Public Relations
Program Details
Public relations professionals are storytellers who use their talents to enhance and build positive reputations for companies and individuals. They take on many roles, from writing press releases to organizing events and building out strategic communications plans.
As a student in the public relations major at Xavier, you’ll become a pro at communicating on behalf of companies while perfecting skills in event planning, relationship-building, strategic planning and writing. Courses in the public relations program are focused on real-world learning, so you’ll have opportunities to build your portfolio while earning credit and gaining experience.
Xavier University, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, is nationally recognized as a top university by U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review and Forbes. 99 percent of our students, including those in the public relations major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation (Class of 2022).
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Public Relations major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- CORE 101 - Goa ............ 0cr.
- COMM 101 (OC Flag) or COMM 123 ............ 3cr.
- English Composition or Rhetoric ............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective ............ 3cr.
- CORE 100 First-Year Seminar or THEO 111 Theological Foundations ............ 3cr.
- MATH 105 (Math at placement level) or MATH 116 (Math Perspectives) ............ 3cr.
Spring
- CORE 102 Goa ............ 0cr.
- COMM 101 (OC Flag) or COMM 123 ............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective ............ 3cr.
- CORE 100 First-Year Seminar or THEO 111 Theological Foundations ............ 3cr.
- PHIL 100 Ethics as Introduction to Philosophy ............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- PHIL 200 Philosophical Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Social Impact Science Elective ............ 3cr.
- Quantitative Reasoning Flag ............ 3cr.
Spring
- COMM 206 (Writing Flag) ............ 3cr.
- ENGL 205 Literature & the Moral Imagination ............ 3cr.
- Theology Perspectives (THEO 200+) ............ 3cr.
- Scientific Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Natural Science elective ............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Diversity Flag (COMM 323, 324 or other) ............ 3cr.
- E/R & S Focus Flag (COMM 477) ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Humanities Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
Here are some courses that are part of the public relations major at Xavier:
PR Cases and Planning (COMM 372) - Learn fundamentals of public relations planning and strategy while evaluating current case studies of successful and problematic public relations campaigns.
Public Relations Writing (COMM 371) - Develops advanced writing skills for public relations programs; gives particular attention to backgrounds, brochures, handbooks, annual and quarterly reports, and scripts for broadcast, AV and film.
Senior Seminar (COMM 479) - Integrate concepts and experiences throughout the Public Relations major and liberal arts core to create an original public relations campaign for a real-world client with deliverables that are suitable for student portfolios.
Career Outcomes
99% of students from Xavier's undergraduate programs, including the public relations major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduating (Class of 2022).
Top Jobs: Communications Specialist, Content Coordinator, Freelance Graphic Designer, Marketing Coordinator, Public Relations Manager, Social Media Marketing Assistant
Top Companies: American Airlines, Edelman, Maxim Healthcare Services, Kansas City Chiefs, GE Aviation, News America Marketing
More: Xavier's Career Development Office assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshop series on interviewing and resume writing techniques and maintaining an educational, vocational and employer information resource center. More than 100 nationally known companies visit the campus annually to interview graduating seniors for positions in business and industry.
Student Clubs
The following clubs are popular choices for students in the public relations major.
The Advertising Club
The Advertising club, part of the nationally renowned American Advertising Federation (AAF), specializes in uniting creativity and advertising within the Xavier Community.
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is a national, student-managed organization offering public relations majors a campus program of speakers, skill-building activities and social events.
Take the Next Step
All For One
Digital Focus for Public Relations Majors
Students who are majoring in public relations learn how to be leaders in digital communication practices. They explore digital culture and online communities, while also creating their own digital media, like personal websites, videos, blogs and gifs.
Cincinnati: A City of Opportunity
Cincinnati is ranked the #1 Best City for College Graduates (smartasset.com) and the #15 Best Place to Start a Career (WalletHub). Students in the public relations major take advantage of for-credit internships and employment opportunities at locally-based fortune 500 companies, private companies, nonprofit organizations and other businesses.
What is Jesuit Education?
A Xavier education is more than your typical college experience. Drawing on a Jesuit Catholic educational model 400 years in the making, students in the public relations major get the personal attention and support they need to succeed. The result is an education that’s as encouraging as it is challenging, and as enriching as it is demanding.
Xavier Alum Lands Gig at Pinterest-Marketer Ahalogy
Her skills landed Traci Garcia in her current position at Ahalogy, a Cincinnati-based startup co-founded by two former Proctor and Gamble employees that focuses on Pinterest-focused digital marketing.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Public Relations Major at Xavier University
Public relations is all about building and managing mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics. The PR program at Xavier emphasizes clear and concise writing, strategic planning and problem-solving and relationship management. Students graduate from Xavier ready to practice corporate, agency or nonprofit PR.
Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences challenges students to develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula. The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college at Xavier University. The college provides an excellent liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition that prepares students for careers, professional or graduate school, and life in a global society.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."