Public Relations Major
The public relations major balances theory and practical application to teach you to skillfully manage public relations strategies for all types of organizations, including corporate, non-profit, government, and political.
1 of 40
PROGRAMS IN THE NATION OFFERING PRSA CERTIFICATION
80%
OF STUDENTS PASS THE CERTIFICATE IN PRINCIPLES OF PR EXAM
23:1
STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO
65
STUDENTS IN OUR AWARD-WINNING PRSSA CHAPTER
Total Credit Hours: 120
Public Relations Requirements
(46 hours)
General Education (45 hours)
Minor and Elective Hours (29 hours)
What You'll Study
Requirements for the public relations major include:
- 120 credit hours for a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, including Virginia Tech's Pathways
- 46 credits of public relations courses, including:
- Principles of Public Relations
- Writing and Editing for PR
- Public Relations Case Studies
- Public Relations Campaigns
- Communication Law
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What Is a Major in Public Relations?
Public relations professionals communicate their company's brand messages and foster relationships with the media and the public. They generate publicity through communications campaigns, write speeches and prepare press conferences, arrange interviews with reporters, act as spokespeople, and write news releases, feature stories, web pages, and social media content. They're concerned not only with what their organization wants to communicate, but also what target audiences need and want to know.
Why Study Public Relations Here?
Virginia Tech's public relations program teaches through real-world experience. You'll have class projects that design public relations campaigns for real clients, find internships where you can manage PR communications and strategies, and learn from professors who've had successful careers as public relations practitioners. You complete a course of study certified by the Public Relations Society of America.
Beyond the Classroom
We're one of only a few programs in the nation whose curriculum is certified by the Public Relations Society of America. That means your public relations courses will be great preparation for the public relations industry's entry-level certificate. All students take the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations exam. Earning this certificate will set you apart from the crowd of entry-level job applicants.
As a public relations major, you'll perform work for real clients — writing press releases and public service announcements, creating media packets and campaigns, and doing social media and online work for businesses that partner with the School of Communication.
Our faculty has a very good mix of experienced industry professionals and academic teaching and research scholars, meaning that, whether your interests are in a career as a public relations practitioner or going on to get a graduate degree, there's a mentor for you here.
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Every year, the School of Communication sponsors a faculty-led study abroad experience at Virginia Tech's Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. The program includes a one-credit course in Blacksburg during the spring semester and two weeks of study in Switzerland, with online course components during the first summer session after you return the trip.
What Our Students Are Saying
"The public relations professors at Virginia Tech don't make school just about tests and memorizing material. They focus on what matters: making sure you enjoy your education, engage, ask questions, and get so engrossed in what you're learning that you forgot you're there for a grade."
- Cat Forgione, '14
"Virginia Tech's public relations program bridges the gap between academia and real-world, hands-on experience. The faculty is dedicated to the success of students, the curriculum is relevant (and PRSA-certified), and the overall environment is challenging yet supportive. The strong writing and strategic thinking skills I honed during my time in Blacksburg have been the cornerstones of my success since graduating. I'm a proud alumna of the program, and couldn't be more grateful for the way Tech prepared me for a career in public relations."
- Alyssa Bedrosian, '13
"Being a PR major, you gain experience developing campaigns for real clients who need your help. Our professors taught us every step of the campaign process and gave us the opportunity to get creative. Those projects were not only fun, but they were also a major selling point for me when it came to job searching."
- Cat Goergen, '14
Public Relations was a very versatile and practical major that helped to prepare me not only for law school but also for the real world. The coursework of the major allowed me to hone my writing skills and become a fearless public speaker, both of which will be of endless value in and out of the courtroom.
- Dayna Kendrick, '13
"Upon arriving at Virginia Tech, I quickly became a reporter for the Collegiate Times and edited footage for Virginia Tech Television. I had the opportunity to interview Tim Kaine on Capitol HIll. These experiences confirmed my decision to major in public relations."
- Lindsey Grooms, anticipated '19
Careers and Further Study
Nick Czerwonka, '18
Nick’s always had a passion for communicating, whether in person with other people or large groups of people. He used this passion as the new business and marketing intern at a local Blacksburg startup, Ozmo. After studying public relations, Nick works as an Assistant Account Executive for the marketing and advertising agency Area23 in New York.
Ashley Doyle, '18
Ashley’s time at Virginia Tech included many experiences. She studied abroad with the Linking Lives program in Lugano, Switzerland and Adigrat, Ethiopia. Back on campus, she completed an internship with the Virginia Tech Police Department, which helped shape her future career goals. She completed an additional internship with the Roanoke City Police Department. Before pursuing a career in law enforcement, Ashley is serving as a mentor and resident advisor for the Linking Lives Study Abroad program.
Laura Bauer, '15
Laura completed several internships while studying public relations. She served as a sports information intern at University of Southern California Athletics and a community relations intern with the San Diego Chargers. Laura is now the partner services coordinator for Virginia Tech IMG Sports Marketing.
