Program Overview
Master of Arts in Public Relations
Advance your career.
The UIndy PR MA is for 1) current PR pros who want to enhance their PR credentials/knowledge; 2) for those transitioning to PR from another career; 3) for those launching new careers in media/communication; 4) for those wishing to teach at the college level.
Advantages
- Live, real-time classes – in-person or online.
- Evening-only classes – perfect for your family and work priorities.
- 33 credit hours – substantive, yet reasonably quick to complete.
- Rolling admission process, so there is no application deadline. Apply at a time of year that's best for you. You may start classes in August, January or May – student's choice.
- Veteran faculty with real-world professional experience and extensive teaching and research expertise.
- The opportunity to develop communications expertise or conduct research in an area of their choosing through the optional Customized Capstone Project.
- Classes with fellow students who are cordial and collegial.
- Big-city opportunities with small-college charm and student-focused personal attention.
- Electives from other academic disciplines such as Business and English.
- The opportunity to transfer credits from other colleges or universities.
- Rigorous academic coursework with the personal, one-on-one support needed to succeed.
Why Public Relations?
PR is a creative and strategic profession that, when practiced with great social care and responsibility, manages organizational reputations, conducts multimedia campaigns to generate positive change, and provides accurate/ethical information to the public. PR pros are everywhere, from the White House briefing room to your township's school system, from the corporate executive suite to your nearby nonprofit agency, from the major league sports team to your hometown hospital.
With roots dating back to Aristotle's Rhetoric teachings, PR today is a dynamic, high-tech field involving social media management, news writing, creative writing, graphic design, photography, videography, strategic planning, pro-active/reactive news media relations, digital/web content creation, speechwriting, event planning, employee communications, scriptwriting, and crisis communications, to name just some examples.
The UIndy MA in PR provides 1) practical, how-to-do-PR training; and 2) in-depth intellectual exploration of the cultural, ethical, historical and theoretical elements of this fascinating profession.
Potential Careers
Public relations professionals work in a variety of practice areas. A few examples:
- PR Agencies
- Arts/Cultural Communications
- Community Relations
- Corporate Communications
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Education -- K-12 School Systems -- Communications
- Employee Communications
- Event Planning
- Faith-based Communications
- Government Communications
- Healthcare Communications
- Investor Relations
- Nonprofit Communications
- Sports Information
- Travel/Tourism Communications
- University/College – Higher Ed – Communications
About the MA in Public Relations
Program Length & Format
The Master of Arts in Public Relations program requires students to complete 33 credit hours; with courses usually worth 3 credit hours each. The program follows UIndy’s semester schedule. Our live, interactive classes can be taken in the format of the student’s choosing: on-campus, online, or a combination of both.
Program Options
Students can choose between a 12-credit-hour Graduate Certificate in Public Relations or a 33-credit-hour master's degree.
Curriculum
This program requires a total of 33 credits.
Required Core Courses (24 credit hours)
- COMM 505 Public Relations Ethics (3 credit hours)
- COMM 506 Strategic Communication Theory (3 credit hours)
- COMM 507 Public Relations Research and Evaluation (3 credit hours)
- COMM 515 Crisis Communications (3 credit hours)
- COMM 516 Graphic Design for Public Relations (3 credit hours)
- COMM 518 Promotions and Event Planning (3 credit hours)
- COMM 519 Social Media Management (3 credit hours)
- COMM 520 Digital Multimedia Production in Public Relations (3 credit hours)
Customized Elective Option (9 credit hours)
Choose 9 credit hours from any of the following:
- COMM 580 Customized Capstone Project in Public Relations (3 credit hours)
- ENGL 580 Substantive Editing (3 credit hours)
- ENGL 582 Writing and Editing for the Web (3 credit hours)
- ENGL 580 Advanced Professional Writing (3 credit hours)
- ENGL 583 Writing and Editing for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credit hours)
- EXD 472 Instructional Design Theory and Methods (3 credit hours)
- EXD 480 Special Topics (3 credit hours)
- MBA 500 Business Law (3 credit hours)
- MBA 615 Project Management (3 credit hours)
- MBA 640 International Marketing (3 credit hours)
- MBA 670 Marketing Strategy (3 credit hours)
- ORGL 404 Project Management (3 credit hours)
Optional Tracks and electives
There are two optional tracks available in the MA in PR program, as well as an option to tailor the program to your specific needs by choosing three elective graduate courses from outside of PR (i.e. English courses, MBA courses) rather than following a track. The optional tracks are:
Sports Industry Track (9 credit hours)
- KINS 520 Strategic Communication (4.5 credit hours)
- KINS 510 Event and Facilities Management (4.5 credit hours)
Writer's Track (9 credit hours)
Choose 9 credit hours from any of the following:
- ENGL 580 Substantive Editing (3 credit hours)
- ENGL 582 Writing and Editing for the Web (3 credit hours)
- ENGL 580 Advanced Professional Writing (3 credit hours offered on demand)
- ENGL 583 Writing and Editing for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credit hours)
Customized Capstone Project in Public Relations
The optional COMM 580 capstone project elective (3 credit hours) allows a student to focus on a specialization area of career interest to the individual student. Projects, completed under the direction of a Department of Communication graduate faculty sponsor, may be creative endeavors, research papers, theses, or skill/portfolio development efforts. The project, completed in the last semester of master's degree, requires prior approval of the director of graduate studies in public relations.
List of Possible Customized Capstone Projects
Customized capstone project possibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Agency Management
- Brand Films in Public Relations
- Community Relations
- Corporate Communications
- Diversity and Inclusion in Public Relations
- Education Communications
- Employee/Internal Communication
- Event Planning
- Government Communications
- Graphic Design in Public Relations
- Healthcare Communications
- History of Public Relations
- Hospitality/Tourism in Public Relations
- Interactive/Web Media in Public Relations
- Investor Relations
- Leadership in Public Relations
- Media Relations
- Media Training
- Nonprofit Communications Media Management
- Owned-Media Publishing
- Philanthropy/Fund-Raising Communications
- Photography in Public Relations
- Police/Fire Department Communications
- Political Communications
- Public Information Officer Incident Management
- Research Paper in Public Relations
- Scriptwriting in Advertising and Public Relations
- Small-Business Promotion
- Social Media Management
- Sports Public Relations
- Strategic Communications Planning
- Teaching Public Relations at the College Level
- Videography in Public Relations
When Can I Start?
The MA in PR program uses a rolling admissions process, with no application deadline. Students applying for the program may do so at a time of year that works best for them. Admitted students have their choice to begin classes during the Fall Term (August), Spring Term (January) or Summer Term (May).
Admission Requirements
- Online application
- 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (exceptions may be possible; discuss with program director).
- One-page personal statement about background, career, and/or intellectual interests in PR.
Tuition & Aid
- View Graduate Tuition Rates
- Financial Aid for Graduate Students
- Scholarships for Graduate Students
