Graduate Certificate in Public Relations
Public relations is a management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends. Virtually every kind of institution -- for-profit and not-for-profit alike -- recognizes the need for dialogue with the groups of people who can and will influence its future. The Graduate Certificate in Public Relations is designed to provide students with the principles and theories that guide the work of public relations practitioners in a variety of contexts, including private industry, government, and non-profit settings.
The Graduate Certificate in Public Relations is designed for working professionals who already have earned bachelor's degrees but who would like to enhance or upgrade their skills in the area of public relations. Non-degree students who decide to enroll in the M. A. program following completion of the Certificate may transfer 9 hours of credits earned for the Certificate into credits for the M. A. degree. The Certificate also is designed for students enrolled in a master's program at the University of Colorado Denver (including the Department of Communication's M. A. program in Communication or M. S. program in Technical Communication). For such students, the Certificate can be completed as part of or in addition to the coursework required for the master's degree. Students who have completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Public Relations are not eligible to complete this Certificate.
Certificate Requirements
12 credit hours (4 courses) as follows:
Students who have not had a previous course in public relations must complete:
- CMMU 5635 Principles of Public Relations
Students choose 3 or 4 courses, depending on whether they already have had a course equivalent to CMMU 5635:
- CMMU 5240 Organizational Communication
- CMMU 5290 Web Design
- CMMU 5300 Multimedia Authoring
- CMMU 5665 Principles of Advertising
- CMMU 5805 Graphics
Students may be allowed to take courses other than those on this list to fulfill the requirements for the Certificate if those courses fit their professional goals better. Requests for approval for different courses should be made in writing to the director of the M. A. program in Communication, Professor Barbara Walkosz. Such requests should include an explanation of the relevance of the course(s) to be substituted to students’ professional goals and the Certificate.
Grade and Residency Requirements
A grade of B must be earned in each course completed as part of the Certificate. All of the credit hours for the Certificate must be earned at the University of Colorado Denver.
Registration Procedures
Students should apply for the Graduate Certificate in Public Relations only after the completion of the required courses. To apply, students must complete the "Application Form: Graduate Certificate in Public Relations." The form may be downloaded here or is available from Professor Barbara Walkosz or the program assistant in the Communication Department, Sally Thee. The form should be returned to Professor Barbara Walkosz in her mailbox in Plaza Room 102-A, or to the Communication Department Program Assistant, Sally Thee, at the Department of Communication, P. O. Box 173364, Campus Box 176, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364. Once the certificate is processed, it will be mailed to the student.
Students who are not already enrolled at the University of Colorado Denver also must complete an "Application for Non-Degree Admission." The form may be downloaded here or is available from the program assistant in the Communication Department, Sally Thee (303-556-2591 or Sally.Thee@ucdenver.edu). The form should be returned to the Office of Admissions in the annex of the CU Building at 14th and Larimer in downtown Denver.
Additional Information
Additional information about the Graduate Certificate in Public Relations may be obtained from:
Professor Barbara Walkosz, Graduate Advisor
Department of Communication
Plaza Building, room 102-H
303-556-6719
Barbara.Walkosz@ucdenver.edu
