2024-2025 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Principles of public relations practice; public relations in organizations; responsibilities of the public relations practitioner; legal and ethical considerations; role of public relations in society; history of the field and key people who influenced its development; choosing appropriate communication channels/media.
Analysis of contemporary and historic public relations cases. Emphasis on theories, research techniques, planning methods, implementation strategies, evaluation standards, and ethical considerations in public relations programs and campaigns.
Selected topics in public relations and advertising. Emphasis on theoretical, practical, or ethical issues in selected contexts. May be repeated 1 time with different content for a maximum of 6 credits.
Analysis and implementation of contemporary academic and professional research tools for public relations. Emphasis on development of research designs, assessment and evaluation of public relations programs and campaigns, and implementation of ethical research practices and standards.
Advanced writing and editing used to structure and present information in public relations practice. Includes message development, message design for delivery through various media, copyediting skills and tools, strategies for dissemination, and legal and ethical issues in public relations writing.
Examines communication theories, strategies and tactics that corporations use in their public relations efforts to reach and influence publics. Prepares students for in-house public relations work and familiarizes them with expectations of corporate clients. Introduces students to the important role communication plays within and between for-profit, nonprofit, and government institutions. Emphasis on the influence of corporate culture, ethics and values on communication styles. Junior standing required.
Explores role of communication in corporate social responsibility. Emphasis on the ethical implications of communicating the need to generate profits with the need to ensure that corporate actions do not harm important stakeholders such as employees, investors, customers, and communities.
Examines communication theories, strategies, and tactics that sports organizations use in their public relations efforts. Introduces students to the dynamic relationship between sports organizations, media, and fans. Study of ethics and professional standards in sports public relations. Emphasizes the role of public relations in sports as a strategic communication and management function.
Role of communication in complex organizations; communication networks, communication and management, message systems, decision-making; relationships between organizational theory and communication.
Public Relations (PR) administration issues related to budgeting, strategy, legal issues, and campaigns in an organization. Emphasis on PR theory and ethics.
Public relations campaign research, planning, implementation and evaluation. Emphasis on applying theory in campaign contexts; executing applied research; setting objectives; developing strategic plans, messages and budgets; carrying out courses of action; and evaluating results.
Communication theories of risk, crisis, emergency, and public/private issue management. Legal and ethical considerations in issue management and crisis communication. Communication strategies and tactics for issue and crisis management. Reputation management and image restoration as they relate to risk, crises, emergencies, and issues.
Research and theory in strategic communication. Cultural awareness of diverse publics. Relationship, reputation, crisis, and issue management in interpersonal, group, organizational, and corporate communication contexts. Ethical standards in strategic communication. Corporate social responsibility.
Addresses complexities of public relations research, planning, implementation, and evaluation required for professional certification. Includes special emphasis on public relations legal and ethical practices. Senior standing.Fee $150.
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