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 address 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. Students must take a minimum of 68 credit hours to fulfill the requirements of the major.
The ADPR major consists of two areas: core requirements (28 credits) and concentration requirements (40 credits), which include both required courses and electives. Each ADPR major will choose one of three concentrations: advertising creative, public relations, or a general advertising and public relations concentration. Each graduating senior in the ADPR major, regardless of concentration, must submit a portfolio of work for evaluation by the ADPR faculty. Core requirements and concentrations are as follows:
Degree Requirements
Core (28 credit hours)
All ADPR majors, regardless of concentration, must complete the following courses to fulfill the major:
| ART 210 | Foundations: Digital Media | 4 |
| COM 222 | Media Aesthetics and Creativity | 4 |
| COM 224 | Mass Media and Society | 4 |
| COM 283 | Principles of Advertising | 4 |
| COM 284 | Principles of Public Relations | 4 |
| COM 436 | Critical Studies in Public Communication | 4 |
| COM 470 | Communication Research Methods | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 28 |
Advertising Creative Concentration (40 credit hours)
Required Concentration Courses (24 credit hours)
ADPR majors choosing the Advertising Creative Concentration must complete the following courses to fulfill the major:
The following course:
| ART 102 | Foundations: Drawing | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
All of the following:
Advertising Creative Concentration History/Theory Electives (8 credit hours)
ADPR majors choosing the Advertising Creative Concentration must complete 8 credit hours from the following list of electives. At least 4 credit hours must be taken at the 300-level or above.
| ART 211 | Art and Technology | 4 |
| ART 277 | Modern Art | 4 |
| ART 281 | History of Graphic Design | 4 |
| COM 301 | Introduction to Organizational Communication | 4 |
| COM 323 | Frontiers of Communication | 4 |
| COM 327 | Communication and Law | 4 |
| COM 332 | Television Criticism | 4 |
| COM 334 | Information and the New World Order | 4 |
| COM 365 | Critical Analysis of Media Events | 4 |
| COM 370 | Women, Film and Popular Culture | 4 |
| COM 380 | Culture, Society and Computing Technology | 4 |
| COM 425 | Information Technology and Human Values | 4 |
| COM 426 | Public Opinion, the Media and Power | 4 |
| COM 431 | Traditions of Digital Media | 4 |
| COM 443 | Communication and Cultural Studies | 4 |
| COM 466 | International Advertising | 4 |
| MKT 300 | Principles of Marketing | 4 |
| MKT 354 | Buyer Behavior | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8 |
Advertising Creative Concentration Authoring and Production electives (8 credit hours)
ADPR majors choosing a concentration in Advertising Creative must complete 8 credit hours from the following list of electives:
Advertising Creative Concentration: Internships
Students are encouraged to participate in internships for credit or noncredit. For the Advertising Creative Concentration, credit for internships (COM 354) will count toward general education electives rather than toward the major.
Public Relations Concentration (40 credit hours)
Required Concentration Courses (24 credit hours)
ADPR majors choosing the Public Relations Concentration must complete the following courses to fulfill the major:
| COM 225 | Media Writing | 4 |
| COM 302 | Digital Arts for Professional Communication | 4 |
| COM 384 | Writing for Public Relations | 4 |
| COM 584 | Public Relations Campaigns | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
One of the following courses:
| BUS 101 | Introduction to Global Business | 4 |
| COM 301 | Introduction to Organizational Communication | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
And one of the following courses:
| COM 241 | Introduction to Sound, Image and Motion | 4 |
| COM 315 | Web Design | 4 |
| JOU 221 | Multimedia Journalism I: The Digital Tool Kit | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Public Relations Concentration Authoring and Production electives (8 credit hours)
ADPR majors choosing the Public Relations concentration must complete 8 credit hours from the following list of electives. At least 4 credit hours must be taken at the 300- level or above.
| COM 234 | Topics in Communication | 1-4 |
| COM 325 | Writing for Broadcast News | 4 |
| COM 346 | Writing for Interactive Media | 4 |
| COM 373 | Interactive Journalism Production | 4 |
| COM 383 | Writing for Advertising | 4 |
| JOU 271 | News Reporting and Writing | 4 |
| JOU 273 | Practicum in Student Publications | 1-4 |
| JOU 304 | Multimedia Journalism II: The Converged Newsroom | 4 |
| JOU 371 | Feature Writing | 4 |
| WRI 200 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 4 |
| WRI 220 | Writing on and for the Web | 4 |
| WRI 242 | Publication Editing and Design | 2-4 |
| WRI 274 | Creative Nonfiction | 4 |
| WRI 281 | Technical Writing | 4 |
| WRI 285 | Information Design | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8 |
Public Relations Concentration Other electives (8 credit hours)
ADPR students choosing a concentration in Public Relations must complete 8 credit hours from the following list of electives. A maximum of 4 credit hours of internship can be counted toward the ADPR major in the Public Relations Concentration. Additional internship credits may be counted toward general education electives. No more than 8 credit hours of independent study may be counted toward electives in this concentration.
