Public Relations professionals work at the intersection of business and strategic
communication as the “voice behind the voice.” We are everywhere, keeping an organization’s
story front and center to help it achieve goals like selling products, connecting
people, changing history and setting pathways to new adventures. At the University
of Central Missouri, you’ll learn how to achieve this by telling and sharing stories
through words, speech, imagery, timing and more to help people, businesses and organizations
be heard. Prepare for a career in PR at UCM with a business-oriented bachelor’s degree
— that has fewer math requirements.
A PRSA-certified bachelor’s degree focused on strategy, skills and success
To keep up with the changing needs of employers, media outlets and publics, our Bachelor
of Science in Public Relations and Strategic Communication program continues to evolve.
Other programs with degrees in Public Relations still teach only tactics. At the University
of Central Missouri, we’ve grown from a mass communication degree to a communications
and journalism degree and finally to a PRSA-certified bachelor’s degree program that
integrates strategy and skills throughout the curriculum.
What’s the difference? You’ll gain traditional publicity and media experience, just
like most undergraduate degrees in Public Relations. However, you’ll also develop
more than 11 applied skills, including social media strategy, video production and
story pitching, to help you land jobs within public relations — or start a business
in any industry or profession you want.
Public Relations online degree program
UCM’s PR and Strat Comm program offers a Public Relations online degree (or contact Brenda at Fuhr@ucmo.edu) option through the Office of Online and Learning Engagement. You can enroll part
time or full time starting in the fall, spring or summer and finish your bachelor’s
degree as a major in Public Relations by taking all online classes.
Ranked by PRNews as part of its annual Education A-List
Strong network of 1,550+ active alumni
11+ applied PR and Strat Comm skills
Public Relations online degree option
What you will study
Learn the fundamentals of PR and Strat Comm to explore your options for careers in
public relations. Then dive deeper into topics and gain hands-on experience to apply
your classroom learning in real-world settings that set the expectations for jobs
within public relations.
As a major in Public Relations and Strategic Communication (PRSC) at the University
of Central Missouri, you’ll also get 24 semester hours of free electives to study
specialized areas of PR. Become an expert in writing, video, crisis communication,
design, sports PR, entertainment PR, health care comm, finance and more.
In the PRSC BS program, we don’t practice leveling. This means you can take courses
as they fit your schedule, unless they have a prerequisite. In other words, you won’t
be tied to only 1000-level courses as a freshman, 2000 as a sophomore and so on.
Core courses for our major in Public Relations and Strategic Communication include:
Design and Layout: We are one of only a few programs in Missouri to guarantee our majors in Public Relations
gain foundational skills in basic design.
Writing and Editing and Advanced PR Writing: Few degrees in Public Relations dedicate two courses in their curriculum to specialized
writing skills.
Special Topics in Public Relations – Entertainment PR: Gain exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to major entertainment venues in Kansas
City to see their PR, strategic and business functions in action.
Global Sports PR: Get unique insights into the entertainment and business values of Kansas City-based
sports organizations and teams — on and off the field — in media studies of major
KC-based sports organizations.
The globally certified program curriculum is taught by faculty who are experts in
PR strategy and theory and teach what they practice. They have professional industry
experience in sports PR, broadcasting and more and use their networks to connect students
with Kansas City-area businesses and organizations with high-impact learning opportunities.
Excellence in public relations and strategic communication
More than 97% of PR majors have jobs within public relations or a related area of
interest or are accepted into graduate school within six months of graduation.
UCM's globally certified PR and Strat Comm program curriculum has the seal of approval
from the Public Relations Society of America and Commission on Public Relations Education.
This recognizes its value above and beyond other degrees in Public Relations.
Nearly 40% of student internships for PR majors turn into full-time job offers.
PRNews has ranked UCM PR and Strategic Communications among the top programs in the
nation as part of its annual Education A-List
PR and Strat Comm at UCM is one of only two degrees in Public Relations in Missouri
certified by the PRSA CEPR, one of 36 in the United States and one of 42 worldwide.
Certification in Education for Public Relations is the global standard in public relations
education.
Unique learning opportunities in PR and Strat Comm
At the University of Central Missouri, we focus on providing you with applied learning
opportunities that give you real professional experience by the time you graduate.
This way, you’ll be better qualified for competitive jobs within public relations
and better prepared for future possibilities in any number of careers in public relations.
Internships: Gain job experience while earning course credit with an internship. Exciting opportunities
are available through our alumni engagement program, faculty networks and industry
connections.
PR agency experience: The award-winning, student-led Innovative PR agency offers students who major in
Public Relations a chance to work with UCM’s Integrated Marketing and Communications
team. Develop leadership and job skills while earning course credit. You can apply
to join the agency for up to a year of job experience before you graduate, working
for real clients in Missouri, Kansas and the United States, as well as around the
world.
Field trips: Visit sports organizations, cultural attractions, entertainment venues and more.
Field trips offer chances to meet and interact with industry pros who work for the
Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas Speedway, Visit KC and Ameristar Casino — just to name
a few.
Study abroad: Make new friends, travel the world, connect with global PR professionals and gain
international perspectives on careers in public relations, strategic communication
and international business. Upcoming study abroad trips may take you to Australia,
Western Europe or other international destinations. UCM is one of the few universities
in the country to offer study abroad scholarships and grants.
