Advertising and Public Relations, Major
B.A. with a major in advertising and public relations
In the Advertising & Public Relations major at Marshall University, students will obtain skills and training in both advertising and public relations doubling the job openings students can apply for. Most classes in the Advertising & Public Relations major provide not only knowledge and skills but also an experiential learning component providing students with hands-on application of concepts and theories with community businesses and organizations. This focus on experiential instruction means students walk out of the degree ready to take on career jobs with confidence.
Distinctive Features of the Program
Students who graduate with their degree in Advertising & Public Relations are career ready with a number of skills and credentials at their fingertips, including:
- communication writing, design, and campaigns planning, implementation and evaluation; advertising and public relations strategy; event management; fundraising; media relations; advertising buying and selling; research strategy; analytics use; social media planning; crisis management; and digital content creation
- relationship building; collaboration; teamwork; leadership; time management; critical problem solving; and community service.
Students gain expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (including Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Acrobat, and Express); Microsoft Word; Microsoft Excel; Google Forms and Spreadsheets; and Qualtrics. Additionally, students may earn certifications in such programs as Google Ads and Analytics; Hootsuite; Hubspot; Meltwater; Meta Blueprint; and more.
Collective 37 Ad/PR Agency
Marshall University’s Collective 37 functions as both a class and a small business. A collaboration between the schools of Journalism and Mass Communications and Art & Design, it was established in March 2023 as part of class projects by students in the Advertising & Public Relations and Graphic Design majors. Collective 37 is a student-run, faculty-led communications agency listed in the course catalog as both ART 431 and JMC 431.
Collective 37 has three pillars of operation – Growth, Creativity and Community. The agency serves clients locally on Marshall’s campus and in the tri-state area, as well as around the state and nation The agency is open to all majors and all classes of students.
Working for Collective 37 provides opportunities to practice professional skills in a fun and supportive learning environment. Students in the agency learn teamwork and client management while building portfolio material and leadership skills. Collective 37 prepares students for success on internships and jobs beyond Marshall’s campus.
Admission Requirements
Prospective students who wish to apply for admission to the Bachelor of Arts program in Advertising & Public Relations must meet the general admission requirements for Marshall University.
Graduation Requirements
Minimum Grade Standard
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program in Advertising/Public Relations must earn a grade of C or better in all JMC courses in order to meet prerequisites for subsequent courses and to count them toward graduation.
Minimum Grade Point Average Standard
Candidates for graduation must have a Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher in all work attempted at Marshall University.
Upper Division Credit Hours
A minimum of thirty-nine (39) credit hours must be earned in courses numbered 300-499.
Minimum Credit Hours
Students must earn at least 120 credit hours. No more than 4 hours of non-JMC electives may be completed in PEL.
Course Requirements
The Core Curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking skills and introduce students to basic domains of thinking that transcend disciplines. The Core applies to all majors. Information on specific classes in the Core can be found at https://www.marshall.edu/gened/.
