Online Public Relations Certificate Training Program

To provide students with enhanced knowledge and skills in the area of public relations for job or career advancement.

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Explain the importance of effective writing skills as they apply to public relations, advertising, and sales for target audiences
• Apply the basic elements of planning and research to strategic writing for public relations, advertising, sales, marketing, and business communication
• Employ writing to appeal to audiences through a variety of mediums, including speech, print, broadcasting, and advertising
• Identify the ethical and legal dimensions of working in the public relations field
• Trace the history of public relations as a profession
• Discuss the nature and challenges of public relations work
• Apply principles of persuasion and conflict management to public relations campaign design
• Adapt strategies and tactics of public relations campaigns to fit diverse audiences and clients
• Use resources to ensure that your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct

Develop successful learning skills and action plans to get the most out of the time you spend on your learning. You’ll find different skills and techniques to use as you progress through your program. Because everyone learns in different ways and at different paces, it’s up to you to decide which ones are appropriate for you.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

• Describe how to establish a study plan by incorporating effective skills, strategies, and study techniques

This course in strategic writing is designed to help you communicate effectively in the areas of public relations, advertising, marketing, and business. In each of these areas, the elements of this course are designed to help you enhance your writing skills as you adopt the principles of strategic writing.

After learning about the role of public relations writers, including their ethical and legal responsibilities, you’ll be introduced to general topics including persuasion, research skills, the public relations planning process, writing clearly and simply, and using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Specifically, the course covers writing styles and processes for emails, memos, letters, reports, proposals, news releases, broadcasts, ad copy, material for the internet, speeches, newsletters, brochures, magazines, and annual reports.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Analyze the principles, components, and strategies involved in strategic writing
• Categorize the principles, ethics, and methods of strategic writing in public relations
• Point out the fundamentals of strategic writing in advertising
• Distinguish between the principles and methods of strategic writing in sales and marketing
• Analyze the importance of strategic writing in business communication

Textbook: Strategic Writing

This course will give you an overview of the process and purpose of public relations by connecting it to business, social, and environmental trends and values. You'll learn about the importance of corporate social responsibility in strategic public relations, and the need for ethical, socially responsible communicators in the field to build trust and respect with diverse communities. With a focus on communication theory, history, and practice, you'll learn how to create a believable and persuasive message.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Analyze the role of public relations
• Categorize the various processes involved in public relations
• Distinguish between the tactics used by public relations for interaction
• Point out the various public relations strategies
• Differentiate between the various applications of public relations in different fields

Textbook: Introduction to Strategic Public Relations