Academic Programs
About our Academic Programs
The Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations is a world-class program for students interested in the advertising and public relations industries at the undergraduate, master's or Ph.D. levels. We combine theory and practice to provide students with the academic and industry experience needed to embark on their unique career journey.
Theory Meets Practice
The Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations is committed to research as part of a Tier 1 public research institution. We also focus heavily on current industry realities and mold our students into the next professional leaders in that world. The combination of these two focuses yields our motto: Theory x Practice.
All our advertising and public relations students in the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations take courses that prepare them to tackle the challenges presented in this evolving environment. To accomplish this, the School's curriculum incorporates broad exposure to the following required courses beyond an introductory, overview course: creative strategy, media, research, management/strategy, ethics and law, and a capstone campaigns course. Integrated into this core curriculum is coverage of promotional events, big data, social media, digital media and analytics, KPIs (key performance indicators) and a dynamic range of other topics.
Our Programs
Bachelor of Science in Advertising
Our Advertising program prepares students for a diverse variety of careers in the advertising field. Students gain multiple perspectives of the industry, ranging anywhere from the artistic and creative side to the business and logistical side of both traditional and new media.
Bachelor in Public Relations
In the Public Relations program, we focus on developing students to become strategic communicators. Our program works to deepen critical thinking, professional writing and innovative media use. Students learn the tactics to become effective storytellers in a variety of fields to bridge the gap between organizations and society.
Master's in Advertising
The flexibility of the M.A. program allows students to create a graduate degree focused on their interests through advertising and related coursework. Students can choose to pursue a Master's with or without a thesis.
Doctorate in Advertising
The Stan Richards School is the only program in the world to offer a Ph.D. in Advertising. The Ph.D. program focuses on interdisciplinary coursework from multiple fields of study and allows students to focus on a research and write a unique dissertation.