Lead Conversations That Move People

Why Major in Public Relations at BU COM? 

What Can You Do with a Major in Public Relations?

A major in public relations from BU COM qualifies you for roles in brand promotion, content creation, social media, crisis communication, media relations, public affairs, community relations, reputation management, and marketing communications. Alumni go on to serve as chief public relations officers of major corporations, as CEOs of leading PR firms, and more. Here are just a few more examples:

Jobs of Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations Alumni

BU COM alumni with a major in public relations have gone on to roles with:

Employment Rate for Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations Alumni

97% 

of alumni are employed, in school, or in another chosen activity

77% Employed, 20% Continuing Education, 3% Still Seeking

Source: based on 103/128 surveyed graduates of the 2024 class.

Hear from BU COM Alumni

Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations grads at BU COM stay plugged in: they drop into classes as guest speakers, bring live briefs to PRLab, host students at Edelman and HubSpot for internships, and pop into COM’s career fairs to hire new Terriers.

Comparing Programs

•  BS in Public Relations: Choose this major if you want to shape how organizations are perceived—mastering strategy, crisis response, and digital analytics while running real client campaigns in BU’s award-winning PRLab.
  
• BS in Journalism: Pick this path if you’re driven to uncover facts and tell compelling multimedia stories, developing investigative, data, and visual skills in a hands-on newsroom setting.
  
• BS in Advertising: Opt for this degree if you love blending big-idea creativity with consumer insight, crafting and pitching persuasive brand campaigns for real clients through AdLab.
  

How to Get a Job in Public Relations

To get a job in PR, you need to look for a major in public relations that shows you how to craft killer pitches and releases, decode social metrics with Meltwater and Tableau, stay calm while handling crises, build integrated campaigns, and ground every move in media law, ethics, and global cultural insight. BU COM’s Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations does just that.

Curriculum Overview

Choose a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations That Equals Real Experience

PRLab—the Longest-Running Student-Run Agency

Zimmerman Social Activation Center for Advanced Insights

Prestigious Internships

Study Abroad Opportunities

Learn with Industry Experts and Scholars

Learn from pros who calm Fortune 500 crises, raise awareness for key issues in health and politics, and make sense of campaign data to boost brands. They bring live briefs to class, assist you in your search for internships, and coach you 1-on-1—from your first brief to your first job.

Enjoy Student Life at BU COM

BU life is fast paced, creative, diverse, and full of energy—just like Boston. With 450+ clubs, D1 sports, and a campus in the heart of the city, you’ll never be bored. It’s the kind of place where you can find your people and chase what excites you. And did we mention four years of guaranteed housing?  

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he Boston University Bachelor of Science in Public Relations program offers a tradition that balances academics with practical application. Building on a tradition traced to the country’s first PR degree, you’ll gain an overview of contemporary public relations, the nature of human communication, and the role of media in society. You’ll learn how to write clearly and concisely in contemporary media formats, tailored to different audiences, while developing professional management skills. 

Instruction is personal and often individual. Professors become mentors, and mentors become lifelong friends. You’ll be both challenged and nurtured in a thoughtful, strategic environment.

A bachelor degree from Boston University’s College of Communication is recognized and respected across the industry, and provides access to a global alumni network shaking up the PR landscape around the world. This reputation for excellence means our alumni are highly sought for top PR jobs with agencies and in-house teams in Boston and worldwide around the world — from brand promotion, content creation, and social media to crisis communication, media relations, community relations, reputation management, and marketing communications.

BS in Public Relations graduates regularly land positions with firms like Ketchum, Hubspot, Burson-Marsteller, and more. They’ve gone on to serve as chief public relations officers of major corporations, as CEOs of leading PR firms, and in a variety of other impressive assignments throughout the exciting world of communication.

Learn from the Best

As a COM student of public relations, you’ll learn from an award-winning faculty with decades of experience to share.

COM professors have led communications for a Fortune 10 company, helmed PRWeek’s “Agency of the Past 20 Years,” and served as the U.S. CEO for a Top 5 PR firm. They’ve been admitted as members to the prestigious Arthur W. Page Society and have received Outstanding Educator Awards from the Public Relations Society of America. Notably, Boston University is the only university in the nation with two endowed professorships in public relations.

Hands-On Experiences

COM graduate students get ready for public relations careers by rolling up their sleeves for hands-on experiences.

In PRLab, the world’s oldest student-run public relations agency, students work collaboratively on account teams creating real campaigns for real clients including corporations, entrepreneurial start-ups, and nonprofits. Through the Edward L. Bernays Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at Boston University, students build their professional networks and compete for national competitions.

Beyond campus, COM helps place students as interns with some of the most coveted agencies in the country, as well as many media companies and marketing organizations. Many students choose to spend a semester during their junior or senior year on a Boston University Study Abroad program (www.bu.edu/abroad).  BU offers over 75 different study abroad programs and many including an internship opportunity.”

Benefit from Boston

One of BU’s greatest resources is its location. Consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world, Boston is “America’s college town,” a city rich in history while remaining on the cutting edge. Boston is a Top 10 U.S. media market, and home to some of the world’s best agencies, media companies and leading employers — offering boundless opportunities for internships and careers.

Purpose Driven

COM stands out from our peers. Our faculty offers a mix of researchers and practitioners who endorse a cross-discipline, hands-on approach to learning. Our location lies at the heart of an electric, media-savvy city.

But it may be COM’s shared values that matter most. We believe that communication requires diversity, critical thinking, and creative expression. We believe that communication must be grounded in truth, authenticity, effectiveness, and purpose. We believe that communication builds understanding among people and across society.