Interdisciplinary public relations: a curriculum for undergraduate study at Oakwood College

The purpose of this project was to create a public relations curriculum for undergraduate study to prepare students as effective practitioners and communicators in the 21st century. Public relations education has changed over the years to meet the needs and trends of the industry, and today is no exception. The continued rise of Integrated Marketing Communications, and the desire to strengthen the counseling and management functions of public relations make it necessary to evaluate undergraduate curricula to ensure students are being properly prepared to enter the workforce. The undergraduate curricula of 11 schools were analyzed and compared for subject matter and skills promoted, as related to the concerns and needs expressed in related literature by current public relations practitioners and educators. The schools were chosen through a survey of recognized experts in the public relations industry, as schools having the top undergraduate public relations programs in the country. The resulting curriculum reflects the need for students to have a social science grounding, a working understanding of other disciplines, such as advertising and marketing, and better skills in writing, business management, and strategic thinking