Advertising and Public Relations Major
The major in advertising and public relations is designed to prepare students for professional and academic opportunities in strategic communications, as well as for the pursuit of advanced degrees. Students will have the opportunity to develop critical thinking capabilities, specialized knowledge, practical skills, technical competencies and the theoretical framework necessary to conceptualize and produce creative work that can be applied to real-world communication problems in advertising and public relations.
Core courses provide foundations in advertising, marketing, public relations, culture and society, visual aesthetics, writing, research, design, production and strategic problem-solving. In addition, students choose electives to develop their individual interests. Students must take a minimum of 68 credit hours to fulfill the requirements of the major.
The ADPR major is divided into two specific areas: core (48 credits) and advertising and public relations electives (20 credits). Each graduating advertising and public relations major must submit a portfolio of work for evaluation by faculty. In addition, a minimum of two classes of ADPR electives must be taken at the 300, 400 or 500 level. A maximum of 8 credit hours of internship credit may count toward completion of the major. Credit hours earned in COM 354 Internship in Communication cannot be used to meet the 300 level or above requirement in the major. Core requirements and electives are as follows.
Degree Requirements
Core (52 credit hours)
Culture and Society Courses
| COM 224 | Mass Media and Society | 4 |
| COM 282 | Survey of Advertising and Public Relations | 4 |
| COM 436 | Critical Studies in Public Communication | 4 |
| COM 470 | Communication Research Methods | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Visual Aesthetics Course
| COM 232 | Visual Literacy | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Writing Courses
Sound, Image and Motion Courses
One of the following courses:
†Note: Prerequisites for COM 305 are as follows: ART/COM 210, ART/COM 204 Beginning Design, and ART 153 Beginning Drawing or ART 154 Figure Drawing (see “Design” electives in the ADPR major).
One of the following courses:
Other Advertising and Public Relations Courses
| COM 583 | Advertising Campaigns | 4 |
| or | |
| COM 584 | Public Relations Campaigns | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Electives (20 credit hours)
Marketing Electives†
| MKT 300 | Principles of Marketing | 4 |
| MKT 354 | Buyer Behavior | 4 |
| MKT 371 | Personal Selling and Sales Management | 4 |
| MKT 410 | Global Marketing | 4 |
| MKT 411 | Promotion and Branding Strategies | 4 |
| MKT 450 | Marketing Strategy | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 20 |
Note: Prerequisites for MKT 300 are ECO 204, ENG 101, junior standing and an overall “C” average or better. Other “lower core” COB prerequisites are waived for advertising and public relations majors.
Communication Electives
| COM 301 | Introduction to Organizational Communication | 4 |
| COM 323 | Frontiers of Communication | 4 |
| COM 326/GWA 326 | Political Campaigns and Electoral Politics | 4 |
| COM 327 | Communication and Law | 4 |
| COM 334 | Information and the New World Order | 4 |
| COM 337 | Corporate Uses of Media | 4 |
| COM 365 | Critical Analysis of Media Events | 4 |
| COM 380 | Culture, Society and Computing Technology | 4 |
| COM 401 | Intercultural Communication | 4 |
| COM 425 | Information Technology and Human Values | 4 |
| COM 426/GWA 426 | Public Opinion, the Media and Power | 4 |
| COM 443 | Communication and Cultural Studies | 4 |
| COM 583 | Advertising Campaigns | 4 |
| COM 584 | Public Relations Campaigns | 4 |
Design Electives
Government and World Affairs Electives
| GWA 100 | Introduction to Government and World Affairs | 4 |
| GWA 200 | American Government | 4 |
| GWA 201 | World Affairs | 4 |
| GWA 202 | International Political Economy | 4 |
| GWA 203 | Political Parties and Interest Groups | 4 |
| GWA 204 | Introduction to Law and the Legal System | 4 |
| GWA 210 | Urban Politics and Policy | 4 |
| GWA 220 | The Congress and the Presidency | 4 |
| GWA 270 | Research Methods for Government and World Affairs | 4 |
| GWA 302 | Modern Legal and Political Thought | 4 |
| GWA 304 | Public Policy Analysis | 4 |
| GWA 326/COM 326 | Political Campaigns and Electoral Politics | 4 |
| GWA 426/COM 426 | Public Opinion, the Media and Power | 4 |
Media Writing Electives
Moving Image Electives
Internships/Independent Study Electives
| COM 354 | Internship in Communication | 1-4 |
| COM 399 | Independent Study in Communication | 1-4 |
| COM 499 | Senior Project | 4 |
Students may register for multiple internships, up to a maximum of 8 credit hours total.
Other Suggested Electives
| SPE 200 | Oral Communication | 4 |
| SPE 208 | Speech for Business and the Professions | 4 |
Total Credit Hours: 72