Fun Fact BU granted the first U.S. degree in public relations
BU provided the first degree program in public relations
In 1947, Boston University became the first university in the United States to provide college degrees in public relations. The School of Public Relations, later renamed the College of Communication, was divided into four divisions: Public Relations; Radio and Speech; Motion Pictures and Visual Aids; and Journalism. The school opened with an enrollment of 452 students, and by the end of the academic year the number had grown to 656. Today, the school enrolls 2,050 undergraduates and 300 graduate students in its 10 departments. Above, students participate in a Public Relations Founders’ Day panel discussion held in 1959.