Anisha Thadani, '15
Anisha worked with public relation campaigns for The Virginia Tech Union, which allowed her to begin applying what she was learning in her classes. She successfully implemented a communications campaign for a non-profit organization, which helped her launch her career. Anisha is currently the Assistant Director of Special Events in the Office of Advancement at Georgetown University.
Jessica Clanton, '14
Jessica graduated with a public relations major and business leadership minor. While a student, she was a sports marketing intern with the Virginia Tech Athletics Department. She now works as a Senior Assistant Community Manager for Greystar, where Jessica works to manage properties and provide services.
Christine Dinardo, '15
While studying public relations and political science, Christine used her classroom skills to serve as the public relations chair for her sorority and director of guest relations for Hokie Ambassadors, campus tour guides. She completed internships with the public affairs division of Weber Shandwick and a marketing role with Leading Authorities. Christine worked for Booz Allen Hamiliton, supporting clients in the federal and commercial space with social media analytics and digital content strategy and now serves as a Senior Marketing Manager at AstraZeneca.
Taylor Casarotti, '20
Taylor completed several internships during her undergraduate career, including working as a communications and operations intern for a large fortune 500 insurance company, a PR intern for a small agency, an account management intern for a marketing agency, and a communications intern for the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. Upon graduation, Taylor will take these experiences to Billy Casper Golf as a Marketing Associate.
Alana Stillitano, '20
Alana graduated with major in public relations and minors in French, psychology, and business leadership. As an undergraduate, she served as the firm director for PRSSA's student run firm and received the National Gold Key award for her academic excellence in public relations and leadership qualities. Alana is an account coordinator with Commonwealth Public Relations in Richmond, VA.
Julia Vaughn, '20
Julia studied public relations with minors in political science and Spanish. She completed internships with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Federal Reserve Board in addition to serving as a copywriter for PRISM. Julia plans to take these experiences with her to a career in public relations.
Hannah Richards, '20
While studying public relations and global food security and health, Hannah participated in a study abroad to South Africa and worked with the Student Athlete Academic Support team. Her work with the Virginia Tech Athletic Department sparked her interested in a career in collegiate athletics. Hannah will be attending Tulane University pursuing in the Sports Studies master's program.
Abigail Darko, '21
Abigail studied public relations with minors in national security and foreign affairs and business leadership while serving in the CLAHS Ambassador Program, Hokie Ambassadors, Homecoming Board, and as a Building Manager at Squires. She completed an internship with The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in Northern Virginia. Abigail currently works at Bain and Company in Washington, DC as a Global Recruiting Associate.
Lindsay Price, '21
As an undergraduate, Lindsay completed internships with the Club Champions League and Blue Water Hospitality. She now serves as the Private Events Coordinator for the University Club of Virginia Tech, where she coordinates sales and events in the private event spaces in Lane Stadium.
Ann-Marie Mingle-Taylor, '19
Ann-Marie graduated with her B.A in Communication: Public Relations, a minor in Business Leadership, and a Marketing cognate. During her tenure at Virginia Tech, she served on multiple executive boards such as the Black Student Alliance and the Theta Phi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she applied the skills learned in the classroom to help advance her organizations’ communication efforts. Today, Ann-Marie works as an IT Strategic Consultant, maturing her customers’ strategic efforts by developing communication plans, leading projects, and collaborating across various stakeholder groups to align goals and objectives.
Jacob Levin, '21
Jacob graduated with a degree in Public Relations with a minor in business leadership. While at Virginia Tech, he was the Communications Manager for the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT). This opportunity lead him to be able to intern with General Motors. Along with his experience, he was able to study abroad during the summer of 2019 in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland where he learned about global communication.
Breanna Knotts, '22
Bre held three internships and a presidency with PRSSA as she completed two majors and a minor. Most recently, she held an internship in downtown Richmond with Alliance Group as a public relations intern. Here, she garnered experience pitching reporters, drafting press releases, and interfacing with clients daily. These experiences and strive to challenge herself landed her a full-time position in marketing working for a consulting and management engineering firm in Houston, Texas following graduation.
Kate Renz, '22
Kate studied public relations with minors in cinema and literature. She had many leadership opportunities, including President in West Ambler Johnston, Writer and Editor for Her Campus, Leadership Chair for Phi Sigma Pi, Events Committee in PRSSA, and worked with the CLAHS Ambassador Program as an intern for the college. Kate is pursuing a Master's degree in Reputation Management at Virginia Tech.
What do I do with a public relations major?
Private companies, government agencies, and nonprofits in every industry need PR professionals to manage their communications and interface with the public.
Some of the jobs our PR graduates earn include:
- PR strategist
- Communication director
- Marketing coordinator
- Recruiter
- Digital marketing specialist
- Brand manager
- Special events planner
- Content specialist
- Nonprofit founders
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