Student's Guide to Public Relations Education

The Florida International University PRSSA chapter has created a "Student's Guide to Public Relations Education," based largely on the 1999 Commission on Public Relations Education" report. The Guide is designed to not only help students currently enrolled in public relations sequences, but is aimed at students who have not yet made decisions about their majors as well as guidance counselors and others who have a role in helping students determine their educational and career goals.

Foreword

"Public relations has come of age, and with that has come a critical need for broadly-based education that is relevant and connected to the practice."

"A Port of Entry: Public Relations Education For the 21st Century"
Commission on Public Relations Education, 1999

If you are a student thinking about a career in public relations, this handbook will help focus that thinking. Written by public relations students at Florida International University, who have earned a national reputation for their community service, "A Student's Guide" is largely based on "A Port of Entry", the l999 report of the Commission on Public Relations Education. It was developed with financial support and direction from the Public Relations Society of America and the Council of Public Relations Firms, along with guidance from Prof. Bill Adams, Florida International University's PRSSA faculty advisor, former corporate practitioner and writer of a monthly column in a leading public relations trade publication. It's intended to provide you with ideas on how best to prepare for this fascinating and fast-growing field.

If you are a faculty advisor, guidance counselor, teacher, parent, mentor or friend, "A Student's Guide" has been designed to assist your good counsel to students thinking about their future.

For all who come to this booklet with an interest in public relations in the 21st century, we say welcome to a world of intellectual and professional challenge and reward.

Dr. Dean Kruckeberg, APR, Fellow PRSA
John L. Paluszek, APR, Fellow PRSA
Co-Chairs
Commission on Public Relations Education

Introduction

Public relations has been dramatically transformed during the past decade into a profession with vast impact on society throughout the world. To prepare young professionals for the opportunities presented by that transformation, public relations academics and practitioners have worked cooperatively on the Commission on Public Relations Education. The Commission's 1999 report, "A Port of Entry: Public Relations Education for the 21st Century," is both motivator and guide for this booklet.

This Student Guide attempts to adapt information from the Commission's report into a quick reference format for those who may have an interest in studying public relations, and to maximize the potential of students already studying the field. As we know, every good plan must start with good research, and a plan to achieve a career in public relations is no different. The Guide responds to the expressed desire of public relations students for some form of reference that answers their basic questions about their contemplated career--a field with an often confusing array of choices. It is intended to help steer students in the right direction, offering them a realistic perspective of the field and a roadmap for navigating the trip from student to professional.

We believe it's important that the Guide was written by students for students, because the Commission's report noted "the need for dialogue with the groups of people who can and will influence (the) future." Today's students are the voices of public relations' future.

In this Guide, we have drawn on the work of those who have created the foundation of that future, particularly the 47 public relations professionals who were members of the 1999 Commission. They represent every segment of the field, including educators and practitioners in counseling firms, nonprofit organizations, corporations and government-via eight participating communication organizations. Their objectives were to identify the necessary educational steps to develop a competent pool of qualified professionals, to outline the requirements for recommended public relations curriculum, to profile the qualifications for public relations faculty and to increase support for training, scholarships and educational programs. The Commission's primary goal was to design a public relations program that would meet the needs of students and educational institutions now and in the future. Many of the Commission's recommendations are based on a 1998 nationwide survey of public relations practitioners and educators. This study, and two years of meetings, e-mails and conference calls, produced what we believe is an outstanding set of recommendations for the public relations curriculum of the 21st century.

As members of Florida International University's Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), we considered those recommendations and then queried public relations students throughout the country to determine their most important questions and concerns. We also asked them to indicate what information about public relations they thought they should have been provided before they began their studies and what they would like to know as they begin their professional careers. From their answers, and from the information contained in the Commission Report, we have created this Guide. We hope the result will be enlightened, better-prepared and higher-motivated public relations professionals.

Contents

• Background

• Key achievements in the historical development of public relations (timeline)

• Importance of undergraduate work

• Internship/volunteer opportunities

• Corporate, counseling firms;
  nonprofit, government, teaching

• Graduate studies

• Outlook for public relations in the 21st century

• Public Relations Student Society of America

• Public Relations Society of America

• Certification program of PRSA

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