Minor in Public Relations

The Public Relations minor prepares students to operate in a fast-paced, professional field that requires trained, ethical communicators and strategic thinkers. Courses cover conceptual frameworks for understanding Public Relations as a broad, robust field of practice and focus on essential, practical skillsets. The minor allows students to thoroughly immerse themselves in the field of Public Relations and ready them for a career in the industry. Students who complete the program will develop writing and research skills necessary for a career in public relations and will complete an internship in the field. All LMU majors are welcome to apply.

Admissions

Adding a Communication Minor in Public Relations (CMPR)

If you’re interested in adding a Communication Minor in Public Relations, please follow these steps:

Contact the Comm Studies department Interim Chair, Dr. Allison Noyes (Noyes@lmu.edu), and set up a meeting to learn about the minor.

After meeting with the Dr. Noyes, if you would like to add the major, contact the Comm Studies Senior Administrative Coordinator, Ms. Lisa (Lugo) Tanaka (Lugo@lmu.edu). She will create a Box folder for your application materials.

Upload a PDF of your degree audit (no screenshots please!) from the Degree Works program to your Box folder.

For the next step, please determine which category you fit into, and upload the requested documentation to your Box folder:

- If your college GPA is 3.0 or higher, and you have at least 3 semesters left at LMU and space in your schedule to take the 22 units required for the minor, you do not need to submit any additional materials.

- If you are a first-year student in your first semester at LMU OR if your college GPA is lower than 3.0, you also need to submit a personal statement (no more than 3 pages double-spaced). In this statement, you should:
  - Share your academic and professional goals as well as your understanding of how the CMPR minor could help you to accomplish these goals.
  - Address any challenges you’ve faced in your college coursework that may have negatively impacted your GPA.

- If you have fewer than 3 semesters left at LMU, you may not be able to complete the CMPR minor. You can still apply, but you must submit a detailed graduation plan demonstrating how you would complete the CMPR minor in your remaining semesters at LMU (including summers). You can visit the CFA Advising Center (1^st floor of St. Roberts Hall; schedule an appointment here) if you need help creating this graduation plan. Please scan and upload this document to your Box folder.

The CMPR admissions committee will review your materials, and if you qualify for the minor, you will be notified via email. "Review of applications may take up to 10 business days. During academic breaks – Spring Break, Winter Break or Summer Break for example - a response should not be expected until 10 business days after the resumption of the academic term."

NOTE: Newly admitted internal transfer students must be in residence at LMU (i.e., not abroad) during their first semester in the minor (which is typically the semester after they are accepted into the minor). Any future plans to study abroad must be discussed with Dr. Noyes before transferring and adding the minor.

Academics

The Public Relations Minor requires completion of seven (7) courses for a minimum of 22 credit hours. Some courses do have prerequisites, so students are strongly encouraged to seek academic advising before pursuing the minor.

CMST 2900, CMST 3900, CMST 3910 and CMST 3920 must be completed with a grade of "B" or better. All other courses in the minor must be completed with a grade of "C" or better. All CMPR courses must be taken in residence at LMU.

Required Courses

These first five courses are required.

This course introduces students to the strategic communication planning process. The phases of this process—strategy, stakeholders, environment, implementation, and metrics—provide a road map for public relations planning from a communication perspective. Students will explore the communication theories and methods of analysis that form the foundation of each phase and will apply this planning process to the development of a strategic communication plan.

4 semester hours
An introductory course that overviews strategies, concepts, theories, practices, and history of public relations.

3 semester hours
This course provides an overview of how effective public relations writing can help organizations to communicate, influence opinion and create change. The course will emphasize the importance of understanding an organization, its goals and objectives, target audience and culture to strategically and effectively communicate through writing.

3 semester hours
This course explores the conceptual and strategic foundations of public relations and marketing. The course examines how to effectively communicate with consumers, create preference for products, and change consumer behavior.

3 semester hours
Please contact the Direct of the PR Minor for information.

In addition to the above, you must then select two (2) additional CMST courses from the list below to complete the requirements, for a total of seven (7) courses.

This course will provide an overview of basic social-scientific theories of persuasion. Then, the course examines how these social-scientific approaches differ from and complement other approaches to understanding the practice of persuasion.

4 semester hours
In this course we will explore a wide range of human behavior as it relates to leadership development and communication with an emphasis on global communication issues. Students will learn about leadership, strengthen leadership skills, and learn to value their potential for leadership. This course will integrate theory and practice to build leadership competencies required in today’s global workplace. This course is largely experiential and guided by the principle that leadership is a skill that can be developed and refined.

4 semester hours
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to integrated marketing communications, media selection, and campaign execution. Students will learn the elements of a successful strategic communications plan by evaluating advertising, public relations, and marketing silos and their impact on motivating target audiences. In this course, students will learn to evaluate audience demographics and apply appropriate communication channels and messages based upon audience needs and the business realities of marketing campaigns. A key course objective is to gain an understanding of how to propose and implement an integrated marketing communications plan from the viewpoints of advertising agencies, businesses, and nonprofit entities.

4 semester hours
Communication plays a critically important role in many different aspects of the healthcare process from care delivery to public health campaigns. This course offers a broad survey of health communication theory, research, and practice focused on patient-provider interaction, communication in healthcare organizations, culture and health, health education, and social marketing.

4 semester hours
This course will explore the interplay between the business, socioeconomic, and cultural dynamics of sport and how these intersections are influenced by the aspect of public communication.

4 semester hours
This class is a Community Based Learning (CBL) course and requires completion of volunteer hours with a nonprofit organization. Students will work in teams to design and write communication campaign items for a nonprofit organization.

4 semester hours
In this course, students will first be introduced to key international communication theories and will then be asked to consider whether the introduction of Web 2.0, inexpensive mobile technology and other recent digital media advances are reinforcing or disrupting existing patterns of globalization.

4 semester hours
This course focuses on analyzing how technologies alter audience, author, text, rhetorical strategies, message, and channels of communication. Students will become better versed in criticism and consumption of digital texts and media.

4 semester hours

Frequently Asked Questions

CMST offers several courses that are not restricted to minors. These courses make excellent electives. We also suggest that you consider extension/certificate programs at other Universities.
You can take it again the next semester, but not in the same semester.
Yes. However, keep in mind that you need 4 to 5 semesters at LMU in order to complete the minor.
This depends on your overall graduation plan and what other courses you need to take in order to graduate on time. You should consult your advisor immediately upon arriving at LMU and prepare a comprehensive graduation plan.
You might consider reviewing the Associated Press’s style guide in order to best prepare for the written examination.
No. You still have to apply for admission and meet all of the expectations for the minor.
Possibly. Keep in mind that repeating classes has implications for your graduation plan/time to degree. You should consult your advisor before repeating any classes.
Please contact the Director of the PR Minor for information.
No. You must take separate (additional) courses for the minor.

Contact Us

Allison Noyes, Ph.D.
CMPR Director and CMST department co-Associate Chair
allison.noyes@lmu.edu

Lisa Tanaka
Senior Administrative Coordinator for Communication Studies
lisa.lugo@lmu.edu