PRNews Names UCM Public Relations and Strategic Communication Program to Prestigious 2022 Education A-list

WARRENSBURG, MO – Joining an editorial compilation that includes academic programs at some of the nation’s most prestigious college and universities, the University of Central Missouri’s Public Relations and Strategic Communications program has been named to PRNews’s  2022 Education A-list. 

The A-list highlights public and private institutions that are doing an excellent job training future PR and marketing professionals. UCM becomes one of 41 institutions on the roster – chock-full of familiar university names such as Georgetown, Howard, Loyola, Penn State, Purdue and others. All of them offer certificates, bachelors, masters or doctorates. 

“It's an honor that the University of Central Missouri Public Relations and Strategic Communication program has been named to PRNews's 2022 Education A-list,” said Tricia Hansen-Horn, Ph.D., professor and program coordinator. “Our traditional on-campus and online programs have a well-established history of highly recruited graduates. We have great alumni and talented students. Our PRSA CEPR-certified curriculum and excellent faculty, as well as our innovative approach to education through hands-on classroom experiences, a guided internship program, and student-led Innovative PR agency all contribute to the excellent education that we offer.”

In establishing its roster of A-list programs, PRNews’s editorial staff considered factors such as curriculum, diversity, faculty composition, academic awards and capstone courses. It also considered on- and off-campus opportunities for students, as well as internships.  Additionally, the editors looked at how well curricula reflected the changing nature of communication. A number of institutions listed, for example, offer programs in science, healthcare and sustainability. 

The PRNews 2022 Education A-list provides an outstanding resource for students who are looking for opportunities to prepare for successful careers in public relations and marketing. The list is available online.

Housed in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, UCM offers a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and Strategic Communication, and beginning in fall 2021 initiated the MBA in Public Relations to provide expanded opportunities for individuals to obtain knowledge and skills needed to pursue public relations and strategic communication careers.  The undergraduate program curricula has received global Certification in Education for Public Relations by the Public Relations Society of America, helping to ensure students are exposed to a curricula that will prepare them for the ever-changing challenges they will face as professionals in the field.

UCM graduates of the Public Relations program not only take pride in their alma mater being recognized among institutions on the PRNews Education A-list, but attribute the program to their own professional growth.

"I can’t overstate the role the University of Central Missouri’s Public Relations program played in my success,” said Maggie (Quinn) Steinheimer, 2013 UCM PR graduate, managing supervisor and St. Louis intern coordinator at FleishmanHillard. “Staffed with professors and instructors who bring academic excellence and real-world experience right to the classroom, the program’s curriculum provides students a comprehensive look at the skills needed to succeed in the field – and equips them with the tools to do so. In addition to a degree, UCM’s PRSC program ensured I crossed the graduation stage with a polished resume, interview preparation and internship experience that promptly led to the kick-off of my professional career." 

Griffin Gatewood, a UCM 2012 PR graduate, member of the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies Advisory Council, and director of client success at Beyond Warehousing, noted, "I am very proud and grateful to be part of such an important and successful program. The knowledge and experience I gained while being a part of the UCM PRSC Program continues to be vital in my career today and being recognized in the 2022 Education A-List is a tremendous accolade to current and past students and faculty. I could not be more excited for continued success for this program."

Learn more by contacting Tricia Hansen-Horn at 660-543-8635 or Hansen-horn@ucmo.edu. Also visit the Public Relations and Strategic Communication website.