| TVDM 245 | Radio and TV Performance | 3 |
| TVDM 247 | Sports Media and Society | 3 |
| TVDM 251 | Introduction to the Control Room/Studio | 4 |
| TVDM 253 | Introduction to Field Production and Editing | 4 |
| TVDM 255 | Special Topics in Television and Digital Media | 1-3 |
| TVDM 260 | History of Television Programming | 3 |
| TVDM 277 | Audio Production for Film/Digital Media | 3 |
| TVDM 293 | TV and Digital Programming | 3 |
| TVDM 300 | Documentary Production | 3 |
| TVDM 315 | Political Broadcasting | 3 |
| TVDM 341 | Cross Platform Sports Writing and Reporting | 3 |
| TVDM 343 | Sports Production for Television, Radio and Internet | 3 |
| TVDM 345 | Advanced Television Event Production and Planning | 3 |
| TVDM 349 | Ethics of Mass Communication | 3 |
| TVDM 351 | Television Practicum | 1 |
| TVDM 353 | Children's Television | 3 |
| TVDM 355 | Craft Workshop | 1-3 |
| TVDM 357 | Advanced Television Production | 4 |
| TVDM 360 | Advanced Post-Production Workshop | 3 |
| TVDM 361 | Media Management | 3 |
| TVDM 373 | MIDI and Digital Music Production | 3 |
| TVDM 375 | Introduction to Music Recording | 3 |
| TVDM 377 | Sound Analysis and Design | 3 |
| TVDM 391 | International Broadcasting | 3 |
| TVDM 421 | New Genres in Documentary | 3 |
| TVDM 441 | Multimedia News Production | 3 |
| TVDM 450 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| TVDM 451 | Television Production Company | 1-3 |
| TVDM 455 | Special Topics in Television and Digital Media | 1-3 |
| TVDM 477 | Sound Design for Film | 3 |