What you'll learn • 4-year plan • Professional Development • Entertainment Emphasis • Minors

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Core requirements:

Electives:
Three elective coures are required (9 credits). Although students may take any course in the Dodge College for elective credit, the following courses are strongly recommended for students who want to be prepared to work in their chosen field.

Specialization in public relations

Specialization in advertising

What you'll learn
A graduate of the Public Relations and Advertising program should understand:

Context:

• The functions of public relations and advertising
• The history and development of public relations and advertising
• Ethics and social responsibility in public relations and advertising
• The relationship between public relations and advertising
• Integrated marketing communications
• The role of public relations in counseling an organization
• The impact of advertising on an organization’s revenues and profitability
• The publications, organizations, and resources available to public relations and advertising professionals
• The role and organization of the media
• How the Internet has changed the relationships of organizations and their publics
• Public relations and advertising specialties, particularly in the field of entertainment

Theory:

• Human communication theories and processes
• Theories of persuasion
• Theories of learning and perception
• Theories of motivation
• Research methods
• The creative process
• Design theory
• Film aesthetics
• Economic market theories of supply and demand
• Product life-cycle dynamics

A graduate of the Public Relations and Advertising program should know how to:

• Write well
• Present effectively 
• Conduct primary and secondary research
• Set public relations and advertising goals and objectives 
• Develop creative platforms or strategies
• Plan and evaluate a public relations or advertising campaign
• Segment markets and select target audiences
• Design and create effective print and media communications
• Use the Internet for strategic communication
• Create a budget
• Develop a media plan
• Collaborate with teams

4-year plan
Course planning is an important part of your college success.  The order below is recommended by the Dodge College faculty, but other sequences will also work.  Fall and spring sequences are generally interchangeable, with the exception of Advanced PR Writing and the Campaigns and Case Studies classes which are only offered once a year.

Your decisions about class scheduling should take into account not only your graduation requirements, but also your educational and professional goals.  We recommend meeting with your advisor each semester. 

Courses marked by an * have prerequisites.  See catalog for details.  If taken in the recommended order, prerequisites will be fulfilled in the necessary sequence (with the exception of Soc 201 and Eng. 215).

Upper division units
Junior and Senior year schedules require a minimum number of additional upper-division electives. Students must complete 21 upper division units within the major (out of 36 upper division units required for graduation) and a total of 48 credits for the major. 

Electives
Only the electives specified above will be accepted from departments outside of the Dodge College.

Two internships are also recommended.

Professional development requirement
All students in FTV 231 Principles of Public Relations and FTV 230 Principles of Advertising are required to complete the Professional Development Requirement in order to learn more about the fields of public relations and advertising through participation and involvement with activities outside the classroom. This requirement may be met by attending a PRSSA or Ad Club meeting to listen to a guest speaker or by attending a professional event, conducting an interview or participating in a job shadowing.  See your professor for details.

Entertainment emphasis       
Located within the nationally recognized Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the public relations and advertising degree offers a unique focus on entertainment marketing and promotion.  Students interested in working in the film and television industry, sports, special events and many related fields will learn about working in these fields and how cross-promotion, product placement, and sponsorships touch both the corporate and non-profit worlds. Classes, guest speakers, partnerships with film students, internships and opportunities to travel to and work at film festivals are just some of the opportunities available.

Entertainment learning opportunities

• Classes include Entertainment Marketing and Promotion, Sports Public Relations, Entertainment PR, Industry Insiders and Entertainment Arts Forum.  In addition, students may integrate entertainment topics in other classes.  For example, students in the PR Campaigns class designed a campaign for the Orange County Music Awards.
• Film marketing: Students in the Entertainment Marketing and Promotion class team with film students to develop a comprehensive marketing plan for their films.  Others work independently with student filmmakers to create press kits, marketing materials, and web sites.
• Production opportunities: Public relations and advertising students work with broadcast journalism and television students to produce video news releases and other video programs.
• Internships in marketing and publicity are available at the major studios and networks as well as at entertainment marketing agencies, music labels and through the Emmy Foundation and other industry groups.
• Film festivals: Travel to Sundance during Interterm or work for the Newport Beach Film Festival during the spring semester.
• Meet the pros: Screenwriters, directors and others visit Chapman on a regular basis to talk about their work  (See Industry Insiders http://ftv.chapman.edu/prospective/special_programs/industryinsiders.cfm  and Filmmaker-in-Residence http://ftv.chapman.edu/prospective/conservatory_motionpictures/filmmaker_in_residence.cfm) Professionals in entertainment PR, the media, broadcast journalism and television also speak regularly in classes and at special events.

Minors
Students in other majors often choose to minor in public relations or advertising.  Either minor is a good complement to business or graphic design.  Public relations is also a good fit for students in performance majors who may wish to continue working in their area of interest (music, dance, theater etc.) even if they do not end up pursuing a performance career.  Students wishing to minor in either public relations or advertising must submit a Change of Major/Minor form to the Dodge College office (they do not have to complete the Supplemental Application).

Minor in Advertising (18 credits)

Minor in Public Relations (18 credits)

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