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Strategic Tools, Smart Messaging

Public Relations. It's a field built on ideas and images, persuasion and information, strategy and tactics. From studios promoting films to companies burnishing their images to advocates promoting social causes, public relations is at the heart of our economy, society, and politics. No policy or product can succeed without a smart message targeted to the right audience in creative and innovative ways. The ability to communicate strategically is what our Public Relations and Strategic Communication program is all about.

Our goal is to educate you not only in the most recent trends, but in the type of thinking that will set you apart from your peers. Through courses, internships, and hands-on work, we empower you with the strategic tools and insights that rival what professionals learn after years of experience.

Researching or doing a project on a political issue or environmental cause? We'll send you out to speak with key influencers so that you can weave that knowledge into your coursework. You may even have a chance to work with real-life clients. Some of the biggest names in Washington, DC from speechwriters to high-level professionals are guest lecturers in our classes. PR firms, international organizations, health care companies, congressional offices and advocacy groups all welcome our students as interns. You'll build a network of professionals that will enhance your learning and accelerate your career.

Our program is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).

Selected
Location
Bachelor's/Master's
Minor in Communication

At the Heart of It All

Washington is your communications laboratory-it's the PR and media capital of the world. And as the longest standing Public Communication program in the area, our program has deep roots throughout the city.

We teach professional skills at the School of Communication. But even more important, we teach you to think strategically. We teach how to target an audience, how to create a compelling message, how to write persuasively, how to advocate in a changing world of new media and cutting edge technology. To grasp a communication challenge and create a strategy to address it-that's what we train you to do here.

Save Time and Money

Get a head start on your advanced degree with SOC's combined bachelor's/master's program and have up to six credits from your bachelor's degree count toward your master's. You may apply for admission to the program during the second semester of your junior year. Students in any undergraduate major at AU are eligible for consideration. An undergraduate degree in communication is not required.

How to Apply

The same intellectual rigor that defines our bachelor's degree majors is also a hallmark of our Minor in Communication. Whether your interest is in journalism, public relations and strategic communication, film and media arts, or foreign language and communication media, this minor will build your practical professional skills, give you a broad-based understanding of communication theory, and afford you hands-on, real-world work opportunities.

Since you apply to American University as a whole, not to any specific school or college, you may choose any major, and you may also choose any minor offered by AU. Formal admission to the minor requires a cumulative GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale). You'll need to complete 18 credit hours with grades of C or better, including two required courses (6 credits) and four electives (12 credits) across a range of communication disciplines. A minimum of 9 credit hours must be at the 300-level or above, and at least 12 credit hours must be unique to the minor.

Navigate Your Career Path

Thousands of SOC alumni are working in the field, around the world. Pick any major media outlet and you’ll find one of our alumni in a key role. Because they appreciate what they learned here, they keep returning to share their success.

Our mentoring program bridges the gap between the classroom and the professional world as you prepare for your future career. Every year, dozens of upper-level and graduate students are paired with alumni who are thriving in their fields, and who are able to help you navigate your career path. From counseling on future career goals to sharing tips for improving your resume and portfolio to helping you land internships and job opportunities, professional mentors are an invaluable source of knowledge and experience.

Learn more about the mentoring program here.

Meaningful Real-World Experience

Our Dean's Internships offer exceptional School of Communication students significant opportunities to earn bylines, production credits, and professional recognition for their work.

World-class partners such as Bloomberg BNA, Discovery Communications, The Washington Post, National Geographic Fox, and National Public Radio reserve exclusive opportunities for our best and brightest students, connecting you with meaningful real-world assignments that provide recognition and future pathways to jobs.

After working part-time during the academic year, Dean's Interns are often invited back by their host partner to work full time for the summer or after graduation. Dean's Internship opportunities are announced throughout the year as opportunities arise.

We Know Success

% of Graduates are now Working, Grad School, or Both

Concentrations

Tailor Your Degree to Your Goals

The Public Communication faculty has created concentrations that will allow you to focus your studies in your area of interest. Although you are not required to pick a concentration, they are an ideal way for students to build upon areas of expertise and showcase that expertise on your resume, online portfolios, LinkedIn and other social media profiles.

We recommend that students must take a minimum of four courses in a topic area in order to list a concentration. Please note that these concentrations will not be listed on diplomas, transcripts, or your degree audit.

