Degree Requirements
Public Relations majors must complete the following core courses:
JOUR 209 Effective Writing for Strategic Public Relations (4) The unique writing requirements of social, online, broadcast, print and other media in PR/strategic communication; emphasis on the art and craft of writing, judgment, context, and audience understanding.
JOUR 350 Strategic Public Relations: An Introduction (4) Strategies, practices and tactics in the growing field of public relations/strategic communication; emphasis on case analyses, historical roots, evolution, current practices, and the future.
JOUR 351A Strategic Public Relations Media and Content I (4) Introduction to media relations, social media and influencer engagement; includes extensive writing plus creating multimedia content for traditional, emerging and social media.
JOUR 351 B Strategic Public Relations Media and Content II (4) Advanced course in writing, digital content and multimedia creation, and production of communications collateral for social and owned media channels targeting an array of audiences.
JOUR 353 Theoretical Foundations of Strategic Public Relations (4) Emphasis on the conceptual, intellectual, and analytical skills, plus knowledge of applied theory, necessary for success in a very fast changing field.
JOUR 428 Social, Legal and Ethical Foundations of Strategic Public Relations (4) Covers the increasingly complex intersection of legal standards, regulations, and precedents; ethical practices and decision making; and social responsibilities at which today’s practitioners function.
JOUR 429 Business and Economic Foundations of Strategic Public Relations (4) The essential relationship between PR/strategic communication and other organizational disciplines; understanding business goals and their communication implications; economic literacy; financial/investor relations; how PR/communication agencies are built and managed.
JOUR 450 Advanced Strategic Public Relations (4) In-depth study of methods for planning, managing and evaluating strategic communication campaigns; critical analysis of contemporary cases; development of campaigns for real world clients.
JOUR 463 Strategic Public Relations Research, Analysis and Insights (4) The identification of key strategic insights that can drive successful communication campaigns, based on classic research techniques (focus groups, surveys, content analysis) and the use of cutting edge social media tools including Radian6.
In addition, Public Relations students must complete 8 upper division journalism elective units chosen in consultation with an adviser. See the USC Catalogue for a list of journalism classes. Please note that not every class is available each semester. To see which classes are currently offered, consult the Schedule of Classes.