Standards for Master’s Degree Education in Public Relations

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Research led by:• Syracuse University• University of Maryland

Research and report generously funded by:• PRSA Foundation• The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

Commission on Public Relations Education: • Educators and practitioners • Studied public relations education since 1975• Undergraduate recommendations adopted nationally and internationally

Acknowledgements

Why We Did This• Graduate programs vary drastically in

curriculum and purpose• Need for accrediting guidelines and standards

across programs• Elevate and clarify what students, educators

and employers can expect of a master’s degree in public relations

• Boost industry support for such education

Overview of the Report• Research• Curriculum standards• Admission standards• Delivering the master’s degree• Resources needed• Global perspective• Summary

Types of DegreesProfessional Graduate Program• Strategic and critical thinking• Understand and respect ethics• Provides competitive edge

Academic Graduate Program• Preparation for teaching, research, doctoral

program • Expand knowledge of theories and principles• Advance critical thinking and ethics

Research ResultsPhase 1: Analysis of secondary sources and online audit of websites• Increase in master’s programs (from 26 in 2000 to

75 in 2011, and still growing)• Range of program titles• Lack of uniform standards including number of

credit hours• Inconsistent cumulative/capstone experiences

Research ResultsPhase 2: Quantitative survey of educators and practitioners• Four knowledge categories identified: strategic

management, business, theoretical knowledge (including research methods), globalization

• Comprehensive project requirement• Practitioners and educators split on whether a master’s

degree is important in hiring• Completing the degree makes graduate eligible for

research positions/equivalent of three years’ experience

Research ResultsPhase 3: Qualitative in-depth interviews with employers• Employers value characteristics of applicant more than

knowledge or skills• Employers view a master’s as preparation for entry-level• Suggested a “better brand” needed for graduate programs • Interpreted “split” between practitioners and educators as

reflection of varying graduate program quality

• Standards for content areas, not specific courses

• A master’s degree in public relations should consist of a minimum of 30 hours

• Standards are applicable to:– Master’s degree programs that are specifically

called public relations degree programs– Programs in which public relations is a track,

sequence or concentration

Master’s Degree Curriculum

Master’s Degree Curriculum

Should focus on knowledge and skills in the following areas:• Strategic public relations management• Basic business principles and processes • Communication/public relations theory and

research methods• Global influences on the practice of public

relations• Ethics

Master’s Degree Curriculum

Should also gain a mutual understanding of business principles and processes:• Management• Marketing• Accounting• Economics and finance• Understanding strategic business outcomes

Admission Standards• Academic ability– Standardized entrance exams such as the GRE– Exceptional undergraduate GPAs– Integrated reasoning and/or analytical writing

ability tests

• Knowledge of public relations– Experience– Academic and professional credentials

Delivering the Master’s Degree

The traditional model remains the most prevalent and widely preferred by educators and practitioners due to the benefits:• Academic services and professors are available to

provide support• It is easier to structure courses for both students

and faculty• Revenue for the university

Delivering the Master’s Degree

However, traditional courses also pose some challenges:• Students must spend two-plus years on campus• Most programs force students to quit working

while pursuing a master's degree• International students struggle because relocating

limits work opportunities• Many universities are already operating over

capacity

Delivering the Master’s Degree

Online, blended and web-facilitated programs address such problems and provide key benefits:• Can increase enrollment and reach new markets• Hybrid learning effectively expands course content

and supports knowledge analysis • Hybrid education still enables students to form

bonds with peer groups and professors

Delivering the Master’s Degree

Online and web-facilitated programs also have drawbacks:• Face-to-face connections are rarely made, which

limits team-oriented learning• Students lack the benefit of a campus, professors

and academic services• Students must rely on self-discipline to complete

course work

Delivering the Master’s Degree

At a minimum, a master's program must ensure that future practitioners are able to:• Contribute to the profession• Transmit knowledge• Conduct research• Apply theories in everyday work

Requires rigorous curricula no matter what delivery format

Resources Needed• Educators prefer faculty to have academic

credentials• Practitioners thought too many educators lack

professional experience• Faculty should have a blend of practical

experience and theoretical understanding• Faculty should also remain professionally

engaged

• Universities encouraged to recognize that an individual faculty member may not possess every desired criterion

• However, faculty hired for full-time positions should:– Preferably have a Ph.D

A master’s degree and professional experience should be the minimum acceptable credentials

– Have professional credentials from a widely recognized professional society

– Be engaged in ongoing professional development in both academic and practitioner environments

Resources Needed

Financial, facility and marketing support for public relations master’s programs:• Increased autonomy for facilities and budget management• Utilize opportunities to attract greater funding from the

private sector• Academic units should support global initiatives such as

travel grants for international faculty and students• Use marketing techniques to attract top students to public

relations master’s degree programs• Educate employers about the value of the master’s degree

Resources Needed

Further resource considerations:• Internships, work experience and practica are

essential components of professional graduate education

• Employers have ever-increasing expectations of master’s degree graduates’ ability to use technology

• Graduates student research should enable an understanding of using such tools and systems

Resources Needed

• Both educators and practitioners should commit to a more effective interface with each other

• Practitioners believe too many full-time faculty lack professional experience

• Collaboration in preparing practitioners to teach can help improve interface

• Programs should leverage educator and practitioner collaboration to increase the number of successful research programs

Resources Needed

• There needs to be a global understanding of public relations master’s education

• Countries all over the world have contributed to the development of public relations

• The Commission includes members from North America, Europe, Australia and Indonesia

• The Commission’s previous reports and standards have been adapted all over the world

Global Perspective

Summary• Professional and academic graduate programs

engage students and practitioners in furthering their education for career or academic purposes

• Standards create common core elements to ensure consistency throughout public relations graduate programs that results in credibility and validity

• Programs can leverage educator and practitioner collaboration to increase relevance

• Educators and practitioners worldwide should consider this report and alter their graduate programs as needed

Commission Members• Dean Kruckeberg, Ph.D., APR,

Fellow PRSA, Co-Chair University of North Carolina at Charlotte

• Frank Ovaitt, Jr., APR, Co-Chair Institute for Public Relations

• William Briggs, Ed.D. California State University Fullerton

• Kathy Cripps, APR Council of Public Relation Firms

• Louis Capozzi, APR, Fellow PRSA New York University

• Denise P. Ferguson, Ph.D., APR Pepperdine University

• Rochelle Ford, Ph.D., APR Howard University

• Elizabeth Goenawan Ananto, Ph.D., IPRA Fellow Trisakti University

• Karla K. Gower, Ph.D. University of Alabama

• Emanuele Invernizzi Università IULM

• Stephen D. Iseman, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA Ohio Northern University

• Colleen M. Killingsworth, ABC, APR CK Communications

• Alexander V. Laskin, Ph.D. Quinnipiac University

Commission Members• Thomas R. Martin College of

Charleston• John L. Paluszek, APR, Fellow PRSA

Ketchum• Maria P. Russell, APR, Fellow PRSA

Syracuse University• Hongmei Shen, Ph.D. San Diego

State University• Deborah Silverman, Ph.D., APR

Buffalo State College• Gerald Swerling University of

Southern California

• Elizabeth Toth, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA University of Maryland, College Park

• Katerina Tsetsura, Ph.D. University of Oklahoma

• Judy VanSlyke Turk, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA Virginia Commonwealth University

• Jean Valin, Fellow CPRS, APR Valin Strategic Communication

• Susan Balcom Walton, APR University of North Dakota

• Donald K. Wright, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA Boston University