Public Relations

The core of public relations is about connecting people, whether it’s a not-for-profit organization and donors, government agencies and constituents or and corporations, workers and shareholders. Public relations majors learn how to develop valuable connections across these entities through strategic planning, critical thinking and versatile communication skills.

Preparing You For Success

Public relations classes challenge you to learn outside the classroom. Instead of four years memorizing textbooks, you practice public relations through community-focused projects. These real-world projects prepare you for the final competition — Bradley’s Ebeling PR-ize, a senior capstone competition in which you create a real-world campaign for a Peoria-based business and nonprofit organization. These experiences will help you understand how to build relationships that benefit citizens and organizations, as well as build a comprehensive professional portfolio.

By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:

• Networking and professional development through the Strategic Communication and the International Association of Business Communicators student groups
• A week assisting public relations staff at the Chicago Auto Show
• Internships with organizations such as the American Red Cross, Peoria Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Holocaust Museum, Fleishman-Hillard and Epitaph Records.

Making Your Mark

Public relations graduates are employed in both entry-level and senior executive positions at agencies, small and large companies, trade associations, government and nonprofit organizations. Recent Bradley public relations graduates are working as event and marketing coordinators, media project managers and social media directors with companies such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Yelp and S.C. Johnson & Son.

Major Requirements

Required Courses - 25–27 hrs.

• COM 201: Journalistic Writing - 3 hrs.
• COM 215: Basic Reporting - 3 hrs.
• COM 219: Public Relations - 3 hrs.
• COM 220: Advertising as Communication - 3 hrs.
• COM 327: Public Relations Writing - 3 hrs.
• COM 383: Desktop Publishing - 3 hrs.
• COM 400: Communications Research - 3 hrs.
• COM 480: Public Relations: Case Studies and Campaigns - 3 hrs.

Required Non-Communication Courses

• ATG 101: Survey of Accounting - 3 hrs.
• ECO 100: Introduction to Economics- 3 hrs.
  or ECO 221: Principles of Microeconomics - 3 hrs.

Total Hours - 39