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Communication Division

Public Relations

Although the information below is excerpted from the Seaver catalog this is not an official binding document. To view the actual catalog visit http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academics/catalog/

Public Relations Major

Public relations continues to grow as a field and offers numerous job opportunities, from event planning to speech writing. Whether you are interested in advising a CEO on how to best communicate with various publics or you want to promote your favorite sports team, a degree in public relations can help you get there and do your job well. PR jobs can be found in non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and businesses; almost anywhere you look, someone is practicing public relations. We write a lot, plan a lot, and tend to work behind the scenes as we build relationships between organizations and their publics. Pepperdine has one of the oldest PR programs west of the Mississippi and currently has approximately 100 students in the major.

Mission Statement

The public relations major provides students with theoretical and historical knowledge and practical skills in analyzing, planning, counseling, writing and emerging media usage necessary to facilitate ethical communication between organizations and their publics. Ethical communicators who facilitate purposeful interaction between organizations and publics are at the forefront of communicators who are both leaders and servants of society.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students completing the program should be able to:

  1. describe and analyze relevant theories, philosophies, and practices of communication and public relations.
  2. communicate their thoughts clearly, succinctly, and persuasively in textual, visual and oral formats using appropriate style for the situation and medium involved.
  3. critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy, clarity, appropriate style, grammatical correctness, and sensitivity.
  4. demonstrate ethical research, planning, and execution of public relations efforts that integrate faith with the responsibility to serve and engage communities and social justice globally

Public Relations Requirements

Freshman-Year Program

The public relations student should enroll in the regular freshman program. Students should take ENG 101, ENG 102, COM 200, and COM 180 (formerly SPE 180) in the freshman year. Students planning to study in one of the international programs during their sophomore year should complete ENG 101, ENG 102, COM 200, and COM 180 in the freshman year.