Public Relations

What is Public Relations?

Public Relations is a challenging field with a wide variety of career opportunities. As a public relations specialist, you might work as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill or a conference planner for a hotel chain. You could work as a media relations director for a large corporation or as a fund-raiser for a small non-profit agency. You may specialize in event planning or publicity writing. Whatever your interest, public relations offers a range of opportunities to put your talents to work.

Why study public relations at Heidelberg?

The Heidelberg College Public Relations major provides you with the theory and practice needed to succeed on a professional career track. Offered under the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts, PR majors follow an inter-disciplinary course of study selected from the departments of Business, Communication and English. Along with a variety of coursework in each area, you'll gain valuable hands-on experience in broadcasting, news writing, desktop publishing, digital photography, web design and campaign planning.

At Heidelberg, you may choose to major in Public Relations alone, or you may select it as a complement to another major.

What courses will I take?

Required Courses:
Accounting Laboratory, Financial Accounting, Marketing, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Broadcast Production, Oral Communications, Public Relations, Message Design in Public Relations, Public Relations Campaign Planning, Public Relations Practicum, Public Relations Internship, Introduction to Computers, Computer Communication, Journalism, Technical Writing, Quantitative Reasoning and Statistics

Recommended Electives:
Graphic Design, Business Law I, Business Law II, Organizational Behavior, Persuasion, Interpersonal Communication, Mass Media Law, Music Industry, General Psychology and Social Psychology

Important information

  • At least 3 hours of Practicum and/or Internship is strongly recommended for all Public Relations majors.
  • Journalism is a prerequisite for Principles of Public Relations and must be completed during the sophomore year.
  • Technical writing is a prerequisite for Message Design and must be completed before the spring semester of the junior year.
  • Higher level math courses can be substituted for Quantitative Reasoning and Statistics.
For more information contact

 Professor Linda Chudzinski
 Department of Communication & Theatre Arts
 Phone: (419) 448-2002
 Email: lchudzin@heidelberg.edu