The world of Public Relations is changing at a meteoric rate and plays an instrumental role in many of today’s progressive corporations and nonprofit organizations. Managing communications between a company, a nonprofit, a brand, a product, a service, a celebrity or a politician and its “publics” is critically important in this digital age requiring speed, transparency, and engagement all with a 24/7 news and information cycle in mind.
The practice of Public Relations demands rigorous thinking and analysis, proficiency in writing, the ability to appropriately present and share ideas, and importantly, to create messages for a variety of audiences.
This is the evolving realm of Public Relations. Public Relations professionals are key employees in government, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, corporations, team sports and media/entertainment outlets.
The need for Public Relations specialists is growing as is the demand for qualified and diverse emerging professionals to understand and manage traditional and new media outlets, including social media.
You can prepare for these exciting opportunities by earning your Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Relations at St. John’s. Offered by the Collins College of Professional Studies, the program prepares students for careers in Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Brand Communications and Marketing Communications, to name a few.
Students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today’s technologically-driven workplace. Benefiting from St. John's location in the media capital of the world, New York City, the program offers extensive internship opportunities in Public Relations, Advertising, Integrated Communications and Marketing agencies as well as Public Relations and Corporate Communications departments of Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit agencies, too.
We invite you to learn more about the B.S. Degree Program in Public Relations by exploring our program requirements, objectives and academic resources.
- Degree Type
- BS
- Area of Interest
- Communications, Marketing & Media
- Associated Colleges or Schools
- Program Location
- Queens Campus
- Required Credit Hours
- 120
Admission
For more information about admission to this and other acclaimed undergraduate programs at St. John’s University, please visit Undergraduate Admission online. Or contact us directly at the campus of your choice:
Admission Office – Queens Campus
718-990-2000
[email protected]
To learn more about our Pathways program, please visit our CCPS Pathways page or contact your academic advisor or the program coordinator.
Contact Program Coordinator
We are here to inform you about this exciting major. Please contact us.
Global Approach to Education
Students also benefit from St. John's focus on an international academic experience. The University offers extensive study abroad courses during the academic year as well as the winter and summer semesters. Students can live and learn at St. John's Rome, Italy, campus and Paris, France, location.
Career Outcomes
Our Public Relations degree provides a solid foundation in core business and academic skills including business writing, problem solving, critical thinking, interpersonal and group communication, information design and corporate project management.
- Understand the basic principles, theories and practices of Public Relations and its role in business and nonprofit sectors today and how it successfully integrates with other communications tools.
- Develop a thorough understanding of the departmental roles in a Public Relations agency - Account Management, Research/Consumer Insights, Production and on the client side – Public Relations, Marketing Communications and Corporate Communications departments.
- Learn the steps necessary to create and implement a Public Relations campaign from start to finish – research, strategy, planning, development, and final implementation.
- Share an historical perspective of the field of Public Relations and its rapid evolution to current times.
- Observe Public Relations efforts with a more critical eye and a heightened awareness of ethical obligations for brands, nonprofits, individuals and institutions.
Other Program Advantages
Students majoring in Public Relations at St. John's benefit from internationally acclaimed faculty with extensive contacts in New York City's multi-faceted advertising, arts, business, communications education and entertainment industries.
These professors — along with St. John's alumni who are leaders in the field — provide Public Relations majors with outstanding internship and job placement opportunities throughout the New York metropolitan area.
The Public Relations program also offers a wealth of other academic support programs and activities, including an annual Career Night with recruiters from corporations and organizations; frequent appearances by outstanding professional guest speakers; and an Alumni Mentoring Program in which qualified students are connected with distinguished St. John’s graduates for career advice and guidance.
Students gain an additional academic and professional edge by joining any of St. John's more than 180 student clubs and organizations. Clubs that may be of special interest to Public Relations majors include these:
- Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
- Ad Club
- The Marketing Club
- The Torch: Weekly student newspaper (Queens campus)
- Storm Front: Weekly student newspaper (S.I. campus)
- St. John's University Television Club (WRED)
- WSJU-Radio
- Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture
Public Relations majors also may apply to a variety of honor societies, including The Collins College of Professional Studies Honor Society, which recognizes undergraduates for academic excellence and demonstrable involvement in their churches and communities.
Of course, students also benefit from outstanding University-wide facilities and resources for which St. John's is widely known. For example, new students receive their own wireless laptop computers with full access to St. John's award-winning wireless network.
Facilities include high-tech classrooms, up-to-date computer and science laboratories and a 1.7 million-volume University Library. Our new D'Angelo Center is a five-story, 127,000-square-foot University and Student Center with classrooms, lecture halls, a Starbucks Café.
Students take advantage of St. John’s location in dynamic New York City. Our faculty and Career Center have strong ties to employers and other professional and educational resources throughout the New York area. Students also make New York their classroom through innovative courses like Discover New York.
Our program allows students to enroll in courses related to advertising. Interested students should contact the Program Coordinator or the chair of the department. For more information, please visit this link.
Interested in Communications, Marketing & Media, but not sure if Public Relations, Bachelor of Science is right for you?
Explore opportunities at St. John's with our pathway generator.
