San José State University offers the only fully accredited public relations degree program in northern California, and the national Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications has pronounced it "one of the finest public relations programs in the nation." The degree program has developed a national reputation for quality and excellence. Hundreds of alumni occupy major public relations positions throughout California and the nation.
The curriculum features a strong emphasis on writing and communication skills, principles of public relations, case studies in public relations, publicity techniques, opinion research and general knowledge of the liberal arts. A senior seminar emphasizes program planning and public relations as a management function. A large percentage of public relations majors also take advantage of a specially designed business minor that emphasizes management and marketing. There is also a specialized minor in speech communication.
Practical field experience is stressed in a required 240-hour internship, usually taken between the junior and senior year. Students work off-campus under the supervision of professional public relations personnel. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is one of the largest in the nation. The San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley offer public relations majors many opportunities for part-time work in the field.
A major strength of the program is the close working relationship between the students, faculty and public relations professionals. Professionals regularly appear as guest lecturers and serve as mentors to students aspiring to careers in specific areas of public relations.
A group of top-level public relations executives serves as an advisory board to the degree program, and there is also a strong alumni network and a "Golden Circle" of alumni who contribute annually to the program.
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