Studies & Degrees in Public Relations
Public Relations Study Programs
Public relations (PR) is the part of communication that manages how an organisation is seen by the people it depends on: customers, employees, investors, journalists, regulators and neighbours. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations in the United Kingdom defines it as being about reputation, "the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you". The Public Relations Society of America calls it a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their publics.
In practice, students learn to plan communication campaigns, write for the press and for social media, deal with journalists, organise events, advise managers before they speak in public and respond when something goes wrong. Most programmes add advertising, marketing, media law and ethics, and a good deal of writing practice. Unlike advertising, PR does not buy space in the media; it tries to earn coverage and trust.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees. In Spain public relations is studied together with advertising, in the Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits; at the Universidad de Murcia the degree takes four years and is taught in Spanish. The Universidad de Cádiz describes its degree as training in two disciplines within communication studies and also offers it as a double degree with marketing or with tourism. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) takes another route: a fully online Grado en Comunicación of 240 credits, in Spanish or Catalan, with a specialisation (mención) in corporate communication and public relations.
- United States and United Kingdom. Public relations is usually a major or a named degree inside a school of communication. At Penn State, the advertising/public relations major has a public relations option that covers both the economic and the social side of the field. London Metropolitan University teaches a BA (Hons) in Advertising, Marketing Communications and Public Relations.
- Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. An example is the Máster Universitario en Comunicación Política y Corporativa of the Universidad de Navarra: an official degree of 60 ECTS credits that lasts 10 months, taught on its Madrid campus in Spanish and English.
- Vocational training. In Spain the higher vocational qualification (FP de grado superior) Técnico Superior en Marketing y Publicidad lasts 2,000 hours and includes a module on public relations and the organisation of marketing events. The Ministry of Education lists public relations technician among the jobs it leads to.
- Short and professional courses. Business schools and private colleges offer diplomas and short courses in PR, events and corporate communication. Ask the school what recognition such a qualification has before enrolling.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 143 active schools that teach public relations. Spain has 48 and the United States 45, followed by the United Kingdom (8), Argentina (5), Australia (4) and Brazil (3). In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Cádiz, the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de Navarra and the online UOC in Barcelona. Abroad it includes the University of Westminster, Regent's University London and London Metropolitan University in London; Penn State, Purdue University and The University of Texas at Austin in the United States; Macleay College in Sydney; and the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas in Brazil.
PR is a language-based profession: almost all the work is writing and speaking for a specific public. Most programmes are taught in the language of the country, and employers expect a near-native level in it.
Careers
Graduates work in PR and communication agencies, in the communication departments of companies, in public administration, political parties, universities, hospitals, sports clubs and non-profit organisations. Typical first jobs are account executive in an agency, press officer, social media officer and events coordinator.
In the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of public relations specialists is projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations, with about 23,000 openings a year, most of them to replace people who leave the occupation. Education services (14 percent) and advertising and PR agencies (12 percent) are the largest employers. Employment of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow 6 percent over the same period. These posts typically require many years of related work experience. The Bureau also notes that internships help graduates to get a first job, which is why work placements and a portfolio matter when comparing programmes.
Frequently asked questions
Is public relations the same as advertising or marketing?
No, although they are taught together. Advertising pays for space in the media and marketing focuses on selling products; public relations looks after reputation and relationships with the media and other publics. In Spain the three overlap in the Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas.
How long does a degree in public relations take?
In Spain the Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. An official master's adds 60 to 120 ECTS credits, and the higher vocational course in marketing and advertising lasts 2,000 hours.
Do I need a degree to work in public relations?
Employers usually ask for one. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that public relations specialists typically need a bachelor's degree in public relations, another communications field, social science or business.
Can I study public relations online?
Yes. The UOC, for example, teaches its Grado en Comunicación fully online, with a specialisation in corporate communication and public relations.