The mission of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations is to prepare our students, through theory and practice, for success in public relations, advertising and related industries. The department offers two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Integrated Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations.
The BA in Advertising and Integrated Communications prepares you for a future in advertising by considering the rapidly developing new technologies in persuasive communication, the increasingly engaged consumer and the consumer experience, interactive and digital media and its vast influence, and the emerging challenges brought forward by artificial intelligence (AI) in the service of the discipline. As a major in advertising, you will master key skills in innovative and creative thinking to shape and inform the strategic and tactical decisions needed for jobs in the industry. You will also develop expertise that can be applied to a broader network of related careers such as social media, brand management, media buying, public relations, audience and market research, corporate communications and more.
The BA in Public Relations program prepares you to succeed in careers in agency, corporate, government and nonprofit public relations. With an eye toward current best practices and upcoming industry trends, your classes will provide you with hands-on learning opportunities and portfolio-building projects. You will be tasked to develop and evaluate strategic communication plans that support the relationships between a brand and their key publics using paid, earned, owned and social media channels. Among the most important essential learning outcomes stressed in the major are critical thinking and reasoning skills. Our graduates offer strategic counsel to their employers and clients through writing, research and implementation.
ADPR faculty also regularly offer courses with an international travel component, including recent classes examining the role of the 'branding' of the city of London and the strategic communication efforts of luxury brands in France and Switzerland.
- Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Integrated Communications
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations
- Master of Science in Public Relations
- Master of Science in Public Relations - Online/Professional Track
- Minor in Advertising and Public Relations
- Minor in Public Diplomacy
- Minor in Social Media Strategy
- Social Media Strategist Certificate
Advertising and Public Relations (ADPR)
ADPR 101. Intro to Public Relations.3 Credits.
This course familiarizes students with modern public relations management practices. Students are introduced to the functions, practices and growing application of public relations in private industry and the public sector. Students learn through practical application and group simulation of effective communication strategies for agencies, government, nonprofits and the corporate world.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
UC: Breadth Elective, University Curriculum Ele
ADPR 101H. Intro to Public Relations.3 Credits.
This course familiarizes students with modern public relations management practices. Students are introduced to the functions, practices and growing application of public relations in private industry and the public sector. Students learn through practical application and group simulation of effective communication strategies for agencies, government, nonprofits and the corporate world.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
UC: Breadth Elective, University Curriculum Ele
ADPR 102. Introduction to Advertising and Integrated Communications.3 Credits.
This is an introductory course that provides a comprehensive overview of the practices of advertising and integrated communication (ADIC) as they are used by organizations to maximize the impact of unified messages and promotions on consumers and other stakeholders. The course introduces students to foundational principles and strategies, contemporary issues and practices, ethical considerations in the advertising industry, and the use of emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence, within the communications campaign planning process.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
UC: Breadth Elective, University Curriculum Ele
ADPR 102H. Introduction to Advertising and Integrated Communications.3 Credits.
This is an introductory course that provides a comprehensive overview of the practices of advertising and integrated communication (ADIC) as they are used by organizations to maximize the impact of unified messages and promotions on consumers and other stakeholders. The course introduces students to foundational principles and strategies, contemporary issues and practices, ethical considerations in the advertising industry, and the use of emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence, within the communications campaign planning process.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
UC: Breadth Elective, University Curriculum Ele
ADPR 201. Writing for Advertising and Public Relations.3 Credits.
Written communication is central to most advertising and public relations careers. Clear and persuasive writing is one of the tools used in advertising and public relations to convey clients' messages to target publics. This writing-intensive course introduces students to the world of professional advertising and public relations writing. Topics include press releases and other print tactics, online content and social media. Students are involved in both in-class and out-of-class assignments.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 101 or ADPR 102
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
ADPR 215. Web, Mobile & Interactive Design.3 Credits.
Students learn how to create desktop and mobile multimedia elements using web development software, HTML5, CSS3 and simple scripting. Students design projects that include functional websites, animated content and interactive experiences.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
ADPR 222. Persuasion.3 Credits.
