BA/BS in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

This program trains students in public relations and strategic communication, with attention to ethics, research and message design. Students learn how professional standards shaped the field and how to plan, run and evaluate campaigns for different audiences and media platforms. Learning is applied. Students carry out many of the tasks professionals perform, belong to the campus student society for the profession, hear from visiting practitioners and take part in community service work. Internships are strongly encouraged, and the department's coordinator maintains a broad employer network, including ties to the Detroit PRSA chapter. Graduates pursue roles in agencies, corporate communications, nonprofits, media and government. The department also describes career opportunities across public and private sectors, including social media strategy, content creation, media relations, campaign management and corporate communications direction. Learning outcomes center on managing campaigns with sound theory and designing messages for print, digital and emerging media.