  • COMM-327 The PR Presidency
  • COMM-408 Social Media Strategies and Tactics
  • COMM-439 Political Communication
  • COMM-441 Crisis Communication
  • COMM-469 Digital Communication Analytics and Certifications
  • COMM-509 Politics and the Media
  • COMM-521 Opinion Writing 
  • COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-542 Media Relations
  • COMM-543 Speechwriting 
  • COMM-551 Grassroots Digital Advocacy 
  • COMM-579 Political Advertising 
  • COMM-387 Strat Comm and Event Management 
  • COMM-388 Collaboration and Team Communication
  • COMM-408 Social Media Strategies and Tactics
  • COMM-449 International Strategic Communication
  • COMM-457 Strategic Communication in Advertising
  • COMM-481 Entertainment Communication
  • COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-537 Sports Communication
  • COMM-569 Executive Suite
  • COMM-573 Visual Design in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-580 Strategic Health Communication 
  • COMM-310 Public Speaking
  • COMM-387 Strat Comm and Event Management
  • COMM-388 Collaboration & Team Communication
  • COMM-401 Communication Law
  • COMM-408 Social Media Strategies and Tactics
  • COMM-441 Crisis Communication
  • COMM-449 International Strategic Communication
  • COMM-457 Strategic Communication in Advertising
  • COMM-473 Reputation Management
  • COMM-521 Opinion Writing
  • COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-542 Media Relations
  • COMM-543 Speechwriting
  • COMM-573 Visual Design in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-408 Social Media Strategies and Tactics
  • COMM-412 Social Documentary
  • COMM-420 The Sixties in America
  • COMM-439 Political Communication 
  • COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-540 Social Marketing for Social Impact
  • COMM-551 Grassroots Digital Advocacy
  • COMM-564 Documentary Storytelling for Social Change 
  • COMM-567 Communication and Social Change
  • COMM-105 Visual Literacy
  • COMM-330 Principles of Photography
  • COMM-365 Digital Media and Culture
  • COMM-408 Social Media Strategies and Tactics
  • COMM-469 Digital Communication Analytics and Certifications
  • COMM-485 Strategic Communication and Content Creation
  • COMM-533 Ethics in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-551 Grassroots Digital Advocacy
  • COMM-573 Visual Design in Strategic Communication
  • COMM-365 Digital Media and Culture
  • COMM-420 The Sixties in America
  • COMM-420 Identity, Power, and Misrepresentation
  • COMM-447 Multicultural Strategic Communication Campaigns
  • COMM-449 International Strategic Communication
  • COMM-551 Grassroots Digitial Advocacy
  • COMM-567 Communication and Social Change

 

Recent News

The latest on our students, alumni and professors from the Public Communication division. 

Special Guests Pallavi Kumar and Isis Amusa

Communications

At SOC3 Your Course IS Your Internship And It’s Paid!

AU SOC professor and SOC3 founder, Pallavi Kumar, and Isis Amusa, the current SOC3 Creative Strategist, speak to Media in the Mix.

Full Story

Lucas Torregrossa Headshot

On Campus

AU’s School of Communication Is Exactly Where Student Wants to Be

Lucas Torregrossa, SOC/BA ’25, can't imagine studying anywhere but AU—and credits scholarship support for making it possible.

Full Story

Yasmeen Jabara, Meagan Keefe, Nicolas Blanco Ballesteros and Gabriela Perez

Communications

SOC Students Win Second Place in Global Arthur Page Case Study Competition

The winning case study explored the complexities of Starbucks’ recent worker tensions.

Full Story

Over 700 students have benefited from our alumni mentoring program since 2002.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

98 percent

of PR & Strategic Communication undergraduate students participate in an internship

Frequently Asked Questions

You are not required to pick a concentration, but if you do have a particular area of interest or expertise, you can choose to concentrate your studies by taking four courses in one of the following six areas: Political Communication; Corporate Communication; Social Change and Advocacy Communication; Digital Communication Content and Analytics; Lifestyle and Culture Communication; or Diversity and Multicultural Communication.

A concentration may also open you up to myriad career options in your major.

The School of Communication (SOC) has a distinct advantage among comparable institutions for the wide variety of experiential learning opportunities offered to students. Internships are a way of life here. Undergraduate and graduate students can receive course credit for one internship, but most students have two or three, thanks to faculty and alumni who share their professional contacts.

Additionally, SOC has the Communication Collaborative for Change, known as SOC3, a unique experiential learning opportunity providing an opportunity for undergraduate majors the chance to run their own agency with real-world clients. 

We have an active and effective alumni mentoring program that will help you bridge the gap between the classroom and the professional world. Through our Dean's Internships, we work with world-class partners to connect select, highly-qualified students with meaningful real-world assignments that create future pathways to jobs. And we have two full-time career advisors to help you land internships and plan your career.

No, you will apply to American University as a whole. You'll be able to indicate your intended major on your application, but your admission decision will not be affected by the major you indicate. You can change your mind after you apply, too. Because it's so easy to change your major, however, we highly recommend that you indicate a major within the School of Communication, even if you're not 100% certain. That way, you'll be acclimated to our community right away.

  • Develop a communication campaign or plan that incorporates the key elements of planning, including situation analysis, research, objectives, strategies, target audiences, key messages, tactics, timeline, and evaluation
  • Understand the role of qualitative and quantitative research in strategic communication, and how to apply the findings
  • Think analytically about communication problems and identify creative solutions
  • Write clearly, concisely, and strategically in a range of formats and media Understand the role of digital strategy and technology tools in integrated communication campaigns
  • Communicate confidently and persuasively

Still have questions? Send us an email: communication@american.edu