Undergraduate Degree in Public Relations with UF Online
Write your own success story. The University of Florida’s Public Relations degree prepares future professionals with strong writing and analytical skills to best succeed in their careers.
With training in persuasive and strategic communications, UF Online PR graduates are ready upon graduation to play important roles both within an organization and between the organization and its external environment. This program offers a focus on fundamental disciplines, such as writing, research, strategy, mass communication law and visual communication that will prepare students to engage with the media and diverse communities.
Responsibilities within public relations include anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion; counseling management; developing programs that improve public understanding; and planning and implementing an organization’s efforts to influence or change public policy.
The public relations curriculum at UF is one of the most in-depth curricula in the country, with a balance between skills and conceptual courses, and ranks among the best in the nation. Under UF’s College of Journalism and Communications, students competing in the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) Bateman Case Study Competition have won more competitions than any other university in the United States.
UF’s public relations students acquire knowledge and expertise in:
- Communication skills across multiple media platforms including writing, social media, information management, and video.
- Public policy, social psychology, political science, economics and the principles of management and ethics.
- Technical skills in opinion research, public-issue analysis, media relations, community engagement, publications, and audiovisual productions.
Admissions Requirements
Public Relations Specializations
Students majoring in Public Relations may elect to graduate with their degree in one of the following specializations:
The Corporate track is designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs in corporate public relations settings. They will be ready to work as technicians, such as producing social media strategies and tactics or effective multimedia news releases, as well as for career advancement as managers, such as formulating a communication plan for a new initiative or forecasting the reputational impact of an organizational decision or action. Excellent writing and critical thinking skills are essential.
The Public Interest Communications track is designed to help students learn how to use strategic, science-based communications to effect positive social change both in the U.S. and around the world. Students learn the core concepts of public interest communications and how to apply them.
Students learn the basics of being a public interest communicator, including how to identify and reach key audiences; how to develop effective, values-based messaging; how to choose the right messengers; the importance of storytelling; how to use powerful visuals for maximum impact; how to use digital media to achieve communications goals; and how to develop a strategic communications plan.
Bachelor of Science
Major: Public Relations
College of Journalism and Communications
Undergraduate CatalogWill my credits transfer?
Learn more about how your coursework will transfer to UF Online
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Career Tracks and Opportunities
What professions will a degree in Public Relations prepare me for?
- Account Coordinator
- Account Executive
- Technical Writer
- Campaign and Event Manager
- Communications Specialist
- Fundraising Manager
- Media Coordinator
- Public Relations Specialist
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist
- Social Media Coordinator
Please visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or Career One Stop for additional suggestions on further career pathways and opportunities.
Having this degree is something that’ll open doors for me to get into professional certification programs and strengthen my skills. Maybe even attend grad school in a year or two, depending on where my family and career takes me.
– Chris Rapozo, UF Online Public Relations Student
Admissions Requirements
- If you have 0-11 transferable college credits, review the Freshman admissions requirements.
- If you have 12-59 transferable credits, review the Lower Division Transfer admission requirements.
Upper division transfer applicants (students with 60 or more college credits earned) and Second Bachelor’s degree seeking applicants should have at least a 2.0 overall GPA and completed the following 5 prerequisite courses with at least a 2.0 GPA. To be competitive for admission, applicants should have a minimum 2.5 or higher overall GPA.
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- Argument and Persuasion (ENC 1102)
- American History since 1877 (AMH 2020)
- American Federal Government (POS 2041) OR General Psychology (PSY 2012)
- Introduction to Statistics (STA 2023)
- Principles of Macroeconomics (ECO 2013)
Note: Principles of Microeconomics (ECO 2023) may be substituted for ECO 2013.
*Note:
- All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.
- Unsuccessful attempts in prerequisite courses may lower competitiveness.
- Unsuccessful attempts in additional courses in the desired major may lower competitiveness.
- Out of state courses used to meet prerequisites may need to be evaluated by the appropriate department upon admission.
Why choose UF Online?
At the University of Florida, our passion goes beyond our walls – and so do our opportunities.
UF Online’s Public Relations program places a nationally ranked degree at your convenience, for a fraction of the cost of comparable degree programs — allowing you to leave your mark by making a statement. UF Public Relations graduates are well prepared for fruitful careers as public relations practitioners in businesses, public relations firms, government agencies and nonprofit organizations, nationally and internationally. Our online PR degree program makes our graduates attractive candidates for graduate degree programs ranging from public relations to business and international relations.
Designed for students whose commitments make traditional campus attendance impractical, our online program stands at the forefront, providing flexible academic options with the same elite faculty and rigor that makes us a leading university and top research institution. We connect people with opportunities, remove barriers and set the standard for online higher education. UF Online graduates earn the same elite degree they would receive on campus, and they will be at the top of the list for the best employers in the country.
