MS in Public Relations

The MS in public relations program can help early- to mid-career professionals move to the next level in their companies or change career tracks altogether. For recent college graduates, the program offers a professional edge when entering a competitive job market. Enrolled students range from recent college graduates to advanced professionals with 20 years of experience.

"PR is growing," says Alexander Laskin, associate professor of public relations and new director of the graduate program in public relations. "This program allows you to move beyond the tactics of public relations and become a manager in the field."

The Quinnipiac program focuses exclusively on public relations and is housed within a full public relations department, allowing students to become advanced professionals in the field of public relations.

"Professors in the department are teaching public relations, not mass communications or journalism," explains Laskin. "They have experience in the public relations industry, they remain involved through professional organizations such as the Public Relations Society of America, and they conduct research in the field."

Students in the program agree. "All of the professors in the Public Relations graduate program are extremely knowledgeable of the field and presented us with materials relating to both theory and practice that were challenging and very interesting. They took an interest in the students, got to know us personally and were invested in our success," says Caitlin Mooney MS '12, a recent graduate of the program.

The program also allows students to focus on emerging and growing areas of public relations, such as health care or investor relations. Mooney works at a health care advertising and marketing agency in Troy, N.Y. practicing public relations, advertising and marketing.  "The Issues Management in Healthcare course sparked my interest in health care communications and gave me all of the background information I needed to begin my career at a health care marketing agency," says Mooney.

"Most people who enter the program want to do something more creative and more advanced with their careers," says Laskin. "The master's degree allows them to take that step."