Public Relations

The Certificate in Public Relations (PR) offers students practical training in the contemporary skills of public relations.

For communication majors, it provides an ideal way to complement their broad-based study of communication with the practical skills necessary for entry level work in public relations.

This certificate is also open to all majors across campus, and provides a useful toolkit that will be an excellent complement for any major in liberal arts, business, education, or engineering. The addition of a public relations certificate to these areas highlights the practical skills necessary for a variety of careers in the business, non-profit, or government sector.

By the time students complete the PR certificate they should have met the following program goals:

  • Understanding the history and evolution of the public relations field.
  • Understanding public relations principles as applicable to a variety of contexts and publics.
  • Appreciating the ethical dimensions of public relations practice.
  • Writing public relations materials using a variety of traditional and new tools, including social media applications.
  • Applying public relations principles in analyzing a variety of situations in multiple cultural contexts.
  • Integrating the theory and practice of public relations in multiple contexts.

Certificate Requirements

Core Courses:8
Public Relations Principles
Public Relations Campaigns
Select one course from the following:3-4
Beginning Digital Design
Intro to Digital Photography
Communication Research Methods
Professional Communication
Fundamentals of Journalism
Media Performance & Studio Production
Audio Production
Mktg Principles and Policies
Digital Consumer Srch&Mktg
Understanding Customers
Total Credit Hours11-12

Notes Regarding PR Certificate Program:

1.    A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum of twelve earned hours completed at UM-Dearborn are required for admission to the program.

2.    A maximum of one transfer courses (four credit hours) may count toward the PR Certificate.

3.    A minimum 2.0 GPA in the courses counting toward the PR Certificate and minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA are required at the time of graduation and/or posting of the certificate.

Non degree seeking students can enroll in the program if they have completed a Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college/university. There are no admission requirements for GPA or earned hours completed at UM-Dearborn for these students.