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Advertising and Public RelationsMajor

Advertising and public relations professionals plan, design and direct communications, and find fulfilling careers in a variety of industries and locations around the world.

By the numbers115

One of 115 programs accredited worldwide by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

Overview

What is Advertising and Public Relations at WVU like?

Description

As an Advertising and Public Relations student, you’ll learn how to develop and produce educational and persuasive messages and campaigns that are customized and shared through a variety of media — websites, social media, print, streaming and more.

You will build skills in writing, research, design, event planning, direct marketing and media planning, which you will use to plan and produce promotional and educational campaigns and materials for regional and international clients.

Our graduates are highly marketable and find work in advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, nonprofits, government, education, entertainment, sports, healthcare and other public-sector fields.

Advertising and Public Relations program highlights:

At a Glance

Next Steps

Interested in this major? Here are some suggested next steps:

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Areas of Emphasis

Tailor this major to your interests by taking courses in one of these areas:

  • Advertising
    Students who select the Advertising AOE obtain a solid foundation in creative copywriting and design, media planning, audience insights and analysis, and campaigns.
  • Public Relations
    Students who select the Public Relations AOE take courses in strategic writing and social media, media design, audience research and analysis, and campaigns.

Fast Facts

What makes Advertising and Public Relations at WVU unique?

Accelerated Master's Program

Advertising and Public Relations offers the option to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in an accelerated time frame.

Research and Academic Opportunities

  • Coursework often includes hands-on service learning projects with local nonprofit organizations that help you build a portfolio as you go through college.
  • Martin Hall Agency is a student-run, faculty-led strategic communications agency and one of the capstone course offerings where students gain real-world, portfolio worthy experience.
  • A unique, flexible and adaptable curriculum allows you to pursue what you're passionate about within communications.
  • Study abroad opportunities - Students have traveled to France for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and throughout Europe as part of a capstone course that involves strategic communications work for an international organization.
  • New technology and innovation in our classrooms prepare you for the changing media landscape.
  • The Public Interest Communication (PIC) Research Lab unites strategic public interest communication scholars within the Reed College of Media, across WVU and beyond.
  • The Innovators-in-Residence program brings top media professionals who are leading change in the industry to the WVU campus to create new curriculum, experiment with new technology and equip students with new skills to tackle current — and anticipated — challenges in the industry.

3+3 Law Degree Program

This major is eligible for the 3+3 Law Degree Program that allows qualified students to earn a bachelor’s degree and law degree in six years instead of seven years.

Living-Learning Communities (LLCs)

Live, study and pursue outside-the-classroom learning in a residence hall community that shares your interests:

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU. Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Student Organizations

Connect with other students who share your academic interests as a member of:

View all of the student organizations you can join.

Professional Organizations

Network with professionals in your field as a student member of:

Careers

How does this degree prepare students for a career?

The Reed College of Media helps place students in internships that offer hands-on experience beyond the classroom. Students participate in internships everywhere from New York advertising agencies to Capitol Hill to professional sports teams and London-based communications firms.

Graduates have gone on to become successful advertising and public relations account executives, social media directors, art directors, creative directors, corporate and nonprofit communication specialists, government public information officers, community relations directors, advertising directors, media planners and more. They work with top advertising and public relations firms, and some own their own agencies.

Possible Careers

Wondering what you can do with a degree from WVU's Advertising and Public Relations major? Check out these ideas from WVU Career Services and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is the midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Employers

Graduates from this major have gone to work at:

Courses

What are the courses like in Advertising and Public Relations at WVU?

Plan of Study

Check out a program overview, learning goals, course descriptions and suggested plan of study for WVU's Advertising and Public Relations major.

View the Plan of Study
 

Popular Courses

ADPR 319:
Creative Design and Strategy

Learn design and production techniques for both print and digital media, including brochures, social media graphics, websites, posters and more. Get hands-on tutorials and develop skills in Adobe Creative Cloud design software.

ADPR 439:
Strategic Social Media

Focus on crafting messages and successful case studies related to how social media channels can be strategically used to meet the goals of corporate, nonprofit, political and issue-based outreach messaging.

ADPR 457:
Martin Hall Agency Experience

This is a faculty-advised, student-run advertising and public relations agency. Manage accounts and work in interactive teams to develop integrated multimedia advertising and public relations strategies, materials and campaigns to address the strategic communication needs of real clients.

ADV 401:
Creative 1

Develop skills in creativity, concept development, idea generation and principles of effective communication using words and visuals in a variety of print, social, digital, mobile, broadcast and other media.

PR 455:
Strategic Event Planning and Promotion

This course provides a hands-on introduction to special event and festival management. Learn how to plan, implement and evaluate special events and build skills in event planning, coordination, sponsorship, programming, vendor management, volunteer management and risk management.

Capstone Projects

Before graduating, all undergraduates in this major complete an academic project (or "capstone") to demonstrate their research, communication and critical thinking skills.

As part of their capstone experience, recent students have contributed to:

Cost and Aid

How much does Advertising and Public Relations at WVU cost? And how can you save?

Tuition and Fees

Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.

View Tuition and Fees

Scholarships

Estimate your eligibility for merit scholarships at WVU Morgantown.

Find Scholarships

Net Price Calculator

Estimate your cost of attendance and eligibility for financial aid and scholarships at any WVU System campus.

Visit the Net Price Calculator

Ways to Save

Here are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending WVU in addition to university scholarships.

Extra Merit-based Scholarships

Incoming freshmen to the Reed College of Media may qualify for Innovators scholarships based on GPA. No additional application is necessary. These scholarships are in addition to University scholarships.

See if You Qualify

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.

Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Learn How to Transfer Course Credits

Requirements

What are the requirements to apply for Advertising and Public Relations at WVU?

To be admitted to WVU's Advertising and Public Relations major, you must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements for the 2024-25 academic year. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.

Related Majors and Minors

What other options does WVU have?

What minors could I consider?

Related Pathways

What majors share similar career interests with this major at WVU?

Next Steps

I like this major. What are the next steps?

Apply Now

Your first step to becoming a Mountaineer is applying for admission. Our online application makes the process as convenient as possible.

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Request Information

Want to know more about Advertising and Public Relations at WVU? Fill out the Request Information form to receive more information about the program and life at WVU.

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Visit WVU

It's the next-best thing to being here – you can virtually tour residence halls and the WVU Morgantown Campus.

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