Public Relations Undergraduate Program

Student participating in a portfolio review
Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations

In a complex and shifting business landscape, public relations serves as a crucial hinge connecting people to information, organizations, and each other. Success in any field rests on the ability to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Student participating in a portfolio review

Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations

In a complex and shifting business landscape, public relations serves as a crucial hinge connecting people to information, organizations, and each other. Success in any field rests on the ability to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.

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Apply » |  Degree Requirements » |  Sample Schedules » |  Courses » |  Faculty and Staff » |  Internships » |  Visit Us »

Be a Relationship Builder with a Degree in PR

Become a vital player in whatever field you love—whether that’s sports, healthcare, technology, finance, entertainment, nonprofit, or any other—with skills that drive success in any industry. Our flexible curriculum, supportive faculty, and your close-knit but inclusive cohort of students will serve as your home base while you combine majors, minors, and courses to custom-build the career of your dreams. Forge relationships built on trust as you join the ranks of PR advisers who are guiding companies to greater brand responsibility and leading the charge for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Male student in public relations class
Allen Hall public relations students holding Cowbucker sign
Three Allen Hall public relations students posing

 

365+
Students in public relations major
1
PRSA-certified program in Oregon
160+
Years combined faculty industry experience
60+
Students involved in Allen Hall Public Relations agency

 

What You Can Do with a Public Relations Degree

Be the voice of the organization, cause, or community you’re most passionate about. A degree in public relations opens doors in every industry across the nation. Land a highly sought-after job with a PR agency or in-house communication team, or leverage your transferable skills into a career in law, business, human resources, nonprofit management, and beyond. Discover the careers some of our alumni have forged for themselves:

SOJC Public Relations students visit the Hoffman PR Agency in London
Build Your PR Portfolio

Our students routinely land coveted jobs right out of the gate. Why? Because they graduate with an irresistible portfolio and an impressive network of peers and professionals. Get career ready as you:

Check Out Hands-on Learning Opportunities

Student Work for Real-World Clients

A row of PeaceHealth Rides bikes lined up

Challenge:

When the PeaceHealth Rides bike-share program launched, it needed to ramp up ridership quickly. Although environmentally friendly bike shares are booming in big cities across the nation, Eugene is the smallest community yet to invest in one. Analysts estimated that each bike would make less than one trip daily, casting doubt on the program’s long-term viability.

Allen Hall PR students giving out information about the PeaceHealth Rides program

Solution:

To help get the word out, PeaceHealth and its partners, including the University of Oregon, tapped Allen Hall Public Relations, the SOJC’s student-run professional public relations agency. An AHPR team of students helped plan the launch event, led the PeaceHealth Rides social media effort, and generated traditional media coverage.

A female student being interviewed on camera in front of a PeaceHealth Rides bike

Results:

In its first month, PeaceHealth Rides more than tripled expectations. Over 3,700 riders took 21,700 trips, logging a total of nearly 28,000 miles. Media coverage has been overwhelmingly positive about the new program, and its future looks bright.

PRSA-Certified, PRSSA-Approved

We’ve got the only public relations program in Oregon that’s earned the Public Relations Society of America’s rigorous Certification in Education for Academic Programs in Public Relations. And many of our students participate in our Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter—recent winner of the national Star Chapter Award—to expand their networks, work on professional PR campaigns for real-world clients, and participate in the Bateman Case Study Competition.

Madilyne Nguyen-Acosta

What Our Alumni Say

The universe was telling me that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I would have never thought that this would be my first job postgrad. … You came to the SOJC for a reason, and you are going to reap the benefits of it all through your future.
Madilyne Nguyen-Acosta ’21, DEI Specialist, Sony Music Group

Read About Madilyne 's Job

Portfolio Reviews

A high-quality portfolio and honed interviewing skills are key to landing a job after graduation. That’s why our senior public relations students undergo formal portfolio reviews with PR pros in Portland and Eugene. Many students say their review experience with these industry professionals made all the difference when it came time to apply for jobs.

Autumn Shafer sits at a desk in her office
Meet Autumn Shafer
Associate professor of Public Relations

As the lead communication strategist for the Healthy Oregon Project, SOJC associate professor Autumn Shafer plays an integral role in helping Oregonians better understand their risks. As a public interest communication researcher, she explores how public relations can help people lead better lives, from campaigns to track the spread of COVID-19 across the state to educating college students about sexual consent communication.

Learn about Autumn's Research

Meet Our Public Relations Faculty