Public Relations and Advertising
A major or minor in public relations and advertising is designed to prepare students to enter these professional fields.
The curricular structure of the Public Relations and Advertising program is listed below for students entering the program. Students will select one of two tracks: a Public Relations track will orient students to the principles and practices of public relations as both a practice and field of study. The second track, Advertising, will introduce students to the principles and practices of advertising. Students must complete an applied capstone course.
Major Requirements
Major: Public Relations and Advertising
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study, a second major, or a second degree is required.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency required.
General Education Requirements
| First Year Experience (F): | ||
| UNIV 189 | Skills For Academic Success (Students transferring in 24 or more credits do not need to take UNIV 189. ) | 1 |
| Communication (C): | ||
| ENGL 110 | College Composition I | 3 |
| ENGL 120 | College Composition II | 3 |
| One course in Upper Level Writing. Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Business and Professional Writing | ||
| Writing in the Technical Professions | ||
| Creative Writing II | ||
| Writing in the Sciences | ||
| Writing in the Health Professions | ||
| Visual Culture and Language | ||
| Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences | ||
| Researching and Writing Grants and Proposal | ||
| COMM 110 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning (R): Select from current general education list | 3 | |
| Science & Technology (S): | ||
| A one-credit lab must be taken as a co-requisite with a general education science/technology course unless the course includes an embedded lab experience equivalent to a one-credit course. Select from current general education list. | 10 | |
| Humanities & Fine Arts (A): Select from current general education list. | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (B): | ||
| Social & Behavioral Science category met by courses taken within the major. | 6 | |
| Wellness (W): Select from current general education list. | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D): | ||
| COMM 216 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| Global Perspectives (G): Select from current general education list. | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for all Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree programs of study, except the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the Bachelor of Music degree, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree, and the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree:
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
| General Education Requirements | 40 | |
| AH&SS College Requirement | 9 | |
| Pre-Communication Requirements | ||
| Students must complete 21 credits of selected courses with a grade of 'B' or above to become a communication major. These courses may be repeated only once for this major. | ||
| ENGL 120 | College Composition II | 3 |
| COMM 110 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| or COMM 111 | Honors Public Speaking | |
| COMM 112 | Understanding Media and Social Change | 3 |
| COMM 114 | Human Communication | 3 |
| COMM 212 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| COMM 216 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Criminal Justice | ||
| Professional Major | ||
| Core courses for all tracks: | ||
| COMM 301 | Rhetorical Traditions | 3 |
| or COMM 321 | Introduction to Communication Theory | |
| COMM 320 | Communication Analysis | 3 |
| COMM 375 | Principles and Practices of Advertising and Public Relations | 3 |
| COMM 431 | Communication Ethics | 3 |
| COMM 496 | Field Experience | 3 |
| Choose one of the following tracks: | 9 | |
Public Relations Track: | ||
| Public Relations Campaigns (Capstone) | ||
| Research for Strategic Communication | ||
| Crisis Communications in Public Relations | ||
or COMM 486 | Principles of Risk Communication | |
Advertising Track: | ||
| Advertising Creative Strategies | ||
or COMM 377 | Advertising Media Planning | |
| Advertising Campaign Practicum | ||
| Research for Strategic Communication | ||
| Major Electives for all tracks | ||
| Major electives to be taken from the following list or courses from the track not selected above. | ||
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Introduction to Media Writing | ||
| Advanced Media Writing | ||
| Editorial Processes | ||
| Principles of Broadcast Production | ||
| Organizational Interviewing | ||
| Communication Law | ||
| Critical Approaches to Popular Culture | ||
| Mass Media and Public Opinion | ||
| Issues in Communication | ||
| Organizational Advocacy and Issue Management | ||
| Degree Requirements: Potential of 28 credits to reach 122 | 28 | |
| Total Credits | 122 | |
Minor Requirements
Public Relations & Advertising Minor
Minor Requirements
Required Credits: 21
| Required Courses | ||
| COMM 112 | Understanding Media and Social Change | 3 |
| COMM 114 | Human Communication | 3 |
| COMM 212 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| COMM 216 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| COMM 375 | Principles and Practices of Advertising and Public Relations | 3 |
| Professional Specialization: Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Editorial Processes | ||
| Advertising Creative Strategies | ||
| Advertising Media Planning | ||
| Public Relations Campaigns | ||
| Advertising Campaign Practicum | ||
| Research for Strategic Communication | ||
| Crisis Communications in Public Relations | ||
| Principles of Risk Communication | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Minor Requirements and Notes
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
