The Public Relations master of arts degree at Full Sail University is a comprehensive, online program meant to provide you with all of the skills you need to keep up in an ever-changing PR world. Program Director Ryan Kitelyn explains, "The [Public Relations master's] program will provide you with a thorough understanding of traditional public relations practices, as well as new social media tools and communication channels – all of which will prepare you for a career in advertising, crisis management, or a variety of corporate communications roles."

Mastery

Like other master's programs at Full Sail, the Public Relations master's degree begins with a course on Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership. This portion of the program is designed to set students up for success in a graduate program setting before they dive deeper, teaching you how to conduct research at a high level and how to demonstrate mastery of a subject. Personal development and strong leadership skills are also a big focus.

Public Relations in a Digital World

While this degree program will give you a strong foundation in traditional PR practices, it also gives you the tools you need to understand PR from an online perspective. You'll examine the impact of an always-connected, always-on environment and how digital media is distributed and controlled.

In courses like Writing for Interactive Media, students will learn to master storytelling using visual and digital media. It explores both the mechanics of storytelling as well as how story structure can change across different media platforms.

Other important areas of the program include:

• Legal Aspects of Media: Get familiar with First Amendment rights and media law, privacy, and ethical dilemmas faced by media professionals and how they apply to digital and mobile technologies.
• Social Media Metrics & ROI: Learn how to track, report, and analyze a variety of metrics to better understand how you're meeting PR campaign goals.
• Event Marketing & Production: Press conferences, live events, activations, publicity stunts – learn how digital media plays a critical role in publicizing and organizing these events.
• Reputation Management Strategies: This course will cover everything from monitoring audience sentiment to search rankings, as well as how to repair reputations and address inaccurate information.

"You may end up specializing in one area, or you may find satisfaction in expanding your proficiencies across many different domains of public relations," says Ryan.

Public Relations Portfolio

At Full Sail, our project-based curriculum sets you up to demonstrate what you've learned while building a portfolio you can take to potential clients and employers. In the Public Relations master's program, that means creating your own multimedia plan with a channel mix that supports it.

"Additionally, you will create your own solutions to industry challenges by exploring communication strategies and creating public relations campaigns," says Ryan. "This can make you more marketable to potential employers and clients by exhibiting your advanced knowledge, communication skills, and PR experience."