PR Minor Requirements

The Public Relations (PR) minor is designed to provide undergraduate students with a foundational understanding of how public relations practitioners manage relationships between organizations and their stakeholders and manage the reputations of those organizations. Courses within the PR minor will help students develop skills in writing, research, strategic planning, relationship management, and crisis communication that can be applied in business, nonprofit, or government contexts.

The minor requires a minimum of 18 hours. Students must have at least six hours of 300- or 400-level coursework for the minor distinct from credits earned for their major.

Students must complete three foundational courses about public relations and journalism (9 credit hours total):

  • JOUR 200 Introduction to Journalism (3 credit hours)            
  • ADV 310 Introduction to Public Relations (3 credit hours)    
  • ADV 410 Public Relations Strategies (3 credit hours)

Students must complete one of the following public relations or media writing courses (3 or 4 credit hours total):

  • ADV 350 Writing for Public Relations (3 credit hours)
  • JOUR 210 News Gathering Across Platforms (4 credit hours)
  • CMN 220 Communicating Public Policy (3 credit hours)

Students must complete two additional advanced topics courses in public relations or persuasion from the approved list below (6 credit hours). 

PR Advanced Topics for Spring 2025

  • ADV 200 Data Literacy 
  • ADV 201 Social Media & Personal Branding
  • ADV 301 Becoming an Influencer
  • ADV 314 Sports Public Relations 
  • ADV 480 Social Media Analytics 
  • ADV 494 Persuasion Consumer Response
  • JOUR 453 Crisis Communication
  • CMN 321 Strategies of Persuasion
  • CMN 328 Social Media and Politics (previously numbered CMN 396)

PR Advanced Topics Offered for Fall 2024

  • ADV 200 Data Literacy 
  • ADV 201 Social Media & Personal Branding 
  • ADV 290 Adventures in Creative
  • ADV 301 Becoming an Influencer (previously ADV 290 INF) 
  • ADV 314 Sports Public Relations 
  • ADV 480 Social Media Analytics 
  • ADV 393 Advertising and Society 
  • CMN 321 Strategies of Persuasion
  • CMN 327 Communication and Public Opinion
  • CMN 396 Risk Communication section 4
  • CMN 396 Communication & Leadership section 1  
  • CMN 396 Media Stories & Society section 5     
  • CMN 464 Health Communication Campaigns section CBU
  • CMN 465 Social Marketing section BQU
  • CMN 496 Intro to Communication Analytics section YU
Complete List of Approved PR Advanced Topics 
  • ADV 200 Data Literacy 
  • ADV 201 Social Media & Personal Branding
  • ADV 290 Becoming an Influencer
  • ADV 290 Data Literacy
  • ADV 290 Online Reputation Management
  • ADV 290 Social Media & Personal Brand
  • ADV 290 Social Media for Social Justice
  • ADV 290 Sports PR
  • ADV 301 Becoming an Influencer (previously ADV 290 INF) Meets with MACS 295
  • ADV 314 Sports Public Relations 
  • ADV 476 Global Advertising
  • ADV 480 Social Media Analytics 
  • ADV 490 Social Media Analytics 
  • ADV 393 Advertising and Society 
  • ADV 494 Persuasion Consumer Response


  • JOUR 360 Working with the Press
  • JOUR 453 Crisis Communication
  • JOUR 460 Social Media Theory and Practice
  • JOUR 460 Basic Video Production
  • JOUR 460 Data Storytelling
  • JOUR 460 Sport Journalism: Brundage & Olympics

 

  • MACS 295 Intro Media/Cinema Topics:  Becoming an Influencer.  Meets with ADV 301)
  • MACS 364 section PR PR & Entertainment Industry

 

  • CMN 321 Strategies of Persuasion
  • CMN 327 Communication and Public Opinion
  • CMN 328 Social Media and Politics (previously CMN 396)
  • CMN 377 Propaganda and Modern Society
  • CMN 396 Risk Communication
  • CMN 396 Leadership Communication Theory/Practice 
  • CMN 396 Applied Organizational Communication 
  • CMN 396 Communication and Digital Culture
  • CMN 396 Communication and Public Opinion
  • CMN 396 Special Topics in Communication: Digital Humanitarianism section C
  • CMN 464 Health Communication Campaigns
  • CMN 465 Social Marketing
  • CMN 496 Argument in Health Controversy
  • CMN 496 Presidential Rhetoric 
  • CMN 496 Intro to Communication Analytics

Some courses are restricted to certain majors until a particular date. Please read course restrictions carefully in the Course Explorer. 

To see descriptions of courses offered by the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, click here.

To see descriptions of courses offered by the Department of Communication, click here.

To see descriptions of courses offered by the Department of Journalism, click here.

Contact pr-minor@illinois.edu with questions.