This course provides an overview of the theories, strategies, and ethics of social influence. We will study persuasion in various contexts, such as advertising and public relations. Students will analyze existing persuasive messages and industry case studies while considering strategic persuasion as an integrated communication effort.
Prerequisites: Take EN 101.
Offered: As needed
ADPR 230. Entertainment Advertising & Public Relations.3 Credits.
This course introduces students to the process of strategic communication in the entertainment industry. The course teaches best practices in conducting research, planning and implementing campaigns, and evaluating the results in the context of such industries as music, movies, TV, theater, gaming, and live events. The distinctions between and among advertising, publicity, public relations, marketing, and promotion, in addition to how they can work together to support a specific goal, are highlighted. Students will analyze successful entertainment advertising and public relations strategies while developing their own promotional campaigns.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every other year, Spring
ADPR 240. Public Relations Management.3 Credits.
This course covers team leadership and control, styles of leadership, expectations of leadership and management, staffing for organizational communications and budgets. Writing and public speaking skills are emphasized.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 101 or ADPR 102.
Offered: As needed
ADPR 309. Public Diplomacy.3 Credits.
This course examines concepts, issues and practices in public diplomacy, or the management of a nation's communications and relationships with foreign publics who have the ability to affect national and international interests. Students examine theoretical and practical aspects of public diplomacy, looking closely at the purpose and value of public diplomacy in governments and other institutions, the roles and responsibilities of public diplomacy specialists, and principles of strategic practices. Students apply what they have learned in the development of public diplomacy materials.
Prerequisites: Take EN 102 or ADPR 101.
Offered: As needed
UC: Breadth Elective
ADPR 311. Sports Public Relations (sps 311).3 Credits.
This class is a comprehensive review of sports promotion, sports management, and sports event planning. Students learn about building media relationships with sports journalists, planning sports promotion campaigns, and getting publicity for athletes, teams, and leagues through paid, earned, owned, and shared media channels, both online and offline.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
ADPR 320. Strategies for Social Media.3 Credits.
This course addresses the impact of social and new media in an integrated profession. It focuses on strategically using social media to conduct research and monitor issues, to develop, implement and evaluate the success of public relations, advertising and integrated communication efforts. The course emphasizes the strategic utilization of various social media tools as key communication channels for advertising and public relations campaigns.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 201 or STC 201 or COM 215
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
ADPR 332. Communication Research & Analytics.3 Credits.
Quantitative and qualitative reasoning is expected of today's advertising and public relations professionals. This course presents an exploration of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Students learn how to use principles of scientific research and data analysis to establish, monitor and evaluate strategic communication efforts.
Prerequisites: Take one of the following: ADPR 101, ADPR 102 or MSS 131.
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
ADPR 335. Media Planning.3 Credits.
In this course, students learn about traditional as well as new and emerging media, with particular emphasis on their utility in an Advertising and Integrated Communication (ADIC) campaign. Students learn to understand media terminology, conduct and analyze research, evaluate various media based on the campaign objectives, and learn the process of designing and budgeting an effective media plan.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 332 or STC 332
Offered: Every year, Spring
ADPR 341. Corporate Public Relations.3 Credits.
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills required for positions in the corporate sector. Topics include media relations, employee communication, community relations, investor relations and crisis communication. Students hone their written communication and critical thinking skills in this class.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 201.
Offered: As needed
ADPR 343. Nonprofit Public Relations.3 Credits.
This course focuses on building relationships and a positive reputation for nonprofit organizations through strategic communication, aiming to raise awareness, attract support, and foster trust among donors, volunteers, and the public. Students learn how to build campaigns to support the organization's mission, values, programs, and impact to the public.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 201.
Offered: As needed
ADPR 344. Global Public Relations Management.3 Credits.
This course explores the practice of public relations from cosmopolitan perspectives. Students learn how government, transnational businesses, non-governmental organizations, and global agencies develop holistic global communication programs to build and maintain relationships with publics around the world. Emphasis is placed on diversity and multiculturalism relevant to the practice of public relations worldwide.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 101 or ADPR 102.
