Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising

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You will lead and thrive in the rapidly expanding public relations industry because we prepare you to deliver more — more strategy, more content, more channels, more creativity, and more insights.

We will ensure you are ready to create integrated public relations campaigns that span paid, earned, shared and owned media types. You will learn to weave together storytelling with data intelligence while creating multi-platform content. You will hone your ability to use audience insight mining to inform and execute PR strategies. You will become adept at building influencer relations and advancing brand activations.

Led by our dynamic faculty in one of the world’s great media capitals, you will be empowered to shape your own career path while forging professional opportunities that can span business, marketing, advertising, entertainment, technology, healthcare, advocacy, and beyond.

By the numbers

school for studying public relationsCiting our innovative curriculum and ideal location in L.A., College Magazine ranks USC Annenberg as the foremost school for studying public relations.

Citing our innovative curriculum and ideal location in L.A., College Magazine ranks USC Annenberg as the foremost school for studying public relations.

98% %

of our Class of 2023 employed within 12 months of graduationOur recent graduates have gone on to distinguished careers with employers such as Hello Sunshine, NBCUniversal, Edelman, National Football League, and Disney.

Our recent graduates have gone on to distinguished careers with employers such as Hello Sunshine, NBCUniversal, Edelman, National Football League, and Disney.

80% %

of PR professionals and marketers believe the future is digital storytellingA recent study from USC’s Center for Public Relations found that crafting a compelling story and pushing it out to social channels is one of PR’s greatest opportunities.

A recent study from USC’s Center for Public Relations found that crafting a compelling story and pushing it out to social channels is one of PR’s greatest opportunities.

students per required courseOur students develop intellectual, professional and ethical depth as they engage with our expert faculty in small-class settings.

Our students develop intellectual, professional and ethical depth as they engage with our expert faculty in small-class settings.

Faculty, student and alumni work

Melanie Cherry (left), associate director of the Public Relations and Advertising (BA) program, accepts award

Best of the best

USC Annenberg Public Relations named top program in U.S. by PRWeek.

A group of people looking at the camera with a blue, purple, and green hue overlayed over the image

PR master’s students help bridge the gap between brands and Gen Z

Fernando Cienfuegos and Samantha Carpintero share a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the collaborative USC Annenberg X ACC Think Tank research course.

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A new playbook on influencer relations

Professor Rob Kozinets’ Influencers and Creators: Business Culture and Practices serves as the primary textbook for his PR 426: Influencer Relations course.

Crafting multimedia campaigns for music, health policy, and more

Jonathan D’Aguilar creates a diverse portfolio of work, including his own music brand and a health policy campaign for the USC Schaeffer Center.

USC Annenberg public relations student Dany Rodríguez Martinez holds a black "I Love PR" button in front of a building.

Bridging science, technology and communication

Dany Rodríguez Martínez knows that communication, marketing, law and medicine have a great part to play in what the space industry is doing.

Jack Brockman, a new freshman at USC stands against the wall with a red and gold-lettered USC Trojans shirt and black backwards cap.

Small-town sportswriter hits the big city

Jack McShane Brockman’s mission is to create communities by bringing sports fandoms together.

Advance your audience insight and content creation skills

Our state-of-the-art Media Center and Digital Lounge allow you to gain hands-on experience while acquiring the advanced multimedia and analytical skills necessary to tell stories while measuring impact across platforms. Through the center’s Digital Media Analytics Desk, you can learn to monitor the social stream as well as how to collect and analyze data for real-time events, brand communication and advertising campaigns. The Digital Lounge offers a creative makerspace where you can build your technology and content creation skills, including Adobe Certification.

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