Total Credit Hours
38
Overview
Throughout the Public Relations master of arts degree program, students will examine how new social tools and communication channels have changed the idea of what it means to be a public relations professional. Students will learn how to leverage social media in order to launch powerful dialogues with an organization’s consumers and advocates. Along with learning the new digital tools, the Public Relations master’s program will give students a solid foundation in traditional PR. Students will gain a solid grasp of how to plan, research, execute, and evaluate effective PR media plans. During the course of the program and in preparation for their final thesis project, students will build a website and social channels from the ground up, fostering their own professional reputation and audience throughout the degree program.
Objective
Master's Objective The Internet and new media channels have had a profound impact on the field of public relations. The rise of participatory media such as blogs, Twitter, and content- sharing sites has challenged the traditional ideal of who is a journalist – dramatically altering how publicists and PR professionals engage to share their stories. In addition to traditional news media, today’s PR professionals must also identify and develop credible and lasting relationships with influential voices throughout the social media world. Effective PR messages are informative, newsworthy, and interesting – but not to everyone and not all the time. Online PR professionals must compete with a broad spectrum of challenges and with a variety of social media participants, who all have their individual perspective of public relations and Internet marketing strategies. The Public Relations master of arts degree program is designed to provide students with a practical working knowledge of traditional PR methods and a hands-on understanding of the latest new social tools, communication channels, technologies, trends, and best practices. The 12-month program is focused on developing new media PR professionals with a solid understanding of traditional PR tradecraft, digital media expertise, and technical skills.