Offered: As needed
ADPR 345. Investor Relations and Financial Communication.3 Credits.
The course explores the practice of investor relations, one of the highest paid specializations of public relations. Students study the function of investor relations in corporations and examine the role of investor relations specialists charged with communicating to the financial media, regulatory organization, financial analysts, shareholders and others in the financial community. Class discussions and assignments are designed to help students enhance critical thinking and reasoning skills, develop research and strategic planning skills and improve creative thinking skills.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 201.
Offered: As needed
ADPR 346. Health Communication.3 Credits.
This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic field of health communication, exploring the intersection of communication theory, strategy, and public health. Students will examine the role of effective communication in promoting health, preventing diseases, and shaping individual and community behavior.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed
ADPR 348. Event Planning.3 Credits.
This course emphasizes the fundamentals of event planning, from developing the event, choosing a site and activities, promoting the event, accommodating the audience, coordinating volunteers, overseeing a safe event environment, and assessing the event after completion. At the end of the course, based upon the readings and real-life application, the student should be able to appreciate and understand how to plan a first-rate event, regardless of the client, theme or environment.
ADPR 349. Media Relations.3 Credits.
This course gives students an understanding of the priorities and expectations of various types of contemporary media and how to successfully engage them through research-based strategies and tactics designed to reach key audiences. At the conclusion of the course, students should be well-practiced in various forms of working with journalists and the public via multiple media.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 201.
Offered: As needed
ADPR 400. Special Topics.3 Credits.
The content of this course is specialized and varies from semester to semester. Students may inquire at the School of Communications front desk to learn more about the topic being offered.
ADPR 405. The Agency.3 Credits.
The Agency is a student-run, interdisciplinary firm in which students produce professional work under the direction of faculty. Specializing in Public Relations, Graphic and Interactive Design, and Advertising and Integrated Communications, students collaborate on teams to manage and produce visual, written and digital work for a variety of clients in the communications field. Students apply different research methodologies, tools and techniques, and tactics to achieve desired strategic outcomes and present their projects to clients. Course is repeatable with permission of instructor.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
ADPR 410. Branding Strategies.3 Credits.
In this course, students consider how brands are created and sustained, examining them as the guiding forces for integrated communication campaigns. Students identify the common characteristics of successful brands and explore the tools and techniques that are used to build brand equity.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 320.
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
ADPR 450. Crisis Communication Management.3 Credits.
This senior seminar for public relations majors is focused on crisis management. The course examines institutional crisis communication from a management perspective with an emphasis on crisis prevention, planning and response. Senior-level students in this course apply skills they have learned throughout the program to crisis case studies. Students are called on to demonstrate oral and written communication skills along with proficiencies in such areas as critical thinking, reasoning and creative thinking.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 332 or STC 332
Offered: Every year, Fall
ADPR 485. Advertising and Integrated Communications Campaigns.3 Credits.
This course is the capstone course in the advertising sequence. It utilizes a team-based, project-driven approach to advertising with real-life clients. Each team engages in the conception, research, planning and execution of a unique advertising campaign for an entire semester. Students learn to work within client guidelines, strategic creative and media planning, budgetary considerations and post-campaign analysis. In this capstone experience, students develop a full-scale integrated communications campaign, including conducting secondary and primary research, strategic planning and the production of associated creative deliverables. Students also gain experience in pitching to clients and evaluating the success and impact of the campaign.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 332 or STC 332.
Offered: Every year, Spring
ADPR 495. Public Relations Campaigns.3 Credits.
In this capstone course for students preparing for a career in public relations, they will develop the mindset of a strategic communicator. Work will involve case analyses, problem-solving exercises, and completion of a signature work. Attention is focused on the public relations planning process. Student teams will develop strategic public relations plans for clients. Writing, research and presentation skills are expected.
Prerequisites: Take ADPR 332 or STC 332.
Offered: Every year, Spring
ADPR 499. Public Relations Ind Study.1-6 Credits.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed