Mar 19, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Public Relations Interdisciplinary English | BA


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The interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations prepares students for a career in the global public relations industry.

Learn

The interdisciplinary public relations major provides students with a solid foundation and understanding of the necessary tools and skills that are commonly practiced within today’s PR discipline. The interdisciplinary curriculum offers exposure to numerous topics including:

  • public relations writing
  • social media
  • research
  • public relations principles and practice
  • integrated campaign planning through PR, marketing, advertising, and social media
  • ethics within public relations
  • crisis management in public relations
  • case studies
  • hands on applicable skills through a required internship

Opportunities

The dynamic field of public relations leverages relationship management principles in order to foster connections between an organization and its specific publics or audiences. Public relations practitioners are highly desired organizational resources, whether in business, education, athletics, health care, government, or human services. Public relations professionals are accomplished problem solvers, conflict managers, writers, speakers, event planners, and media relations experts. Public relations professionals manage the organizational messaging, promotes clarification of decisions, products, and services that contribute to a positive reputation and increased organizational success.

Graduates of the public relations program work in all segments of the field including public relations agencies and firms; corporate communication offices, media relations, event planning, social media, fund raising, and not-for-profit public relations.

Department Information


English Language & Literature, College of Arts & Sciences

Joseph Csicsila, Ph.D. | Interim Department Head | 612 Pray-Harrold | 734.487.4220 | jcsicsila@emich.edu

Advisor Information


Lolita Cummings Carson, Ph.D. | 612 Pray-Harrold | 734.487.4220 | lcummin2@emich.edu

Jamie Ward, Ph.D. | 612 Pray Harrold | 734.487.0970 | jward29@emich.edu

Program Admission


Admission to the program will require a 2.8 GPA, which must be maintained in the major as well as in the minor selected. Admission is granted by the Department of English Language and Literature. Courses from both the Department of English Language and Literature and the School of Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts are offered as requirements and restricted elective courses

General Education Requirements:


For specific General Education requirements, click here  or print a General Education Worksheet  

Major Requirements: 45 hours


Minor Requirement:


This major requires a minor | For a list of available minors, please see Academic Programs  or contact your major advisor.

Program Total:


Students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Beginning in Fall 2022, all baccalaureate degree programs for all undergraduates (regardless of catalog year) will require a minimum of 120 credit hours for completion.

Critical Graduation Information


Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
  • Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) Course in your major.
  • Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
  • Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
  • Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
  • Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
    • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
  • Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; the internal review of such courses is conducted by individual departments/schools within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credits for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.

 

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