Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations, Advertising & Integrated Marketing Communication

The public relations, advertising, and integrated marketing communication program at Thiel College is a joint venture between the Department of Media, Communication, and Public Relations and the Department of Business Administration and Accounting. Students will take a variety of courses in public relations, advertising, integrated marketing communication, interpersonal communication, media, accounting, business management, computer information systems (CIS), and economics.

This program has two similar but different tracks. The media track is recommended for students who want to work in corporations or public relations and advertising agencies, but do not anticipate moving into general management positions. The management track is recommended for students who anticipate starting their careers in public relations or advertising and eventually moving into general management positions in an agency or corporation.

Major Features

• Understand the basic business marketing (especially public relations and advertising) and management functions.
• Develop interpersonal skills and learn to be a valuable member of a team.
• Understand that every business decision has financial, environmental, and managerial costs and benefits.
• Be prepared for employment as a public relations, advertising, or marketing professional and for admission into a public relations, advertising, marketing, or general business graduate program.
• Understand ethical issues in public relations, advertising, and marketing in today’s business environment, and appropriate resolutions of ethical dilemmas and other problems.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of communication’s role in society and in mass culture, the role and uses of mass communication, and the uses of a range of specialized communication applications such as public relations, advertising, and marketing generally.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the job requirements and work environments in public relations, advertising, and marketing positions, departments, and agencies.

A student who graduates from Thiel College with a major in public relations, advertising, and integrated marketing communication will:

• Be able to effectively create persuasive messages;
• Understand the ethical issues in media work created by First Amendment freedoms and be able to act in ethical ways;
• Understand and be able to apply adaptive leadership and collaboration skills;
• Be able to analyze, and apply current theories and approaches to decision-making in Public Relations;
• Demonstrate effective communication in oral and written forms in the field.

Major Requirements

Management Track

• COMM 155 Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communication
• COMM 255 Interpersonal Communication or COMM 321 Organizational Communication
• COMM 280 Survey of Mediated Communication
• COMM 282 Writing for Media
• COMM 325 Communication Ethics
• COMM 340 Public Relations
• COMM 405 Advanced Public Relations
• COMM 470 Senior Seminar
• COMM 480 Internship
• CIS 111 Word Processing Applications
• CIS 112 Spreadsheet Applications
• CIS 122 Advanced Spreadsheet Apps
• ACCT 113 Principles of Accounting
• BADM 233 Managerial Accounting
• BADM 324 Advertising
• BADM 355 Business Law I
• BADM 374 Principles of Management
• BADM 384 Business Communication
• BADM 454 Marketing
• ECON 221 Microeconomics

Recommended: IS 140—Graphic Arts; COMM 181—Public Speaking; COMM 300—Persuasion; COMM 331— Intercultural Communication; and COMM 455—Media Law & Regulation

Media Track

• COMM 155 Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communication
• COMM 255 Interpersonal Communication or COMM 321 Organizational Communication
• COMM 280 Survey of Mediated Communication
• COMM 282 Writing for Media
• COMM 325 Communication Ethics
• COMM 340 Public Relations
• COMM 405 Advanced Public Relations
• COMM 470 Senior Seminar
• COMM 480 Internship
• CIS 111 Word Processing Applications
• CIS 112 Spreadsheet Applications
• CIS 122 Advanced Spreadsheet Apps
• BADM 100 Introduction to Business
• CSCI 139 Web Design & Development
• BADM 324 Advertising
• BADM 374 Principles of Management
• BADM 384 Business Communication
• BADM 454 Marketing
• BADM 456 International Marketing
• ECON 221 Microeconomics

Recommended: IS 140—Graphic Arts; COMM 181—Public Speaking; COMM 300—Persuasion; COMM 331— Intercultural Communication; and COMM 455—Media Law & Regulation

This program is broad and covers a wide range of job opportunities for our graduates! Thiel College students in the program will be able to work in fields such as public relations, advertising, and marketing, working in PR/advertising agencies, corporations or small businesses (including media companies), large and small nonprofit organizations, or government. It also helps prepare students for graduate study in public relations, advertising, marketing, business administration (such as an M.B.A. degree), nonprofit management, or business journalism.