Public Relations
Students choosing this concentration area prepare for careers
that involve the building and managing of relationships between an
organization and the various groups and individuals on whom its
success depends. In public relations courses, students learn the
basic public relations process as it is practiced across multiple
application areas, such as media relations, employee relations,
crisis communication, community relations, consumer relations,
government relations and investor relations. Students research,
plan, monitor and evaluate public relations projects and campaigns,
and are encouraged to explore the theory and ethics of public
relations, while applying campaign methods to solve specific client
problems.
General Requirements and Credit Hours
| Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| EN 102 |
Freshman Writing Seminar |
3 hrs |
| ID 103 |
Humanities Colloquium |
3 hrs |
| SH 102 |
Public Speaking |
2 hrs |
| ID 201 |
Change and Tradition (1st Semester) |
3 hrs |
| ID 202 |
Change and Tradition (2nd Semester) |
3 hrs |
| PE 101 |
Lifetime Fitness (no substitutions) |
1 hr |
| PE 102 |
Physical Education |
1 hr |
| |
Language of Choice* |
6 hrs |
| Total: |
22 hrs |
* 6 hours of foreign language credit at the 200- or 300-level;
courses are offered at the 100-level for students in need of
preparation for more advanced study. Although 100-level courses do
not satisfy the foreign language requirement, they do count toward
the degree.
Distribution Requirements and Credit Hours
| Division |
Area |
Credit Hours |
| Division I |
Humanities |
3 hrs |
| Division II |
Fine Arts |
3 hrs |
| Division IV |
Natural Science |
5 hrs |
| Division V |
Quantitative and Formal Reasoning |
3 hrs |
| Total: |
14 hrs |
School Requirements and Credit Hours
| Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| JR 107 |
Introduction to Mass Communication |
3 hrs |
| JR 112 |
Writing for Print Media |
3 hrs |
| JR 223 |
Introduction to Public Relations* |
3 hrs |
| JR 324W |
Case Problems in Public Relations* |
3 hrs |
| JR 327 |
Research Methods for PR and Advertising* |
3 hrs |
| JR 328W |
Public Relations Techniques* |
3 hrs |
| JR 351 |
Design & Production in PR and Advertising* |
3 hrs |
| JR 424 |
Public Communication Campaigns* |
3 hrs |
Plus Three Hours from Among:
| Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| JR 414 |
Mass Communications Law |
3 hrs |
| JR 415 |
History and Literature of Journalism |
3 hrs |
| JR 416 |
Mass Communications in Society |
3 hrs |
| JR 417 |
International Communications Systems |
3 hrs |
And Three Hours from Either:
| Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| JR 350 |
Internship* (highly recommended) |
3 hrs |
| JR 426 |
Special Topics |
3 hrs |
| Total of School requirements: |
30 hrs |
* Make sure you complete the prerequisites (noted on the
Journalism Course Listings page or in the Butler
Bulletin) before enrolling for these courses.
Electives (A minor is recommended): 54 hrs
Total hours from all required courses: 120
hrs
Students may be graduated upon completion of 120 semester hours,
including the core curriculum, 40 hours of upper-division work,
foreign language and computer competency requirements, and a major
in the college.
Internship experience is a very important part
of the curriculum and is integrated into the program because of the
university's location in Indianapolis and its wide selection of
intern opportunities.
Sample plan
of study for the Public Relations concentration area.