Public Relations
Public relations is designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs as technicians (for example, producing news releases), as well as for career advancement as managers (for example, formulating communication strategy for a new initiative). Excellent writing skills are essential.
About This Major
- College: Journalism and Communications
- Degree: Bachelor of Science in Public Relations
- Hours for the Degree: 124
- Specialization: Public Relations Technical Communications
- Minor: No
- Website: www.jou.ufl.edu/academic/pr
Overview
The public relations curriculum is one of the most in-depth curricula in the country, with a balance between skills and conceptual courses. The Department of Public Relations consistently ranks among the top three public relations education programs in the United States and it is among the largest program in terms of the number of faculty. The program is housed in a college accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Graduates of the program are well-prepared for careers as public relations practitioners in businesses, public relations firms, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Their education makes them attractive candidates for graduate degree programs ranging from public relations to business.
Specialization: Public Relations Technical Communications
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Critical Tracking and Recommended Semester Plan
Equivalent critical tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students
Semester 1
- 2.8 GPA on all work at all institutions
Semester 2
- 3.0 GPA on all work at all institutions for semesters 2-4
- 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking coursework for semesters 2-4
- Complete 2 of 7 critical courses: AMH 2010, AMH 2020, an approved English elective, MMC 2100, POS 2041, POS 2112 or INR 2001 or CPO 2001 or PSY 2012, PUR 3000
Semester 3
- Complete 2 additional courses
Semester 4
- Complete 2 additional courses
Semester 5
- Complete all critical-tracking courses
Recommended semester plan
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.
| Semester 1 | Credits |
| AMH 2010 United States to 1877 (GE-H) | 3 |
| ENC 1101 Expository and Argumentative Writing (GE-C) * | 3 |
| POS 2112 American State and Local Government or INR 2001 Introduction to International Relations or CPO 2001 Comparative Politics or PSY 2012 General Psychology (GE-S) | 3 |
| Mathematics (GE-M) * | 3 |
| Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or GE-B) | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 2 | Credits |
| AMH 2020 United States Since 1877 (GE-H) | 3 |
| POS 2041 American Federal Government (GE-S) | 3 |
| SPC 2608 Introduction to Public Speaking or ORI 2000 Oral Performance of Literature 1 * | 3 |
| English elective * | 3 |
| Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or GE-B) | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 3 | Credits |
| MMC 2100 Writing for Mass Communication * | 3 |
| PUR 3000 Principles of Public Relations * | 3 |
| STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 * (GE-M) | 3 |
| English elective * | 3 |
| Foreign language * or quantitative option *** | 3-5 |
| Total | 15-17 |
| Semester 4 | Credits |
| ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics or ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (GE-S) | 4 |
| Electives outside college | 9 |
| Foreign language * or quantitative option *** | 3-5 |
| Total | 16-17 |
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| JOU 3101 Reporting * | 3 |
| PUR 3500 Public Relations Research * | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 6 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| PUR 3801 Public Relations Strategy * | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 9 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Professional elective | 3 |
| Total | 18 |
For semesters 7-8, students must complete two professional courses.
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| PUR 4100 Public Relations Writing * | 3 |
| PUR 4103 Public Relations Visual Communication * | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Outside concentration ** | 3 |
| Professional elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| MMC 4200 Law of Mass Communication | 3 |
| PUR 4800 Public Relations Campaigns * | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Professional elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
* Minimum grade of C required
** Twelve of the 80 hours outside the college must constitute an outside concentration and 65 hours must be in liberal arts and sciences.
*** Students may need additional hours of electives to meet the 124 hours to graduate.
Professional Electives
Any professional work beyond 44 hours must be added to the 124 hours required for graduation, unless a student has earned 80 credit hours of non-college work.
A minimum of nine hours is required (at least one course of 1 to 3 credits in each block).
