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School of Journalism and Mass Communication

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School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Public Relations

Program Option

  • Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (B.A.J.M.C.) with a major in Public Relations

Public Relations web page

The information on this page pertains to program requirements for students who matriculated in the 2024-2025 academic year.  View requirements for previous catalog years here.

Program Overview

Public relations professionals work to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between an organization/client and its constituents. They work in a variety of settings: corporate, small business, government, and political campaigns, nonprofit organizations, agencies and PR counseling firms. Drake PR students exercise the research, planning and communication skills they are developing as they work with “real world” clients in each of their PR classes.

Accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Drake is among 115 accredited programs worldwide. To earn accreditation, schools meet 9 standards, which address such issues as class size, diversity, student services and curriculum. Accreditation reviews occur every 6 years. Drake’s program has been continuously accredited, most recently in 2016.

Degree Requirements

  • Meet all requirements of the Drake Curriculum
  • Maintain a 2.0 grade point average during the first 30 credit hours
  • Maintain a 2.25 grade point average at Drake after the 30th credit hour
  • Maintain a 2.25 grade point average in SJMC course work after the 30th credit hour

Students should work with their advisers to ensure selection of courses best-suited to their educational and career objectives.  Please see Graduation Requirements and Regulations sections of the catalog for additional information.

Public Relations Major Requirements

  • All Public Relations courses are sequential and must be completed prior to moving along in the curriculum.  Some allowances have been made on a case-by-case basis for transfer students and others changing majors.
  • Graduating early is a possibility, but students must plan for a year-long capstone beginning in the fall semester.
  • Internship experiences may be available for up to a total of six credit hours throughout the entirety of the undergraduate experience, and they must be pre-approved by a Public Relations faculty member.
  • It is possible to study abroad as a Public Relations major, but students may not do so while they are completing their capstone.

Required courses for the Public Relations major are as follows:

Course Credits
School of Journalism and Mass Communication Core Courses
JMC 030 - Mass Media in a Global Society 3
JMC 031 - Multimedia Lab 1
JMC 040 - Pre-Professional Workshop 1
JMC 041 - Financial Fundamentals for Communication Professionals 1
JMC 054 - Reporting and Writing Principles 3
JMC 055 - Digital Media Strategies 3
JMC 104 - Communication Law and Ethics 3
Area of Concentration - All SJMC majors must complete a 21-credit block of courses not offered within the SJMC. This block must be approved by the student's adviser and dean. At least 12 of these credits must be in courses numbered 100 or higher. Courses taken to satisfy requirements in other areas may also count toward this requirement. 21
Public Relations Major Courses
ECON 002 - Principles of Microeconomics 3
JMC 058 - Foundations of Visual Communication 3
JMC 085 - Public Relations Principles 3
JMC 123 - Public Relations Writing 3
JMC 136 - Public Relations Research 3
JMC 143 - Public Relations Planning and Management 3
JMC 144 - Case Studies Analysis 3
JMC 146 - Public Relations Campaign Strategy 3
JMC Electives, for 9 credit hours  9
MKTG 101 - Marketing Principles 3
MGMT 110 - Organizational Behavior 3
PSY 001 - Introduction to Psychology 4
JMC Total Credit Hours 44
TOTAL 120

The information in this catalog does not constitute a contract between the university and the student. The university reserves the right to make changes in curricula, admission policies and processes, tuition and financial aid, academic standards and guidelines, student services and any other regulations or policies set forth in this catalog without giving prior notice.