Overview
The public relations track prepares students for a career in which they will use a variety of media production and writing skills to engage communities and design messages for businesses, non-profits and clients.
Possible Careers
- Public relations specialist
- Production assistant
- Host/Media talent
- Marketing and sales
- Journalist
- Social media content creator
- Producer
- Video editor
- Social media manager
- Communications Director
- Media mangement
- Community organizer
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR STUDENT REQUIREMENT-SUCCESS SEMINAR | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3-4 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| GE Mathematics Course *Any approved GE math course, MATH 2623 or 2623C recommended | 3 | |
| GE: Arts and Humanities (6 s.h.) | ||
| JOUR 2603 | Media Ethics and Social Responsibilities required for major | 3 |
| HIST 2650 | CL History of American Democracy | 3 |
| GE: Natural Sciences (7 s.h.) 2 different science courses, 1 MUST include a lab | 7 | |
| GE: Social Science (6 s.h.) | ||
| MCOM 1595 | Media Literacy and Culture *required for major | 3 |
| GE: Social Science | 3 | |
| General Education Electives (6 s.h.) | ||
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations required for major | 3 |
| or CMST 2620 | Science Communication | |
| GE Elective Course | 3 | |
| GE Elective Course | 3 | |
| Required Support Courses | ||
| CMST 1500 | Exploring Communication | 3 |
| CMST 3790 | Personal Brand Communication | 3 |
| JOUR 2602 | Media Writing | 3 |
| JOUR 4824 | Communication Law | 3 |
| Multimedia Communication Required Courses (21 s.h.) | ||
| MCOM 2624 | Communication Technology - Photo and Video | 3 |
| MCOM 2625 | Communication Technologies: Aesthetics and Design | 3 |
| MCOM 2683 | Foundations of Multicamera Production | 1 |
| MCOM 2683L | Multicamera Lab 1 | 2 |
| MCOM 2685 | Producing | 3 |
| MCOM 3726 | American Media: History, Principles and Practices | 3 |
| MCOM 3780 | Presentational Literacy | 3 |
| MCOM 4850L | Applied Production | 3 |
| Interdisciplinary Public Relation Track Courses | ||
| MCOM 2654 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 |
| MCOM 2686 | Advertising Principles and Production | 3 |
| or MKTG 3711 | Marketing Promotional Strategies | |
| MCOM 3711 | Social Media Content Creation | 3 |
| MCOM 3717 | Public Relations Campaigns | 3 |
| MCOM 3791 | Electronic Media Promotion and Sales | 3 |
| or MCOM 3711 | Social Media Content Creation | |
| JOUR 3717 | Editorial and Opinion Writing | 3 |
| or JOUR 3716 | Feature Writing | |
| or JOUR 3759 | Sports Journalism | |
| JOUR 3757 | Public Relations Writing | 3 |
| JOUR 3721L | News Content Creation 1 | 3 |
| or JOUR 3725 | News Reporting | |
| CMST 2630 | Social Media Literacy | 3 |
| CMST 4850 | Social Media Campaigns | 3 |
| MKTG 3703 | Marketing Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| Seminar Requirement | ||
| MCOM 4897 | Seminar | 3 |
| or JOUR 4825 | Selected Topics in Journalism | |
| Senior Capstone | ||
| MCOM 4899 | Senior Project | 3 |
| Free Electives *Hours will vary based on what is needed for 120 SH | 10-8 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
*Student must complete a minimum 39 SH of upper-level courses, 37XX and above.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar or Youngstown State University Success Seminar or Intro to Honors | 1-2 |
| CMST 1500 | Exploring Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 1550 or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 or Writing 1 with Support | 3-4 |
| MCOM 2683 | Foundations of Multicamera Production | 1 |
| MCOM 2683L | Multicamera Lab 1 | 2 |
| MCOM 2624 | Communication Technology - Photo and Video | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 13-15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| MCOM 1595 | Media Literacy and Culture | 3 |
| MCOM 2625 | Communication Technologies: Aesthetics and Design | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| CMST 2630 | Social Media Literacy | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MCOM 2685 | Producing | 3 |
| JOUR 2602 | Media Writing | 3 |
| JOUR 2603 | Media Ethics and Social Responsibilities | 3 |
| JOUR 3725 or JOUR 3721L | News Reporting or News Content Creation 1 | 3 |
| Math Requirement | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MCOM 2686 or MKTG 3711 | Advertising Principles and Production or Marketing Promotional Strategies | 3 |
| MCOM 3791 or MCOM 3711 | Electronic Media Promotion and Sales or Social Media Content Creation | 3 |
| CMST 3790 | Personal Brand Communication | 3 |
| CMST 3717 | Public Relations Campaigns | 3 |
| GE: Lab Science | 4 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MCOM 2654 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 |
| MCOM 3726 | American Media: History, Principles and Practices | 3 |
| JOUR 3717 | Editorial and Opinion Writing or Feature Writing or Sports Journalism | 3 |
| General Education Elective | 3 | |
| GE: Social Science | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| JOUR 4824 | Communication Law | 3 |
| CMST 3757 | Public Relations Writing | 3 |
| MKTG 3703 | Marketing Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MCOM 3780 | Presentational Literacy | 3 |
| MCOM 4850L | Applied Production | 3 |
| MCOM 4897 or JOUR 4825 | Seminar or Selected Topics in Journalism | 3 |
| GE: Natural Science | 3 | |
| Gen Ed Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MCOM 4899 | Senior Project | 3 |
| CMST 4850 | Social Media Campaigns | 3 |
| GE: Arts & Humanities Course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 4-2 | |
| Semester Hours | 16-14 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The student learning outcomes for the B.A. degree program are as follows:
SLO1: Students will compose messages using multi-media technology.
SLO2: Students will use the production process to construct written, oral and visual messages for a specific audience.
SLO3: Students will examine and apply legal and ethical concepts associated with careers in mass media.
SLO4: Students will describe the prevailing theories and professional structures of electronic media both in the U.S. and globally.