COM: Public Relations

Sample Pathway

Below is an example of a four-year plan of a College of General Studies student pursuing a degree in Public Relations. Students will work with their CGS academic advisors and the College of Communication to plan their own pathway to a communication degree.

*Choose your electives carefully to fulfill any remaining BU Hub requirements. External courses are not eligible for Hub general education credit.

To learn more about how required courses in your Public Relations major will help you fulfill Hub requirements, please see the COM Curriculum Guide. You will find a list of all of the courses that carry Hub units on the University’s BU Hub website. (CGS RH 103 and CGS RH 104 substitute for CAS WR 151/152/153 and CAS WR 120 on the COM Curriculum Guide.)

College of General Studies Program Requirements

• Two rhetoric courses: CGS RH 103 and CGS RH 104
  • CGS RH 104 is taken during the London semester
• Two natural science courses: CGS NS 201 and CGS NS 202
• Three social science courses:
  • CGS SS 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
  • Students select at least two additional SS courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection
• Three humanities courses:
  • CGS HU 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
  • Students select at least two additional HU courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection

Major Requirements

COM CO 101 is required for all COM majors. A zero-credit professional experience (COM CO 575) is also required, and will be taken upon continuing to COM in junior or senior year.

• All COM courses must be taken in residence at Boston University
• A student must earn a minimum grade of ‘C’ or higher in COM CO 101 to be eligible for continuation to COM.
• In addition to COM CO 101, the Public Relations major requires 11 total courses, including four departmental core classes, three Public Relations core requirements, and sixteen credits of program electives within the Public Relations program.
• COM CO 201 is one of the core classes and must be taken before the first Public Relations writing course (COM CM 331)
• COM CO 101 must be taken before the start of junior year, with the minimum grade received, in order to continue to COM, and may only be retaken once.

For more information about the major, please see the COM Bulletin and the COM Curriculum Guides.

Continuation Requirements

• Completion of the CGS required courses and appropriate electives
• Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.00
• Completion of the required elective COM CO 101 with a minimum ‘C’ grade
  • Note: If students do not receive the ‘C’ grade or higher the first time around, they can retake COM CO 101 once, but would have to receive a ‘C’ at that time in order to continue to COM. 

Graduation Requirements

• BU Hub requirements
• COM requirements:
  • Boston University students must complete at least 128 academic credits, with all COM courses being taken at Boston University. Students must maintain at least a 2.0 minimum overall GPA and a 2.0 minimum COM GPA to graduate, including COM CO 101 and COM CO 201.
• Public Relations requirements

Advising

Students should meet with their CGS advisor. Students may also meet with an advisor in COM Undergraduate Affairs, Room 123 in COM, as necessary to gain an understanding of requirements and policies within the College.

CGS students wishing to meet with a COM Undergraduate Affairs academic advisor for the first time, please email comugrad@bu.edu and ask to be “tagged” for COM on Handshake. This will make you eligible to schedule academic advising appointments with a COM Undergraduate Affairs academic advisor via Handshake:

• • https://bu.joinhandshake.com/appointments/new
  • Then choose “COM Undergraduate Affairs” from the menu
  • Follow the prompts

Students may also call (617) 353-3471, or stop by COM, Room 123, to schedule an academic advising appointment with COM Undergraduate Affairs.

Please review the COM Bulletin for information on your major before making an appointment with an advisor.

Internships

Internship credit is awarded only for COM juniors or seniors in good academic standing who have taken COM CM 215 and COM CM 331. Students are encouraged to participate in work experiences at any time. The Professional Experience course (COM CO 575) can only be taken as a COM student, but any student at the University can participate in PRSSA, PRLab (with proper course pre-requisites), butv10, WTBU, and any other extra-curricular or co-curricular experience without being in COM. The COM Undergraduate Affairs Office can assist in directing students to the appropriate office.

Study Abroad

Please carefully read the COM Study Abroad Fact Sheets for details on requirements.

Students planning to continue to COM and planning to study abroad in the fall of their junior year must make an appointment with a COM academic counselor in the spring of their sophomore year to seek an electronic signature on their BU Study Abroad Advisor Support of Participation Form or any external (Non-BU) study abroad paperwork. To make an appointment, call 617-353-3471.

This is a sample pathway to be used in consultation with your CGS Academic Advisor.

It is subject to change according to course availability and individual circumstances.

Last revised: 03/17/2025