COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations at Kent State University offers students a comprehensive pathway to careers in corporate communications, creative agencies, sports, government, nonprofits, healthcare, fashion, and digital media, including opportunities as community advocates, consultants, and social media influencers. The program emphasizes both practical and theoretical learning, requiring students to complete core courses such as Media, Power and Culture; Writing for Media; Principles of Public Relations; Media Relations and Publicity; Digital Public Relations and Social Media; Public Relations Tactics; and Public Relations Publications. Students gain applied experience through internships and capstone courses, where they develop and execute campaigns for real clients, combining research, strategy, and analytics to achieve measurable outcomes. Additional training in ethical and legal considerations in advertising and public relations, as well as courses addressing race, gender, class, and disability in media industries, equips graduates with a well-rounded understanding of the professional and social context of communication. The curriculum further includes media and journalism electives, allowing students to explore specialized areas such as crisis communication, public affairs, fashion publishing, multimedia journalism, and social media strategies. Students also complete College of Communication and Information core electives, which may include international experiences, human-computer interaction, creative coding, documentary filmmaking, and visual design thinking, enhancing their skills in diverse media formats and cross-cultural communication. General education requirements, including composition, mathematics and critical reasoning, humanities and fine arts, social sciences, and basic sciences with a laboratory component, ensure students graduate with a broad intellectual foundation. By combining hands-on learning, professional internships, and rigorous coursework, the program prepares graduates to enter the dynamic field of public relations with expertise in multimedia storytelling, strategic communication, research, and ethical advocacy, making them competitive and versatile communicators in a rapidly evolving media landscape.