Principles of Public Relations

 This course is designed to provide an overview of the field of public relations, including information about its history, theoretical foundations, the PR planning process, possible career paths, and key terms, concepts, and issues you’ll need to understand to work in public relations or related industries. Public relations is a dynamic field, and I look forward to discussing with you the ways in which the field has grown over the years and might continue to change in the future.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define public relations and explain how it differs from similar fields such as advertising and marketing.
• Discuss public relations as a profession, including some possible career options.
  Identify key historical figures and describe important milestones in the development of public relations as a profession.
• Describe key public relations theories and be able to apply them to current public relations issues.
• Define the public relations process, including various strategies and tactics, and when and why one might use them.
• Identify public relations as a management function, dependent upon valid and reliable research, ethical behavior, clear writing, the ability to work with multiple, diverse groups of people, and more.