Introduction

Communication is the process of conveying messages to others, whether in a one-to-one encounter, in a public speech to many, or in a mass medium that reaches thousands or millions. Communicators know how to design messages for a variety of media and how to change that message depending on the audience or the medium. Good communicators know that effective messages are structured differently for speech, print photography, film, radio, theatre or television.

Knowledge of many areas is essential to successful structuring of these messages; e.g., language, rhetoric, culture, history, art, music, drama, technology and science. Communication is by its very nature a liberal art. Effective and accurate communicators are needed in this information age. Imaginative people, who can speak, write and produce messages for a variety of media, are valuable.

Description of the Advertising and Public Relations Major

The Advertising and Public Relations major provides a basic business foundation for students who will work in a variety of settings. These students will be able to design appropriate messages for specific business audiences using a number of media. The interdisciplinary nature of this program reflects the liberal arts focus of the College.

The Requirements of the Advertising and Public Relations Major

The Advertising and Public Relations Major requires a minimum of 52 credits. The major includes the following 40 credit core: Mass Communication, Intercultural Communication, Computer Graphic Design, Advertising, Public Relations, Mass Media Law and Ethics, Persuasion, Internship, Organizational Behavior, and Introduction to Marketing.

In addition to the core, students must select a concentration in writing or in production and design. The writing concentration requires Newswriting and Reporting, Argumentation, and Feature Writing. The production and design concentration requires Photography I, Publication Design, and either Media Production or Web Design.

Advertising and Public Relations Major Outcomes

1. Creation of a variety of messages appropriate for specific audiences in a range of settings or media;
2. Creation and evaluation of persuasive arguments;
3. Demonstrate a basic understanding of organizations and how advertising and public relations professionals function within them.

Admission to the Advertising and Public Relations Major

Students apply for a Communication major at the end of the sophomore year; they are expected to have a 2.3 (C+) average in three CTA courses. Each candidate appears before a review panel of CTA faculty for informal evaluation prior to admission. Prior to the interview, students must submit an essay about the chosen major and three samples of graded work. Students who are less than one calendar year from graduation are not admitted to the major. The Department will deny admission to the major for poor performance in the interview, a poorly written essay, or failure to comply with the deadline for application to the major. Students in this major must be accepted into the major prior to enrolling in the internship.