Service learning: Almost every class in our PR and Strat Comm BS program includes a dedicated service-learning
component. Through class projects and client work, you will gain job experience, develop
your applied PR and business skills and add value to your education to help you stand
out to future employers.
What can you do with a major in Public Relations and Strat Comm from UCM?
The PR and Strat Comm BS from the University of Central Missouri is a versatile degree
that can take you anywhere you want to go. A major in Public Relations pairs well
with minors in a variety of undergraduate degree programs. You can minor in Biology
and explore different careers in public relations for health care or medical organizations.
You can minor in Spanish and work in bilingual jobs within public relations. You can
minor in Finance and work in investor relations. You can minor in Conservation and
work for the Missouri Department of Conservation. You can minor in Political Science
and work as a legislative aide. The list of potential careers in public relations
goes on and on.
Plus, our major in Public Relations is enhanced by our connection with UCM’s accredited
business school, where you can join the Integrative Business Experience, participate
in State Farm and Fastenal sales competitions, attend events such as UCM’s annual
American Marketing Association’s Distinguished Alumni event and make close connections
with AACSB faculty. You will be well prepared to be a successful business owner of
virtually any kind.
Early career jobs within public relations:
Community relations manager
Corporate events planner
Marketing communications specialist
Promotions coordinator
Social and digital media strategist
Brand manager
Customer experience specialist
Content specialist
More on careers in public relations
Explore more options for future jobs within public relations using the interactive
tool below. You can gain insights on PR salaries, job outlooks and more.
Financial assistance options for your PR and Strat Comm BS degree
A UCM degree is a valuable investment in your future, no matter which of the many
careers in public relations you choose. As a top-ranked university for low student
debt, according to LendEDU, the University of Central Missouri offers a variety of
resources to help you finance your college education.
In addition to our competitive tuition rates, we also offer several scholarships specifically
for Public Relations majors on campus and undergraduate students in the Public Relations
online degree program. These are a few examples:
Anthony Winders Integrated Communication Scholarship
Larry and Kali Schnieders Public Relations Scholarship
UCM PR Learning to a Greater Degree Scholarship
Melissa M. Wyatt Memorial Scholarship
Anthony and Sarah Taylor Scholarship — open to PRSC and six other majors.
UCM PR students are highly competitive in the KC Ad Club scholarship competition —
two recent program alumni won the KC Ad Club scholarship and a prized mentorship.
Meet Robert Fischer
BS PR and Strat Comm ’12, Senior Account Manager, Jasper Paul PR and Marketing
“My internships helped me realize really fast that I can work anywhere I want to with
PR. It truly is probably one of the most diverse and inclusive degrees for a career
that lets you chart your own path. The experiences that I have had with the UCM PR
program have all been essential to where I am at now. UCM PR puts you in a very good
position to set you up for your career because of all the tangibility that they give
you in your classes.”
The Student Experience
Join other PR majors and professionals in the Kansas-City area
The UCM Robert Kendall Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America
(PRSSA) is the second-oldest chapter in the U.S. PRSSA offers pre-professional training
and opportunities to develop skills and connect with industry leaders. Each year,
UCM’s PR and Strat Comm program teams up with PRSSA to host PR Pro Day and the KC
IABC Roadshow on campus in Warrensburg, providing a variety of networking opportunities
with local professionals.
PR Facilities On Campus
State-of-the-art Mac lab and distance learning room
Courses are taught in high-tech classrooms equipped with high-res large screens with
built-in webcams, a Vaddio camera and sound/recording system enabling accessible learning
and press conference simulations, and a projector capable of displaying any device
in the room for course content discussion.
National Millennial Community/GenZ Council
Converse and collaborate with business leaders
The PR and Strat Comm program at the University of Central Missouri is the only program
in the state selected to participate in the global National Millennial Community/GenZ
Council. This organization brings students and Fortune 500/100 leaders together through
technology and sponsored trips to headquarters for real conversations about workplace
best practices, millennial and Generation Z work preferences and insights, Fortune
100 company strategy and so on.
Super career success advisors, success advising and the PR program coordinator comprise
your personal team dedicated to your success — as a major in Public Relations and
after you graduate. We’ll work individually with you to plan your coursework, facilitate
your internship and connect you with alumni and opportunities for jobs within public
relations.
With a versatile BS in PR and Strat Comm, you can enhance your undergraduate degree
or further specialize in a field of study through grad school programs such as:
Add a minor to your major in Public Relations for an enhanced undergraduate degree
from UCM. Besides more traditional areas related to public relations, including communication, creative writing and leadership studies, PR majors have paired their bachelor’s degree with a variety of minors such as:
The typical length of UCM’s Public Relations and Strategic Communication bachelor’s
degree program is four to five years. If you’re a transfer student with an associate
degree, you could finish your bachelor’s degree in Public Relations in as little as
two years through:
In-person classes on the Warrensburg, Missouri, campus
UCM’s Public Relations online degree program
Because we don’t practice leveling with our major in Public Relations, you can take
courses as they fit your schedule, unless they have a prerequisite.
