Advertising and Public Relations Minor - Curriculum

An introduction to principles and practices of advertising. Topics include advertising theories, ethics, regulation, consumer research, media planning, message strategy, and campaign planning strategy. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

An introduction to the practice of public relations. Topics include history, research areas, laws, ethics, and social responsibilities as they relate to the theory and practice of public relations. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

The history and development of U.S. media, theoretical aspects of mass communications, the composition of media audiences, law and regulation of mass communications and how the media affect and are affected by society are presented. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).

An introduction to principles and practices of advertising. Topics include advertising theories, ethics, regulation, consumer research, media planning, message strategy, and campaign planning strategy. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

An introduction to the practice of public relations. Topics include history, research areas, laws, ethics, and social responsibilities as they relate to the theory and practice of public relations. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

This course covers a variety of forms of writing for public relations, including news releases, newsletters, backgrounders, public service announcements, magazine queries, interviews, coverage memos, media alerts, features, trade press releases, and public presentations. Students will write for a variety of media including print, broadcast, and the web. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

In an increasingly visual culture, and culture of online user-created content, non-designers are called upon in the professional realm to illustrate their ideas. Graduates entering the workforce will encounter situations where they will benefit from possessing a visual communication sensibility and vocabulary to communicate effectively with a broad range of audiences, including professional designers. Creative approaches to challenges, such as visual thinking, are also shown to improve students’ comprehension and problem-solving abilities. Digital Design in Communication is an opportunity for undergraduates to receive an introduction to principles of visual message design from a critical rhetorical perspective. They will also get the opportunity to apply these principles to a variety of visual products such as advertisements, logos, brochures, resumes, etc. A variety of computer software applications are available to support the research, writing, visualization, and design of messages. Lecture 3 (Fall, Summer).

Interpersonal communication provides analysis and application of the major theories of interpersonal communication in various situations. The course focuses on perception of self and others, language use, nonverbal communication, and symbolic interaction in the communication of shared meanings in face-to-face and mediated interpersonal relationships. There is a strong focus on both conflict management and intercultural interactions. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).

This course provides students with opportunities to engage in small group decision making and problem solving. Students will analyze and evaluate their own experiences and relate them to theories and research from the field of small group communication. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).

Intercultural communication provides an examination of the role of culture in face-to-face interaction. Students may find a basic background in communication, anthropology, or psychology useful. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).

An in-depth study of the theories, practices, effects, and ethics of persuasion. Persuasion is defined as human communication designed to influence one’s beliefs, values, attitudes, and actions. This course examines persuasion from a receiver-oriented perspective with interpersonal, small group, organizational, and mediated perspectives. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).

An opportunity for undergraduates to learn the verbal and visual skills utilized in the creation of advertising messages. To create an effective strategy for an advertising campaign, the advertising copywriter/art director team needs to combine linguistic and visual metaphors into a persuasive message. Students will develop creative advertising messages by researching and writing a creative brief and then implementing the plan by transforming concepts into actual advertising messages and campaigns. (Prerequisites: COMM-211 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

This course introduces students to the managing and planning of advertising and public relations campaigns. It takes a team project approach thereby helping students learn how to work together in class as well as in a competitive agency. Service-learning will be used to expose students to community causes. (Prerequisites: COMM-211 and COMM-212 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

This course is an introduction to the study of visual communication. The iconic and symbolic demonstration of visual images used in a variety of media is stressed. The major goal of the course is to examine visual messages as a form of intentional communication that seeks to inform, persuade, and entertain specific target audiences. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).

An introduction to media technologies from a global perspective. Major theories about the media, current trends in media, journalism practices, and governmental challenges and restrictions are reviewed. Students will use various media technologies both locally and abroad through site visits, readings, and online resources resulting in a media production (mini-documentary, movie trailer, and/or international film review). Special focus on the growing importance of the internet and digital media on news flow, advertising, and entertainment. Lec/Lab 3 (Fall or Spring).

With the advent of virtual communities, smart mobs, and online social networks, questions about the meaning of human communication and how we construct our online and offline personal and professional identities need to be reevaluated. This course explores the relationship between social media and the construction of both individual and social identities as well as best practices for constructing the desired community or identity. Although the course is grounded in theory, it is equally committed to practice, and much of the class discussion and activity takes place in various online spaces. As a practicum, those who complete this course will know how to engage productively in practices such as tweeting, blogging, tagging, etc. and will develop an understanding of how these practices affect their construction of identity and community both personally and on behalf of an organization. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).

An introduction to developing, executing, and managing media plans for advertising and public relations. This course covers the characteristics and uses of advertising media, media terms and calculations, media strategies and tactics, and media plan development and implementation. (Prerequisites: COMM-211 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall).

Ad and PR Agency I is the first session of a full-year, hands-on experiential learning course. Students work at Technically Speaking, a student advertising and public relations agency, managed by the School of Communication with support from RIT Marketing and Communications. Students will hone their advertising and public relations skills while working with their instructor and mentors in RIT Marketing and Communications, College of Liberal Arts and others on real-world campaigns and projects. Students will execute an array of projects reaching across the marketing communications spectrum, from public relations and advertising to social media and digital design. Upon registration, students must complete an application to determine their role within the student agency. The course will also include instructional time covering advertising and public relations skills and industry case studies. (Prerequisites: COMM-211 and COMM-212 or equivalent courses.) Project 3 (Fall).

Ad and PR Agency II is the second session of a full-year, hands-on experiential learning course. Students work at Technically Speaking, a student advertising and public relations agency that is managed by the School of Communication with support from RIT Marketing and Communications. Students will hone their advertising and public relations skills while working with their instructor and mentors in RIT Marketing and Communications, College of Liberal Arts and others on real-world campaigns and projects. Students will execute an array of projects reaching across the marketing communications spectrum, from public relations and advertising to social media and digital design. Upon registration, students must complete an application to determine their role within the student agency. The course will also include instructional time covering advertising and public relations skills and industry case studies. (Prerequisites: COMM-211 and COMM-212 and COMM-430 or equivalent courses.) Project 3 (Spring).