Communication Lab

Public Relations & Social Media

Program Details

Carroll’s Public Relations Major is housed within the Communication department. Public relations majors at Carroll are immersed in all facets of communication. Public speaking and theories of organizational communication go hand-­in-­hand with the study of marketing and social behavior. Understanding mass media also plays a crucial role.

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About the Program

Students in the major choose to focus in one of three areas of concentration:

 

  1. Marketing
  2. Print journalism
  3. Television production

Additionally, as part of the program, students will take on public relations campaigns for local non-­profits. Graduates of the program are prepared for careers in public relations, advertising, marketing, print and broadcast journalism, and event planning.

Life After Graduation

Alumni of the communication department have been successful in a large field of professional careers, including jobs in advertising, marketing, event planning, journalism, and secondary education. Graduates have also gone on to pursue graduate degrees at notable institutions, including Northwestern University, Golden Gate University, the University of Maine, and the University of Florida.

What We're About

Mission and Goals
The mission of the Communication Department mirrors the mission of the college: by seeking the “full realization of the dual goals of vocation and enlightenment.” The communication department has developed both educational/vocational goals and holistic goals for the enlightenment of our students.

The educational/vocational goals of the Communication Department:

  1. to teach students to communicate effectively
  2. to prepare students for a career in a business or another communication-related field
  3. to prepare students for possible graduate study in communication or a related field
  4. to prepare students for a possible career in public relations
  5. to prepare students for a possible career in print or broadcast journalism
  6. to prepare students for a possible career as a secondary education teacher of communication, speech or forensics
  7. to train students to succeed in intercollegiate forensics competition

The holistic goals of the Communication Department:

  1. to advise students comprehensively, including the development of a four-year plan leading to a major or minor and the development of a general career lifeplan
  2. to illuminate students on the need to use communication constructively and unselfishly, to serve others and to promote peace on all levels - interpersonal, societal and global
  3. to illuminate students on the moral foundations of communication, which include the need to treat every person with reverence
  4. to illuminate students on the need for intercultural understanding in order to treat people of all backgrounds with tolerance and respect and
  5. to teach practical communication skills - such as conflict management skills and relationship-building skills - which can enhance the personal life of students for a lifetime

Why Public Relations?

The world is one big melting pot and with technological advancements and business development, cultural interactions are common in both personal and professional lives. The communications department celebrates diversity and aims to give students the interpersonal skills needed to build successful intercultural relationships.

Everyone wants your schedule! During finals week, everyone wants your schedule! With public speaking skills being a major component to communication, presentations, and term papers are common during finals week. Tests happen—just not as often as some other majors…

Late study nights will happen in college, but lucky for you, the communications department has rarely been known to have a class before 11 a.m. Enjoy sleeping in!

If there is one name you will remember after graduation, it’s Martin Buber. Brent Northup slips this theory into many lectures—It/Thou, Reverent Being—it’s all about building relationships and treating people with dignity and respect. The number one goal of the communication department is that graduates have the ability to use communication constructively and unselfishly to serve others and promote peace on all levels - interpersonally, socially, and globally.

The communication department is more like a family than a department. Graduates leave with lasting relationships to classmates and professors and a great network of communication professionals. Alumni remain connected to the department as adjunct teachers, internship supervisors, and employers.

Carroll provides small class sizes for a more personal undergraduate experience. Classes are not taught by graduate students, but by the professors that advise you in your education, career and life and are vested in you as a person. Need to talk about or plan your life? We meet for coffee.

Congratulations, graduating seniors! It’s a tradition in the communication department for the communication professors to treat the graduating seniors to the best burgers around! It’s quite the drive, but York Bar is a great celebration of accomplishments, friendship, and anticipation of what’s to come.

You could take the thesis option…if you want. Most communication majors choose option #2: Oral Comprehensive exams. Preparation is key, but don’t worry; it’s a great excuse to get together for coffee or dinner with your friends in the department. And you get the opportunity to show your professors all you learned over the past four years.

TV Production is a great addition to the communications department and with a TV station located right on campus internships and job opportunities are right around the corner.

Good luck finding a job announcement that doesn’t mention something about communication skills—either written or oral. Employers want employees that know how to communicate effectively both within the organization and externally. We can help.