Public Relations, MA (0604)

Iona’s graduate programs in Public Relations train such professionals, as attested by accreditation from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACE JMC), the leading body in higher education for the discipline.

The Iona curriculum in public relations is designed to both meet the communication needs of modern organizations as they interact with their many constituencies and to provide the foundation for professionals to grow and develop new skills throughout their careers. The program changes in response to requirements of the industry, as well as input from alumni and communications professionals, who teach part-time or serve on the department’s professional advisory council.

Seven core courses (21 credits) provide both theoretical underpinnings of public relations and practical applications at levels designed to demonstrate accomplishments comparable to those in agencies and corporate communication departments. Specialization courses and opportunities for individualized study and internships emphasize professional experience and networking opportunities.

Requirements for the MA in Public Relations

Core Courses (3 credits each):

PR 604 - Applied Communications Research 3 Credits
PR 605 - Media Law and Ethics 3 Credits
PR 609 - Writing for the Media 3 Credits
PR 615 - Principles of Public Relations 3 Credits
PR 616 - Public Relations Campaigns 3 Credits
PR 617 - Media Relations 3 Credits
PR 639 - Community and Government Relations 3 Credits

Total: 21 Credits

Elective Courses (3 credits each):

Three courses from the following:

PR 601 - Theories of Communication 3 Credits
PR 611 - Corporate Communication 3 Credits
PR 613 - Organizational Communication 3 Credits
PR 618 - Public Relations for Non-Profit Organizations 3 Credits
PR 621 - Writing for Organizations 3 Credits
PR 622 - Electronic Graphics and Publication Design 3 Credits
PR 623 - Fund Raising for Institutional Development 3 Credits
PR 624 - Business and Professional Presentations 3 Credits
PR 625 - International Communication 3 Credits
PR 628 - Public Relations for Entertainment and Sports 3 Credits
PR 631 - Integrated Marketing Communications 3 Credits
PR 638 - Investor Relations 3 Credits
PR 639 - Community and Government Relations 3 Credits
PR 691 - Special Topics in Communication 3 Credits
PR 692 - Special Topics in Communication 3 Credits
PR 693 - Special Topics in Communication 3 Credits
PR 694 - Special Topics in Communications 3 Credits
PR 695 - Special Topics In Public Relations
PR 699 - Internship in Communications 3 Credits
PR 799 - Independent Study in Communication 3 Credits

Total: 9 Credits

Thesis/Final Project Courses:

PR 980 - Thesis/Project Preparation 3 Credits
PR 981 - Thesis/Project 3 Credits

Total: 6 Credits

Total: 36 Credits

Students may choose to focus in three areas by taking specific courses in addition to core courses:

Corporate communications: take PR 611 and PR 613 and PR 638 .
Nonprofit communications: take PR 613 , PR 618 and PR 623 .
Entertainment and sports: take PR 628 and PR 629 .

Degree completion options:

A. Thesis/Project Track

Complete seven core courses, three electives and PR 980 - Thesis/Project Preparation and PR 981 - Thesis/Project .

Additional information on the master’s thesis is available from the program director. Also see section of this catalog on general thesis requirements.

Course Descriptions	Number of Courses (3 credits each)	Totals
Core courses	7	21 credits
Elective courses	3	9 credits
Thesis/Project Prep and Writing	2	6 credits
Total		36 credits

Culminating Experience

Students may elect a culminating experience in place of the Thesis/Professional project. The culminating experience consists of two parts:

Written Major Exam - Students synthesize learning from their course work in response to situations and cases provided.
Focus Paper - Students produce a paper on a major topic in Public Relations, the subject of which will be agreed upon by the student and the graduate program director.

Completion of the sequence requires an oral defense of the final project before a committee of faculty and industry professionals.

B. Comprehensive Exam and Final Paper

Course Descriptions	Number of Courses (3 credits each)	Totals
Core courses	7	21 credits
Elective courses	5	15 credits
Comprehensive exam and focus paper
Total		36 credits