The UAB Department of Communication Studies offers a top-ranked and award-winning curriculum in public relations. Our program is designed to offer you a wide range of career choices in fields that include business, politics and public affairs, fundraising, event planning, sports, government, not-for-profits, crisis management, and education.
The public relations curriculum places a heavy emphasis on teaching you all the skills you'll need to succeed and excel in any of these organizations. You'll learn the basics in the field and also practice those skills by representing real clients over the course of your study, all under the supervision and advice of faculty. In addition, you will develop skills in management and leadership, as well as theory and research — all essential in providing professional representation to your clients throughout your career. Students regularly publish their work, recognized by public relations practitioners.
Here's What to Expect
Public relations is the use of strategy and skill to manage communication with the media and public for individuals and organizations. It is a relationship-based field and you will learn everything from how to effectively build those relationships, to branding, to how to craft your message while maintaining credibility. Initial courses will provide you with a broad overview of the field, exploring the relationships between public relations and other fields, including marketing and advertising.
Early on, you will begin representing clients while you take courses in the basic principles of public relations as a management function in the areas of communication analysis, leadership and ethics, counseling, public information activities and publicity. You will learn to analyze the relationships between an individual or organization and the public(s) upon which success or failure depends. Then, together with your client, you will use those analytical skills to develop and implement a campaign delivering measurable results. Strong emphasis is placed on ethics and leadership throughout the curriculum.
Why Study Public Relations at UAB?
Our program has won the Public Relations Council of Alabama (PRCA) Student Chapter of the Year for 39 of the last 41 years. In 2024 UAB brought home nine Medallion Awards (the highest award offered by the Public Relations Council of Alabama) as well as 10 Awards of Excellence and 17 Awards of Merit.In addition, students won three group awards recognizing their campaigns representing local nonprofit organizations in the community. One student won the Judge's Choice Award for her individual contribution to the campaign and three students won Judge's Choice Awards for their firm's campaign. Finally, another student won Best of Show and one student placed second for the Student of the Year Award.
The UAB program receives state and national recognition. The PRCA/PRSSA at UAB chapter has been recognized as a STAR chapter by the Public Relations Student Society of America for the past six years. In 2023 the program also received the prestigious Dr. F. H. Teahan National Chapter Award for Chapter Firm.
In 2024 the UAB program won the Outstanding Chapter Award, Chapter Campaign Award, Community Service Award, and Chapter Website Award from the Alabama Public Relations Student Society of America. One student won the PR Strategist Award and the Wordsmith Award.
Our award-winning student chapter, PRCA/PRSSA at UAB, competes successfully against similar student organizations across the nation and is active in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
If you are looking for a career that is cutting-edge, fast-paced, and rewarding and combines creativity with story-telling and building relationships, Public Relations is the field for you. The market is robust and our students graduate into a career that is dynamic and full of opportunities across many, many industries.
Program Requirements
A complete list of major requirements, courses, and a proposed four-year program of study for Communication majors are available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
Want to Learn More?
Do you have questions that we haven't answered? Ask us! Email Dr. Jacquelyn S. Shaia, director of the public relations program and director of internships, at
Ready to apply? All the information you need can be found on UAB's Undergraduate Admissions Hub.