Core Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core 1: Critical Thinking | ||
| FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Core 2 | ||
| ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
| ENG 201 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| CMM 103 | Fund Speech-Communication | 3 |
| Core II Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Core II Humanities | 3 | |
| Core II Mathematics | 3 | |
| Core II Natural/Physical Science | 4 | |
| Core II Social Science | 3 | |
| Additional University Requirements | ||
| Writing Intensive | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive | 3 | |
| Multicultural/International 1 | 3 | |
| Capstone (JMC 439 AD & PR Campaign Management) | 3 | |
School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SOJMC) Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOJMC Cognizance Area | ||
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Select one of the following Cultural courses: | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology (CT) | ||
| Intro to Human Geography (CT) | ||
| Understanding Society (CT) | ||
| Multicultural/International 1 | 6 | |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Literature Elective (WI) | 3 | |
| Literature Elective (WI) | 3 | |
| Total SOJMC Cognizance Area Credit Hours | 24 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOJMC Core | ||
| JMC 101 | Media Literacy | 3 |
| JMC 102 | Media Toolbox | 3 |
| JMC 103 | Language Use for Media 2 | 1 |
| JMC 241 | Media Design | 3 |
| JMC 260 | Digital Imaging for JMC | 3 |
| JMC 345 | Mass Comm Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JMC 361 | Digital Presence | 3 |
| JMC 455 | Race Gender & Mass Media | 3 |
| JMC 490 | Jrn & Mass Comm Internship I | 3 |
| JMC 499 | Professional Portfolio | 1 |
| Total SOJMC Core Credit Hours | 25-26 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising/Public Relations Major Requirements | ||
| JMC 300 | Reporting and News Writing | 3 |
| JMC 330 | AD & PR Principles and Ethics | 3 |
| JMC 380 | AD & PR and Continuity Writing | 3 |
| JMC 383 | Content Creation | 3 |
| JMC 408 | Research Analytics | 3 |
| JMC 415 | Advertising Strategy | 3 |
| JMC 424 | Media Strategy | 3 |
| JMC 437 | Public Relations Planning | 3 |
| JMC 438 | Public Relations Case Studies | 3 |
| JMC 439 | AD & PR Campaign Management | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Total Advertising/Public Relations Major Credit Hours | 36 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
A minimum of 120 credit hours are required for this major.
- 1
Students may not count JMC 436 International Mass Comm as an International-designated course. If the student takes an International-designated course to satisfy their university requirements, they should take a multicultural-designated course to satisfy their journalism cognizance area and vice versa.
- 2
JMC 103 Language Use for Media is recommended but not required.
Semester Plan
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
| CMM 103 | Fund Speech-Communication | 3 |
| ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
| FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
| JMC 101 | Media Literacy | 3 |
| JMC 103 | Language Use for Media 1 | 1 |
| UNI 100 | Freshman First Class (Recommended) | 1 |
| Core II Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 102 | Media Toolbox | 3 |
| JMC 241 | Media Design | 3 |
| Core II Mathematics | 3 | |
| Core II Social Science | 3 | |
| CT Course 1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ENG 201 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| JMC 300 | Reporting and News Writing | 3 |
| JMC 330 | AD & PR Principles and Ethics | 3 |
| Core II Physical/Natural Science | 4 | |
| CT Course 2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 260 | Digital Imaging for JMC | 3 |
| JMC 380 | AD & PR and Continuity Writing | 3 |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Literature Elective (WI) | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology (CT) | ||
| Intro to Human Geography (CT) | ||
| Understanding Society (CT) | ||
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| JMC 361 | Digital Presence | 3 |
| JMC 383 | Content Creation | 3 |
| JMC 424 | Media Strategy | 3 |
| Literature Elective (WI) | 3 | |
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 415 | Advertising Strategy | 3 |
| JMC 438 | Public Relations Case Studies | 3 |
| JMC 490 | Jrn & Mass Comm Internship I 2 | 3 |
| Modern Language | 3 | |
| Multicultural/International 3 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| JMC 345 | Mass Comm Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JMC 408 | Research Analytics | 3 |
| JMC 437 | Public Relations Planning | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| JMC 439 | AD & PR Campaign Management (Capstone) | 3 |
| JMC 455 | Race Gender & Mass Media | 3 |
| JMC 499 | Professional Portfolio | 1 |
| Core II Humanites | 3 | |
| Multicultural/International 3 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
- 1
JMC 103 Language Use for Media is recommended but not required.
- 2
It is recommended to take JMC 490 Jrn & Mass Comm Internship I in the summer between semesters 6 & 7 (3 hours).
- 3
Students may not count JMC 436 International Mass Comm as an International-designated course. If the student takes an International-designated course to satisfy their university requirements, they should take a multicultural-designated course to satisfy their journalism cognizance area and vice versa.