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Journalism, Advertising/Public Relations Concentration, B.S.

The Advertising-Public Relations concentration in the Bachelor of Science in Journalism program is offered through the School of Journalism and Strategic Media in the College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU. Students will select from either an emphasis in Advertising or in Public Relations. Students in public relations may choose the general program or choose a specialty in Recording Industry.

Advertising helps students prepare for positions in advertising agencies and departments, media buying or sales, and advertising production, design, or creative. Students in advertising lean toward either the creative or management side of the business with students making class selections within the concentration. One minor is required. Advertising professionals inform the public about goods and services and encourage audience action through advertising messages. The Advertising concentration at MTSU offers preparation for diverse advertising careers. Students learn to write, design, and create materials for a variety of media from print to digital through courses focusing on the creative side. The management area teaches students the principles of media planning/buying and advertising management. The program concludes with an advertising campaigns course in which students work with clients. Faculty who teach advertising have diverse professional experience and remain active as consultants and researchers. Students gain additional experience through The Ad Club and activities with the Nashville Advertising Federation/Ad2. The public relations program helps students prepare for positions in public relations agencies, public relations, and corporate communications departments, governmental public affairs departments, employee relations departments, and non-profit agencies. Public Relations professionals design and implement strategic communication plans to help organizations build beneficial relationships with their various publics. Graduates have opportunities to work in the world of PR within corporations, agencies, health organizations, government, and entertainment. MTSU's accredited program blends the best of theoretical and hands-on approaches. Proximity to Nashville gives students access to media professionals, internships, and jobs. The program offers a challenging and comprehensive curriculum, excellent faculty, a state-of-the-art PR lab, and an active Public Relations Student Society of America chapter. Get started by selecting the Advertising/Public Relations concentration in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. Areas covered include strategic communications, media relations, corporate communications, crisis communications, entertainment public relations, healthcare public relations, international public relations, and research methods.

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Careers
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News Briefs

Students partner with Tennessee Titans on strategic media campaign

The Tennessee Titans may be picking up more millennial fans in coming seasons thanks to recommendations that 10 School of Journalism and Strategic Media seniors shared with the NFL team's marketing staff. Students in the school's Fall 2021 Public Relations and Advertising Campaigns class, developed tactics and strategies the team could use to enhance the experiences of millennial fans. The team's director of social media and influencer marketing strategy, Nate Bain, said, "The Titans were extremely impressed with the students' presentation. The level of detail and thought put into their research rivaled that of ad agencies. We found great value in the students' work and hope to continue this relationship with Dr. Taylor and MTSU."

MTSU alums go west to San Francisco

MTSU alumni Paul Bernardini ('11) and Landin King ('10) both are working at San Francisco-based Eastwick, a technology public relations agency specializing in media relations, social media, measurement and analytics, and more. King's internship led to a PR job for high-end hospitality brands at a boutique Nashville firm, The Andrews Agency, for his first two years after college. His current client load focuses largely on Quest Software units. Bernardini, who grew up in the Bay Area until age 6, lived in the Grand Teton National Park for a year and traveled in Southeast Asia for three months after graduation. "There are a lot of moving parts in PR, and it is by no means a typical 9-to-5 gig," Bernardini said.

News Briefs

Students partner with Tennessee Titans on strategic media campaign

The Tennessee Titans may be picking up more millennial fans in coming seasons thanks to recommendations that 10 School of Journalism and Strategic Media seniors shared with the NFL team's marketing staff. Students in the school's Fall 2021 Public Relations and Advertising Campaigns class, developed tactics and strategies the team could use to enhance the experiences of millennial fans. The team's director of social media and influencer marketing strategy, Nate Bain, said, "The Titans were extremely impressed with the students' presentation. The level of detail and thought put into their research rivaled that of ad agencies. We found great value in the students' work and hope to continue this relationship with Dr. Taylor and MTSU."

MTSU alums go west to San Francisco

MTSU alumni Paul Bernardini ('11) and Landin King ('10) both are working at San Francisco-based Eastwick, a technology public relations agency specializing in media relations, social media, measurement and analytics, and more. King's internship led to a PR job for high-end hospitality brands at a boutique Nashville firm, The Andrews Agency, for his first two years after college. His current client load focuses largely on Quest Software units. Bernardini, who grew up in the Bay Area until age 6, lived in the Grand Teton National Park for a year and traveled in Southeast Asia for three months after graduation. "There are a lot of moving parts in PR, and it is by no means a typical 9-to-5 gig," Bernardini said.

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CAREERS

Graduates specializing in public relations should find plenty of job opportunities in today's highly competitive business climate and market reach via multiple media platforms. Career possibilities await in agencies that represent clients, in industry from healthcare to entertainment, in organizational settings from education to religion, and in other non-profits and government.

  • Campaign manager
  • Communications specialist / executive
  • Community relations director
  • Corporate communications director
  • Creative/art director
  • Employee/internal communications
  • Entertainment industry publicist
  • Government public information officer
  • Healthcare communications specialist
  • Marketing consultant
  • Marketing manager
  • Marketing materials designer
  • Media relations specialist
  • Non-profit communications manager
  • PR agency account manager
  • Press secretary
  • Public affairs director
  • Public involvement coordinator
  • Public relations specialist/executive
  • Social media strategist
  • Special events manager
  • Speech writer

Employers of MTSU alumni include

  • The Andrews Agency
  • DVL Public Relations and Advertising
  • Eastwick PR Agency, San Francisco
  • Fairmont St. Andrews, Scotland
  • Gaylord Opryland
  • Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee
  • Ketchum, Inc.
  • McNeely Pigott & Fox
  • Middle Tennessee State University
  • Middle Tennessee Medical Center
  • Nissan North America, Inc. Corporate Communications
  • Rodofer Moss & Co., PLLC
  • Schneider Electric
  • United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties

REQUIREMENTS

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FACULTY

INFORMATION

Degrees

MTSU's School of Journalism and Strategic Media offers work leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Journalism. Concentrations are available in

For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS tab above.

Undergraduate or graduate students outside the College of Media and Entertainment may choose to minor in Mass Communication with an emphasis in any of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media’s concentrations.

A Master of Science (M.S.) degree is available in Media and Communication.

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