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

  • CMST 2900: Communication Approaches to Public Relations
  • CMST 3900: Principles of Public Relations
  • CMST 3910: Writing for Public Relations
  • CMST 3920: Strategies for Public Relations
  • CMST 3XXX: Public Relations Internship
    • Please contact the Director of the PR Minor for information on Internship requirements
  • CMST 3XXX: To be selected from an approved list of CMST courses.*
  • CMST 3XXX: To be selected from an approved list of CMST courses.*

* Approved CMST Courses: CMST 3150: Persuasion; CMST 3180: Leadership & Interpersonal Communication; CMST 3310: Media & Marketing Communication; CMST 3325: Communication & Healthcare; CMST 3335: Sport & Public Communication; CMST 3350: Non-profit Communication Campaigns; CMST 3510: Wires & Empires, and CMST 3530: Digital Rhetoric.

Course Descriptions

The first five courses listed below are required (CMST 2900, CSMT 3900, CMST 3910, CMST 3920 and CMST 3980). You must then select two from the remaining CMST courses to complete the requirements, for a total of seven courses.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

* Approved Communication Studies Courses. Please select two to complete your PR minor requirements.