By Jeff Murphy,
May 30, 2023
![onlineu-most-affordable-pr](/news/university-news/posts/images/onlineu-most-affordable-pr.jpg)
WARRENSBURG, MO 鈥 Anyone who is seeking an affordable Public Relations degree from
a nationally recognized academic program, may want to consider the University of Central
Missouri. The academic rankings organization OnlineU has designated UCM #1 on its
list of colleges and universities that offer the .
OnlineU points to an annual tuition rate of $7,748 as the key factor in ranking UCM
at the top of its list of 10 PR programs from across the United States. UCM, which
houses a PRSA-certified Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and Strategic Communication
within the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, was one of only two
Missouri public comprehensive institutions that made the list.
In announcing these rankings, OnlineU noted that an online bachelor鈥檚 degree in Public
Relations is ideal for students who are interested in careers in media, marketing,
consumer services, and/or technology. Students who pursue this type of degree can
expect to develop skills in writing, public speaking, researching and social media.
In pursuit of their degree, students also are often required to complete a capstone
course before they graduate, and they will gain real-life experiences through a PR
internship.
In order for an institution to be included in the OnlineU rankings, a college or university
must have fully online degrees and meet degree requirements for the ranking. Institutions
also must be accredited and meet online student representation requirements. OnlineU
ranks each institution after manually researching online tuition.
UCM鈥檚 B.S. in Public Relations and Strategic Communication offers a Public Relations
online degree option through the Office of Online and Learning Engagement. Individuals
who are interested can enroll part time or full time beginning the fall, spring or
summer, and they can take all online courses to finish their bachelor鈥檚 degree in
Public Relations. The program is especially well-suited for transfer and transition
students.
UCM鈥檚 online B.S. degree is a 120-hour program. Core courses for this major include
Design and Layout, Writing and Editing and Advanced PR Writing, Special Topics in
Public Relations 鈥 Entertainment PR, and Global Sports PR. All of these classes are
taught by seasoned faculty members who have professional experience in their subject
areas, and are experts in strategy and theory.
Students in UCM鈥檚 Public Relations program are part of an academic area where they
can expect to find employment once they graduate. Statistics show that 97 percent
of the university鈥檚 PRSC majors are able to find a job in within their academic field
or a related area of interest, or go on to pursue graduate study within six months
after completing their degrees. UCM鈥檚 program also is nationally recognized. During
the past two years, the university鈥檚 PR and Strategic Communications program has been
named to the PRNews Education A-List, a designation given to the top programs in the
nation.
鈥淯CM's program value is among the best. It's one of the most hands-on, applied programs
in the country and it amplifies students' educations by training them to become true
strategists,鈥 said Tricia Hansen-Horn, Ph.D., professor and coordinator of the B.S.
in Public Relations and Strategic Communication program.
She added, 鈥淥ur online program can accommodate students from all states and around
the world; we support them through one-to-one mentorships and advising. We're happy
to welcome online students to the UCM Public Relations and Strategic Communication
program.鈥
While UCM鈥檚 Public Relations Program was listed as #1 for Most Affordable Online Degrees
in Public Relations, several additional programs were named to the top 10 in other
OnlineU categories for . These programs include master鈥檚 degrees in the academic areas of Nutrition, Psychology,
Sports Management, Cybersecurity, Aviation, Communications, Secondary Education, and
Library Science, as well as the Emergency Management program.
Learn more about UCM鈥檚 Public Relations online degree by contacting Brenda Fuhr, manager
of student transition and engagement at UCM-Lee鈥檚 Summit, at 660-543-8252 or fuhr@ucmo.edu or Dr. Tricia Hansen Horn, professor and coordinator of the B.S in Public Relations
and Strategic Communication, at 660-543-8635 or hansen-horn@ucmo.edu.