Public relations is a growing field in the U.S. and globally. How can the PR minor at the University of Illinois prepare you for one of these jobs?
We鈥檝e designed the curriculum so that you will learn basic and intermediate strategies that organizations use to develop and maintain positive relationships with their stakeholders and internal and external publics, such as employees, journalists and bloggers, investors and donors, and geographical and virtual communities that are relevant to the organization.
We also included a range of advanced topics courses that will help you develop more specialized skills in areas, such as PR writing and social media, media relations, corporate social responsibility and crisis communication.
If you still have questions about the PR minor, please contact media-ssc@illinois.edu.
PR Minor Requirements
The Public Relations (PR) minor is designed to provide undergraduate students with a foundational understanding of how public relations practitioners manage relationships between organizations and their stakeholders and manage the reputations of those organizations. Courses within the PR minor will help students develop skills in writing, research, strategic planning, relationship management, and crisis communication that can be applied in business, nonprofit, or government contexts.
The minor requires a minimum of 18 hours. Students must have at least six hours of 300- or 400-level coursework for the minor distinct from credits earned for their major.
Students must complete three foundational courses about public relations and journalism (9 credit hours total):
- JOUR 200 Introduction to Journalism (3 credit hours)
- ADV 310 Introduction to Public Relations (3 credit hours)
- ADV 410 Public Relations Strategies (3 credit hours)
Students must complete one of the following public relations or media writing courses (3 or 4 credit hours total):
- ADV 350 Writing for Public Relations (3 credit hours)
- JOUR 210 News Gathering Across Platforms (4 credit hours)
- CMN 220 Communicating Public Policy (3 credit hours)
Students must complete two additional advanced topics courses in public relations or persuasion from the approved list below (6 credit hours).
PR Advanced Topics for Fall 2025
ADV 200 Data Literacy
ADV 201 Social Media and Personal Branding
ADV 301 Becoming an Influencer
ADV 314 Sports Public Relations
ADV 376 Global Advertising
ADV 393 Advertising and Society
ADV 480 Social Media Analytics
ADV 490 Public Relations Campaigns
JOUR 453 Crisis Communication
CMN 321 Strategies of Persuasion
CMN 396 Applied Organizational Communication
CMN 396 Communication and Leadership
CMN 396 Media Stories and Society
CMN 464 Health Communication Campaigns
CMN 465 Social Marketing
CMN 496 Intro to Communication Analytics
Complete List of Approved PR Advanced Topics
ADV 200 Data Literacy
ADV 201 Social Media & Personal Branding
ADV 290 Becoming an Influencer
ADV 290 Data Literacy
ADV 290 Online Reputation Management
ADV 290 Social Media & Personal Brand
ADV 290 Social Media for Social Justice
ADV 290 Sports PR
ADV 301 Becoming an Influencer (previously ADV 290 INF). Meets with MACS 295.
ADV 314 Sports Public Relations
ADV 376 Global Advertising
ADV 480 Social Media Analytics
ADV 490 Public Relations Campaigns
ADV 490 Social Media Analytics
ADV 393 Advertising and Society
ADV 494 Persuasion Consumer Response
JOUR 360 Working with the Press
JOUR 453 Crisis Communication
JOUR 460 Social Media Theory and Practice
JOUR 460 Basic Video Production
JOUR 460 Data Storytelling
JOUR 460 Sport Journalism: Brundage & Olympics
MACS 295 Intro Media/Cinema Topics: Becoming an Influencer. Meets with ADV 301.
MACS 364 section PR PR & Entertainment Industry
CMN 496 Intro to Communication Analytics
CMN 321 Strategies of Persuasion
CMN 327 Communication and Public Opinion
CMN 328 Social Media and Politics (previously CMN 396)
CMN 377 Propaganda and Modern Society
CMN 396 Risk Communication
CMN 396 Leadership Communication Theory/Practice
CMN 396 Applied Organizational Communication
CMN 396 Communication and Digital Culture
CMN 396 Communication and Leadership
CMN 396 Communication and Public Opinion
CMN 396 Media Stories and Society
CMN 396 Special Topics in Communication: Digital Humanitarianism section C
CMN 464 Health Communication Campaigns
CMN 465 Social Marketing
CMN 496 Argument in Health Controversy
CMN 496 Presidential Rhetoric
Some courses are restricted to certain majors until a particular date. Please read course restrictions carefully in the Course Explorer.
To see descriptions of courses offered by the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising,
To see descriptions of courses offered by the Department of Communication,
To see descriptions of courses offered by the Department of Journalism,
Contact media-ssc@illinois.edu with any questions.