The Minor in Public Relations, which is administered by the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, is available to students majoring in Advertising, Communication, Environmental Studies and Sustainability, Journalism, James Madison, and Professional Writing. Limited enrollment may be made available to other majors.  With the approval of the department that administers the student’s degree program, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

The minor is designed to provide an understanding of the role of public relations in contemporary society, as well as knowledge and experience in developing public relations materials for use in corporate, governmental, and nonprofit organizational settings. Areas of focus include public relations and society, writing for the media, public relations techniques, research methods, campaigns and cases, public relations strategies, portfolio development, and public relations ethics.

Students are eligible to apply for the minor if they: 

1. are of sophomore standing or higher;
2.  have an overall grade-point average of 3.0; 
3.  have successfully completed Advertising 260;
4.  have successfully completed Advertising 225 or Journalism 200.

To apply, students must submit an application stating their interest in the minor. Applications are due by the tenth week of the semester. If the number of applicants meeting the basic qualifications exceeds the number of spaces available, selection will include evaluation of an interest statement and academic performance in prerequisite classes. Students will be notified of the decision after the completion of the semester.

Requirements for the Minor in Public Relations