Block 1 (minimum of one course required)
| PUR 4107 Advanced Public Relations Visual Communication (PUR 4103) | 3 |
| PUR 4203 Ethics and Professional Responsibility in Public Relations (PUR 3000, senior) | 3 |
| PUR 4404C International Public Relations (PUR 3000) | 3 |
| PUR 4410 Principles of Fund Raising (PUR 3000, PUR 3500) | 3 |
| PUR 4905 Individual Problems (permission of instructor, chair) | 1-3 |
| PUR 4932 Special Study (rotating topics; prerequisites vary) | 1-3 |
| PUR 4933 Seminar: Issues in Public Relations (PUR 3000, senior) | 2 |
Block 2 (minimum of one course required)
| ADV 3008 Principles of Advertising (sophomore) | 3 |
| JOU 4308 Magazine and Feature Writing (JOU 3101) | 3 |
| MMC 3260 Communications on the Internet | 3 |
| PGY 3610 Survey of Photojournalism (junior) | 2 |
| RTV 3007 Introduction to Telecommunication | 3 |
Block 3 (minimum of one course required)
| PUR 4940 Public Relations Internship (2.5 GPA, MMC 2100, JOU 3101, PUR 3000) | 1-3 |
| 4905 Individual Problems: Supervised Research (permission of instructor/chair) | 1-3 |
| RTV 3101 Advanced Writing for Electronic Media (RTV 2100) | 3 |
| RTV 3200 Fundamentals of Production (RTV 2100) | 3 |
| MMC/PUR 6XXX graduate-level PUR/MMC course (senior standing, 3.0 GPA, permission of instructor and chair, space permitting) | 3 |
Only three hours of professional internship credit can count toward graduation, regardless of the department granting the credit.
Specialization: Public Relations Technical Communications
This curriculum leads to the Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and is designed to provide specialists in communications for various technical fields.
To fulfill the requirements for this degree, the student must take a core of journalism and public relations courses and select with a public relations adviser at least 21 semester hours of courses in a technical concentration outside of the college. The specialized courses must be chosen in conjunction with an adviser in the outside concentration.
Sixty-four semester hours in the junior and senior years are required for the degree.
Critical Tracking and Recommended Semester Plan
Equivalent critical tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students
Semester 1
- 2.8 GPA on all work at all institutions
Semester 2
- 3.0 GPA on all work at all institutions for semesters 2-4
- 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking coursework for semesters 2-4
- Complete 2 of 7 critical-tracking courses AMH 2010, AMH 2020, an approved English elective, MMC 2100, POS 2041, (POS 2112 or PSY 2012), PUR 3000
Semester 3
- Complete 2 additional courses
Semester 4
- Complete 2 additional courses
Semester 5
- Complete all critical-tracking courses
Recommended semester plan
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.
| Semester 1 | Credits |
| AMH 2010 United States to 1877 (GE-H) | 3 |
| ENC 1101 Expository and Argumentative Writing (GE-C) * | 3 |
| PSY 2012 General Psychology or POS 2112 American State and Local Government | 3 |
| Mathematics (GE-M) * | 3 |
| Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or GE-B) | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 2 | Credits |
| AMH 2020 United States Since 1877 (GE-H) | 3 |
| POS 2041 American Federal Government (GE-S) | 3 |
| SPC 2608 Introduction to Public Speaking or ORI 2000 Oral Performance of Literature 1 * | 3 |
| English elective * | 3 |
| Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or B) | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 3 | Credits |
| MMC 2100 Writing for Mass Communication * | 3 |
| PUR 3000 Principles of Public Relations * | 3 |
| STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (GE-M) * | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Foreign language * or quantitative option ** | 3-5 |
| Total | 15-17 |
| Semester 4 | Credits |
| ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics or ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (GE-S) | 4 |
| ENC 2210 Technical Writing or ENC 3254 Professional Writing in the Discipline * | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Foreign language * or quantitative option ** | 3-5 |
| Professional course | 3 |
| Total | 16-17 |
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| JOU 3101 Reporting * | 3 |
| PUR 3500 Public Relations Research * | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 6 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| PUR 3801 Public Relations Strategy * | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 9 |
| Outside concentration | 6 |
| Total | 18 |
For semesters 7-8, students must complete two professional courses.
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| JOU 3601 Photographic Journalism | 3 |
| PUR 4100 Public Relations Writing * | 3 |
| PUR 4103 Public Relations Visual Communication * | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| MMC 4200 Law of Mass Communication | 3 |
| PUR 4800 Public Relations Campaigns * | 3 |
| Communication course | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
* Minimum grade of C required
**Students may need additional hours of electives to meet the 124 hours to graduate.