Public Relations and Advertising (BA)

Department of Public Relations and Advertising

Short description of the department 

The Department of Public Relations and Advertising at Eastern Mediterranean University aims to educate and train ethically responsible and creative communication experts who are skilled in the use of the latest technological and managerial tools, and who have the theoretical knowledge, background and training to meet the changing needs of the related sectors in the highly competitive and increasingly globalized world.

Departmental Facilities 

Public Relations and Advertising Projects Center, based in the Department, provides students with opportunity for learning Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), PR, and Advertising campaigns.  Starting with research, students learn to apply what they have learned regarding goals, strategic planning and creativity, and developing tactics. The center, which functions as a practical workshop, provides students with the experience they need by developing professional projects in collaboration with the sector. The Projects Center serves as a significant training place for students working on projects intended for entry in national and international competitions.

Educational Objectives (Teaching/Learning)

The Department strives to provide students with a strong theoretical foundation while also according them the opportunity to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge into practice through mandatory projects in Public Relations, Advertising, and other IMC-related Campaigns, including those for Non-profit organizations. Consequently, students apply and learn from their applications basic techniques and methods such as creative script writing, desktop publishing, graphic design, market research, customer care, integrated marketing, marketing public relations, and designing campaigns for both PR and Advertising for a variety of situations and causes. As a result, students are often able to develop project portfolios and submit such projects into national and international competitions which, in turn, give them advantage in the job market.

Achievements and Activities of the Department

Activities in the Projects Center, regular invitation of guest speakers to the Department, as well as academic staff participation in national, regional and international conferences are the highlights of the Department’s vocational life. Academic staff continue to be involved in national, regional and international conferences – through presentation of papers and in publications; leading to creation and strengthening of linkages between the Department and other institutions of learning in the region and around the world. Active linkage between the Department and industry is maintained through regular and ongoing involvement of well known people in the industry as external jurors for the Department’s Senior Projects and class presentations every Semester. The Department is a corporate member of European Public Relations & Research Association (Euprera), European Communication Research Association (ECREA), and Academic Staff in the Department additionally belong to several other Associations, including International Communication Association (ICA) and Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (AEJMC). Some faculty members are involved in commissioned research and book projects.

Career Opportunities and Graduates

PRA graduates are equipped to competently work in a variety of public relations and advertising specialist positions in private firms or public sector; in the hospitality industry; as information officers; as media experts/press relations; public/corporate affairs managers in private and civic administration or government departments; as marketing/PR experts in the non profit sector, or as consultants. Their work ranges from taking part in central strategic planning of firms, to working in departments such as customer relations, strategic creativity, market research, or media planning. PRA graduates also find work in the information, customer relations, public relations, and advertising departments of media institutions like newspapers, magazines, radio, and television stations.

Degree Structure:

All students following the new PRA curriculum are required to declare their chosen track of specialization as either Advertising or Public Relations. This decision should be based on a student’s evaluation of his or her own career interest and plans, having taken introductory courses to Advertising, PR, Marketing, and IMC- and with the help of a student’s Advisor. This decision should be made at the beginning of a student’s 5^th Academic term/Semester. Students following the new curriculum are required to do only one Senior Project—which should be in their chosen track—either Advertising or Public Relations.

CURRICULUM

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Department ID

E-mail Address  prad@emu.edu.tr

Web Page  http://www.fcms.emu.edu.tr