Public Relations Degree Online BA in Communication Concentration

A PR degree, or public relations degree, is a type of communications program that focuses on developing your skills in thinking, writing, research and strategic planning so you can become a savvy – and responsible – communicator.

With a career in public relations, you’ll work to educate the public about an organization, its mission and its products or services. You can also help manage the organization’s reputation, mitigating negative publicity and acting as a liaison to the media.

At SNHU, public relations is a concentration of the communications bachelor's degree. Degree courses offer a strong foundation of written and verbal communication skills and explore a variety of topics, including:

• Brand storytelling
• Communications law and ethics
• Communications technology
• Public relations strategies
• Public speaking
• Social media strategy
• Visual communication

"It’s a passion of mine to build and foster relationships," said Sammantha Hoyt '21, as to why she added the PR concentration onto her communication degree. "I have extensive experience doing so throughout my career and have developed the skills necessary to successfully provide a positive outcome to a diverse audience in various situations."

Before graduating, you can put this learning into practice with a capstone project, developing and pitching a PR campaign for a real client.

Depending on the curriculum, undergraduate public relations degrees are available as bachelor of arts or bachelor of science programs.

At SNHU, public relations is considered one of the liberal arts, and you’ll earn a bachelor of arts (BA) degree as a PR major. Liberal arts subjects are designed to give you general knowledge on a subject, rather than focus on providing technical skills.

General education courses in a bachelor of arts program can help you build vital critical thinking, problem-solving, research and communication skills. Degree-specific PR courses build on that foundation and help you apply your learning to the ethical management of an organization's reputation.

If you’re passionate about helping build and maintain strong brands, then yes. A public relations degree can give you the skills you need to craft targeted messaging that can help sell a product, promote a service and create a positive public image for an organization.

"My passion has always been in the field of communications, where I enjoy making a positive difference through effective communication strategies," said Sammantha Hoyt '21. "This program provided me with valuable information that can be used in my career."

Public relations jobs are also on the rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs for public relations specialists and PR managers are projected to grow 6% through 2032.¹

A successful public relations worker needs strong communication skills, as well as technical skills to help deliver messages through a variety of channels. Knowing how to tell an engaging story for multiple audiences is also key.

With an online public relations degree concentration from SNHU, you can develop these important PR skills that are in high demand across many industries. You can learn how to:

• Develop quality oral, written and visual communications for a variety of audiences
• Use communications technology to deliver a message and gauge its effectiveness
• Evaluate, choose and utilize strategies and technology to effectively communicate
• Use leadership skills to work within an organization to execute communication strategies
• Apply professional, ethical and socially sensitive communication practices

"I wanted to study communications because it is a chance to learn new skills or re-learn crucial skills that are a part of everyone’s lives – communication," said Victoria Comis '21. "Not just communication between two people, but between groups of people and organizations, among others. It is a skill that many companies look for in their prospective employees."

Public relations professionals can benefit just about any organization within any field. Public relations degree holders can work in brand management, corporate communications, government relations, social media management, journalism, advertising, sales and marketing.

“Communications touches every field,” said Dr. Karen Wilkinson, associate dean of liberal arts at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with others is a coveted skill set in every workplace environment.”

Jobs for PR degree holders include:

• Advertising executive
• Brand manager
• Communication manager
• Community relations specialist
• Company spokesperson
• Copywriter or editor
• Corporate trainer
• Crisis communication manager
• Director of strategic communication
• Internal communication manager
• Journalist
• Marketing manager
• Public relations practitioner
• Social media or digital media strategist

Jobs for public relations degree holders can vary widely. And your salary potential can also differ depending on your specific job, level of experience and education.

PR jobs typically require a bachelor’s degree. But leadership positions, which often bring in higher salaries, may require an on campus or online master’s in communication or an advanced degree in public relations or a related field.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), PR specialists earned a median annual salary of $66,750 in 2023. PR managers, who typically lead a team of public relations and communications employees, earned a median annual salary of $130,480 the same year. By applying your PR degree to a career in marketing, your earning potential could be even higher. Marketing managers earned a median annual wage of $156,580 in 2023.¹

It depends. Public relations jobs focus on showing brands in their best light – and keeping them there. But just like job descriptions can vary widely within the PR field, so can your day-to-day work.

With a job as a public relations manager, you could lead a team of PR and communications workers to manage your organization’s public image. You could research and monitor social, economic and political trends and look for ways to leverage those trends to enhance the reputation of your organization.

As a public relations specialist, you could focus your work in one area of PR and work with a larger team of communications professionals. You might work as a media manager, for example, and be a liaison between an organization and the press. In this role, you might have responsibilities like writing press releases, organizing press conferences and even speaking publicly on behalf of the organization.

You could also help an organization navigate the constantly evolving realm of social media and online reputation management, assisting an organization’s social media and customer service teams to monitor and manage public perception.

Dreaming of starting your own business? As a freelance PR consultant, you could develop communications strategies for multiple clients across a broad range of industries. You could also specialize in an area like crisis communications to help brands navigate threats to their brand image.

To earn a bachelor's degree in PR online, it typically can take around 4 years. However, when you enroll in an online program, you have the ability to control how long it takes you to earn your degree.

For instance, are you able to attend part time or full time? At Southern New Hampshire University, part time is 1 class per 8-week term and full time is 2 classes per term. Our academic advisors can help you design a schedule that can work around your busy life.

Do you have transfer credits to bring in? SNHU has a generous transfer policy, allowing you to transfer up to 90 credits toward your bachelor's degree.

Transfer credits helped Victoria Comis '21, who had previously earned an associate degree.

"I was able to take classes that I needed to complete my degree and not have to retake any classes, because all of my credits from my previous school were accepted," she said.

Our online public relations degree program also boasts 33 free electives, which can also help you get to the finish line sooner – especially if you majored in something else at another institution.

Plus, you can get a jump-start on your PR career even before you have your degree in hand. With the help of SNHU's career team, you have the opportunity to build up your resume with an internship or an experiential-learning project prior to joining the job market.