PREL 3001 - Principles of Public Relations* (5 credits)
(5 credits)
How is communication conducted between a community and private entities and in what ways can this communication affect decision making and outcome of actions? Preparing students to answer such questions and to understand, appreciate, and apply the fundamentals of public relations (PR) is a goal of this course. Students learn about the relationships practitioners have with both internal and external communities who are affected by, and who affect, an organization's actions or planning. Students also build their command of the basic principles and practices of PR, while applying these concepts to real-world scenarios and a written plan that includes the various phases of the PR process.
BS in Communication Pre-requisites
- COMM 1010
All Other Programs Pre-requisites
- None
PREL 4101 - Publicity and Public Relations* (5 credits)
(5 credits)
Public relations (PR) professionals play an important role in promoting a positive image for a wide variety of organizations, such as corporations and schools, and influential individuals, such as celebrities and politicians. In this course, students build on PR proficiencies to apply the principles and concepts of PR, specifically targeting positive publicity of persons, places, and purposes. Students assess the risks and benefits of PR tools to inform and influence the community and assess the use of social media in PR efforts. Through the extensive use of case studies, students also have the opportunity to develop expertise in promoting constructive publicity in PR through analyzing both successes and failures in the real world.
PREL 4102 - Applied Public Relations* (5 credits)
(5 credits)
Building brand relationships, fostering interactions between marketers and customers, and reaching consumers through new means of cost-effective technology now often rely on the combined efforts of advertising through marketing and the guidance of public relations (PR) professionals. Students in this course learn to apply the principles and practices of PR using the medium of advertising to achieve desired end results. Outlining the process of a PR plan, students draw upon the combined knowledge and skills in media relations, effective communications, market awareness, and integrated messaging to practice creating leverage and opportunity for organizations, individuals, products, and places.
PREL 4103 - Crisis Communications* (5 credits)
(5 credits)
Rapid shifts in the economy, changes in political leaders, and negative news reports are just a few of the factors affecting marketing campaigns and public relations (PR) efforts. In this course, students can learn the value of managing internal and external communications effectively in situations of risk, crisis, and sudden change—a critical competence for PR professionals and organizations. Students examine successful and unsuccessful crisis communication efforts and consider issues of contingency planning, speed, transparency, multiple modalities, stakeholder analysis, and ethics. They engage in assignments designed to provide practical application of content through which they gain experience developing a communication plan to mitigate and solve issues of crisis in PR.
Pre-requisites
- PREL 3001 or HLTH 3115