Public Relations

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Public Relations combines coursework in the related fields of journalism, mass communication, and business. Provides students with general, practical, and marketable skills that will enable them to seek entry-level employment in public relations, such as media relations, community or consumer relations, marketing research, in-house publications, political campaigns, fundraising and volunteer recruitment.

Details

Offered At
Mesa
Field of Interest
Culture and Society
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Public Relations (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3674
Total credits required
61-70
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2022
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Explain the functions of various media platforms.
  2. Use word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software.
  3. Identify media functions and the impact on audiences.
  4. Develop a public relations campaign that aligns with organizational goals.
  5. Produce strategic messages to successfully engage diverse audiences using a variety of platforms.
  6. Apply various journalism and public relations writing styles including Associated Press (AP) style.
  7. Demonstrate a command of language, appropriate word choices, and proper grammar to create or modify relevant content and messages.
  8. Analyze the interrelationships between Communication, Journalism and Business.
  9. Differentiate Public Relations from other marketing approaches.
  10. Create strategies and messages that align with an organization’s diversity, ethics and social responsibility standards.
  11. Apply crisis communication best practices.
  12. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Editors

$64,940

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

$57,310

Writers and Authors

$53,620

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:
  • Public Relations Managers
 * Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JRN105 Introduction to Journalism Critical course Gateway course 3
MCO120 Media and Society SB 3
MKT101 Introduction to Public Relations 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
BPC110 or
CIS103 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Introduction to Social Media or Survey of Computer Information Systems CS or None or CS 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JRN201 News Writing L 3
MCO220 Cultural Diversity and the Media C, L 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
MA Mathematics Any approved course in the Mathematics [MA] Area MA 3–6
COM100 Introduction to Human Communication SB 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JRN210 News Production L 3
JRN213 Writing for Online 3
MKT110 Marketing and Social Networking 3
RE Restricted Electives 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JRN236++ Public Relations Internship 1–3
MKT263 Advertising Principles 3
RE Restricted Electives 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4

Restricted Electives

Select 6 credits from the following courses to meet the Restricted Elective requirements.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM222 Argumentation L 3
COM225 Public Speaking L 3
JRN205 Copyediting 3
MKT111 Applied Marketing and Social Networking 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JRN105 Introduction to Journalism Critical course Gateway course 3
MKT101 Introduction to Public Relations 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MCO120 Media and Society SB 3
BPC110 or
CIS103 or
CIS105		 Computer Usage and Applications or Introduction to Social Media or Survey of Computer Information Systems CS or None or CS 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JRN201 News Writing L 3
MCO220 Cultural Diversity and the Media C, L 3
MKT263 Advertising Principles 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MA Mathematics Any approved course in the Mathematics [MA] Area MA 3–6
COM100 Introduction to Human Communication SB 3
JRN210 News Production L 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JRN213 Writing for Online 3
JRN236++ Public Relations Internship 1–3
MKT110 Marketing and Social Networking 3
RE Restricted Electives 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
RE Restricted Electives 3

Restricted Electives

Select 6 credits from the following courses to meet the Restricted Elective requirements.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM222 Argumentation L 3
COM225 Public Speaking L 3
JRN205 Copyediting 3
MKT111 Applied Marketing and Social Networking 3
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm3?id=173367).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.