Advertising and Public Relations General Concentration (40 credit hours)
Required courses (28 credits)
ADPR majors choosing the General Concentration must complete the following courses to fulfill the major:
One of the following courses:
| COM 241 | Introduction to Sound, Image and Motion | 4 |
| COM 315 | Web Design | 4 |
| JOU 221 | Multimedia Journalism I: The Digital Tool Kit | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
One of the following courses:
| ART 305 | Graphic Design I | 4 |
| COM 302 | Digital Arts for Professional Communication | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
And one of the following courses:
| COM 583 | Advertising Campaigns | 4 |
| COM 584 | Public Relations Campaigns | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Advertising and Public Relations General Concentration Electives (12 credits)
ADPR majors choosing a General concentration must complete 12 credit hours from the following lists of electives. At least 8 credit hours must be taken at the 300-level or above. No more than 8 credit hours of independent study may be counted toward electives in this concentration.
| ART 102 | Foundations: Drawing | 4 |
| ART 104 | Foundations: 2-D Design | 4 |
| ART 208 | Beginning Photography | 4 |
| ART 217 | Beginning 3-D Animation | 4 |
| ART 318 | Graphic Design II | 4 |
| ART 308 | Advanced Photography | 4 |
| ART 310 | Creative Coding | 4 |
| ART 410 | Special Problems in Digital Art | 1-6 |
| BUS 101 | Introduction to Global Business | 4 |
| COM 234 | Topics in Communication | 1-4 |
| COM 241 | Introduction to Sound, Image and Motion | 4 |
| COM 301 | Introduction to Organizational Communication | 4 |
| COM 303 | Studio Television I | 4 |
| COM 315 | Web Design | 4 |
| COM 323 | Frontiers of Communication | 4 |
| COM 325 | Writing for Broadcast News | 4 |
| COM 327 | Communication and Law | 4 |
| COM 333 | Studio Television II | 4 |
| COM 334 | Information and the New World Order | 4 |
| COM 337 | Corporate Uses of Media | 4 |
| COM 339 | Mobile Application Design | 4 |
| COM 346 | Writing for Interactive Media | 4 |
| COM 354 | Internship in Communication | 1-4 |
| COM 373 | Interactive Journalism Production | 4 |
| COM 380 | Culture, Society and Computing Technology | 4 |
| COM 381 | Digital Imaging | 4 |
| COM 392-399 | Independent Study in Communication | 1-4 |
| COM 401 | Intercultural Communication | 4 |
| COM 426 | Public Opinion, the Media and Power | 4 |
| COM 431 | Traditions of Digital Media | 4 |
| COM 443 | Communication and Cultural Studies | 4 |
| COM 466 | International Advertising | 4 |
| COM 499 | Senior Project | 4 |
| COM 583 | Advertising Campaigns | 4 |
| COM 584 | Public Relations Campaigns | 4 |
| ECO 204 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4 |
| PSC 100 | Introduction to Government and World Affairs | 4 |
| PSC 200 | American Government | 4 |
| PSC 201 | World Affairs | 4 |
| PSC 202 | International Political Economy | 4 |
| PSC 203 | Political Parties and Interest Groups | 4 |
| LJA 204 | Introduction to Law and the Legal System | 4 |
| PSC 308 | Urban Politics and Policy | 4 |
| PSC 302 | Modern Legal and Political Thought | 4 |
| PSC 401 | Public Policy Analysis | 4 |
| PSC 326 | Political Campaigns and Electoral Politics | 4 |
| JOU 221 | Multimedia Journalism I: The Digital Tool Kit | 4 |
| JOU 271 | News Reporting and Writing | 4 |
| JOU 273 | Practicum in Student Publications | 1-4 |
| JOU 304 | Multimedia Journalism II: The Converged Newsroom | 4 |
| JOU 371 | Feature Writing | 4 |
| 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 |
| SPE 200 | Oral Communication | 4 |
| SPE 208 | Speech for Business and the Professions | 4 |
| SPE 310 | Interpersonal Communication | 4 |
| SPE 330-332 | Special Topics in Speech | 2-4 |
| WRI 200 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 4 |
| WRI 220 | Writing on and for the Web | 4 |
| WRI 242 | Publication Editing and Design | 2-4 |
| WRI 274 | Creative Nonfiction | 4 |
| WRI 281 | Technical Writing | 4 |
| WRI 285 | Information Design | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |