About Public Relations Minor
The public relations minor prepares students for a wide range of careers in media, communications and strategic messaging. Through a combination of core PR courses and engaging electives, students build skills in writing, campaign planning, media relations, digital communication and audience engagement. Whether you're interested in working for a nonprofit, corporation, government agency or media outlet, this minor offers the tools and experience to craft compelling messages and manage public perception. You'll learn how to build relationships with key audiences, handle crisis communication and adapt your strategy across platforms in today’s fast-paced media landscape.
Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to pursue a public relations minor. Additionally, students seeking a minor must have 15 credit hours exclusive to the minor that are not used in their major program.
What Can You Do With a Public Relations minor?
A public relations minor can open doors to careers in media, communications, marketing, and strategic outreach. You’ll be prepared for roles like PR specialist, social media manager, communications coordinator, event planner or brand strategist. This minor pairs well with majors in communication, marketing, journalism, business or the arts, helping you stand out in competitive fields where clear messaging and public engagement are key.
Here are some of the positions UW public relations grads have held:
- Corporate Communications Manager
- Sr. Public Relations Specialist
- Multilingual Public Relations Professional
- Communication and Public Relations Specialist
- Marketing Director
- Director of Marketing and Public Relations
- Marketing & Public Relations Consultant
- PRLab at Boston University
- US Radiology Specialists
- Global Commercial Real Estate Services
- Transamerica
- Embassy of Kazakhstan
- Regional West Health Services
- Wyoming Medical Center
- Self-employed
- Vanguard Communications Group
- And more!
A public relations minor helps you build strong communication, writing and strategic thinking skills that are valuable in nearly any industry. You'll learn how to craft messages, manage public perception and engage different audiences across platforms. It’s a great way to boost your resume, especially if you're pursuing a major in business, communication, journalism, marketing or the arts. This minor can make you more versatile, media-savvy and prepared for careers that rely on strong interpersonal and public-facing skills.
Public relations offers a variety of career paths across industries. You could work as a PR specialist, communications coordinator, media relations manager, social media strategist or public affairs officer. Other roles include event planner, content creator, brand manager or corporate communications lead. PR professionals are needed in nonprofits, government agencies, corporations, media outlets, healthcare, education and entertainment—anywhere clear messaging and strong public engagement matter.
"Both my college classes and internships allowed me to develop real-world skills resulting in success early in my career. My current employer was impressed by the skills I developed as a graduate assistant teaching news writing and reporting. I believe my combined education and experience have molded me into someone who is constantly recognized as a high performer on my team."
- Liz Kamper, B.A. in Communications 2013 | M.A. in Communications 2017 | Corporate Communications Manager at CBRE & member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
