Master of Arts in Public Relations
Degree requirements
Public relations graduate study stresses the planning and organization required to improve levels of public understanding based on two-way communications. Emphasis is placed on public relations as a professional activity. The program gives the student an understanding of the interrelationships of management, organization, and communication theories. Students are required to earn a grade of C or better in each graduate course.
Admission requirements
In addition to the department’s admission requirements, applicants must meet the admission requirements of the department’s journalism program requirements:
- A cumulative baccalaureate grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
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A 500-word statement of purpose that explains 1) personal information such as professional experience, academic achievements, and volunteer efforts; 2) your motivation and academic interests in graduate journalism degree; 3) why you think Ball State University’s program best suits your needs. For the public relations area of concentration, the statement should also specify if the student is most interested in completing the program online, on campus, or by mix of online and on-campus courses.
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Either an academic or professional writing sample(s) that best illustrates the applicant’s ability to think critically and write clearly. The sample(s) should be 1,500 to 2,000 words in total.
33-39 credits
Required core, 15 credits
| JOUR 601 | Studies in Journ Comm Theory | 3 |
| JOUR 651 | Social Media Analytics | 3 |
| PR 605 | Business Fund & Entrepre in PR | 3 |
| PR 660 | P R Theories and Applications | 3 |
| PR 680 | Jour Mass Comm Research Meth | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Capstone, 3-6 credits
Students may complete one concentration listed below to complement the MA in public relations
PR leadership concentration, 12 credits
| PR 662 | Public Relations Case Studies | 3 |
| PR 664 | P R Evaluation Techniques | 3 |
| PR 665 | Public Relations Campaigns | 3 |
3 credits from
| ISOM 551 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MGT 500 | Managing Org Behavior | 3 |
| MKG 505 | Survey of Marketing | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Media analytics concentration, 12 credits
| JOUR 650 | Audiences and Content Strategy | 3 |
| JOUR 652 | Media AnalyticsMeasurement | 3 |
| JOUR 653 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| JOUR 654 | Media Analytics Consulting | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Total Credit Hours: 33-39