Information on the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Public Relations

Widely recognized as one of the fastest growing fields world wide and recently eighth on the Forbes list of “where the jobs are,” public relations has become the most popular program in the College of Mass Communications with more than 600 undergraduate majors. Despite the incredible interest in public relations as a major, the College maintains a commitment to offering a student-centered curriculum aimed at preparing graduates to take their places in molding the discipline’s exciting future.

 

Public Relations Advising Information

Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog year 2008
The 2008-09 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog is an official publication of Texas Tech University.
The annual catalog is published each summer and its provisions apply during the following academic year, September through August.

Degree Requirements | (.pdf)
A set of requirements, which a student must fulfill before they graduate.

Public Relations Worksheet Sheet (.pdf)
Informational sheet regarding the required courses for Public Relations.

 

You will need Get adobe acrobat reader to view the degree checklist.

 

Public Relation degree Requirements

Objectives:

To give students who desire a career in public relations a sound curriculum with emphasis on both theoretical concepts and practical application in the field. The degree is based on a strong liberal arts core of courses combined with adequate business courses to provide a well-balanced degree program.

General Requirements (see catalog for specific details):

  • * English 12 hours
  • Individual/Group Behavior 6 hours
  • Oral Communication 3 hours
  • American History 6 hours
  • Foreign Language 6-16 hours*
  • Political Science 6 hours
  • Math/Logical Reasoning 6 hours
  • Humanities 3 hours fulfilled by English literature requirement
  • Natural Science 8 hours (replaced 8-11 hours)
  • Visual & Performing Arts 3 hours
  • Technology/Applied Science 3 hours
  • Personal Fitness & Wellness 1 hours
  • Multicultural Requirement 0-3 hours

*Number of hours required depends on high school credits in each area

Required Mass Communications Courses for Public Relations Major:

  • Principles of Public Relations P R 3310
  • Public Relations Writing P R 3312
  • Public Relations Graphics and Production PR 3341
  • Public Relations Management 4308
  • Public Relations Campaigns PR 4312
  • *News Writing JOUR 2310
  • Introduction to Mass Communications MCOM 1300
  • Media Theories and Society MCOM 3300
  • Mass Communications Law MCOM 3320
  • Mass Communications Survey and Research Methods MCOM 3380

*Enrollment in course requires passing Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation exam given in College of Mass Communications

Required Mass Communications elective courses:

Nine to 12 semester hours may be taken, with the advice and consent of your advisor, in Public Relations, Advertising, Advertising/Public Relations, Electronic Media and Communications, Journalism, Telecommunications, Mass Communications, or Photography courses. A minimum of 39 hours or a maximum of 42 hours may be taken from Mass Communications courses. Students are required to complete a minimum of 90 hours outside the College of Mass Communications.

Required Adjunct Courses:

  • Principles of Economics ECO 2305 or Economics I, II ECO 2301 and 2302
  • Statistical Methods MATH 2300 or Introduction to Business Statistics MATH 2345 or Introductory Math Analysis I, II MATH 1330 and 1331
  • Public Speaking COMS 2300
  • Marketing Concepts & Strategy BA 3301
  • Fincancial & Managerial Accounting BA 3302 or
  • Personal and Family Fianace PFP 3301 (if non-BA minor is selected)

Required Minor:

A minor consists of a minimum of 18 hours. A minor in Business Administration [Finance, Management, Marketing, General Business, Management Information Systems (ISQS)] is strongly recommended. For students interested in other minor areas, the following could be considered: Psychology, Sociology, English, Economics, Political Science and Communication Studies. Mass Communications majors are required to select their minor outside of the College of Mass Communications.

Job/Internship Opportunities:

Students will find job and internship opportunities at many P R and advertising agencies, as well as businesses such as hospitals, TV stations, nonprofit organizations, entertainment organizations, professional and amateur sports teams, financial institutions, retail outlets and a variety of other organizations that serve various publics. The future public relations practitioner will find that the field is extensive in scope with virtually endless job possibilities.

Students can look forward to careers in international public relations, crisis communications, environmental communications, agribusiness, travel and tourism, investor relations, healthcare communications, government relations and promotions, just to name a few.

To find out more about public relations or to see actual public relations jobs, log on to the following web sites.

Student Organizations:

  • Association for Women in Communications
  • Black Student Organization of Mass Communications
  • Pi Delta Alpha
  • Public Relations Student Society of America
  • Society of Professional Journalism
  • Student Electronic Communication Association
  • Tech Advertising Federation