Become a force in the field of strategic communication with our Master of Arts in Public Relations. You’ll learn what it takes to successfully target individuals and communities through the latest social media and emerging communication technologies. With three tracks to choose from in political communication, sports communication, and strategic public relations, as well as the chance to count prior work experience toward your degree, you can tailor your learning based on your career goals and achievements.
In this program, you will have the chance to:
Our MA in Public Relations program is incredibly versatile—complete it part-time or full-time, anywhere from one to three years. You'll also have the unique opportunity to travel, taking advantage of our immersive learning experiences abroad in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Rosarito, Barcelona, and more.
Ready to effect change? Apply today to our graduate program in Public Relations.
Can't commit to a full master's? Our 16-credit graduate certificate program allows career changers or professionals looking to re-tool in the industry with the credentials and experience necessary to compete for today’s top jobs. Learn more about the Public Relations Certificate.
In a marketplace flooded with information, every organization wants its message to be heard above the noise. That’s why there is such a high demand for skilled communication professionals who can craft and execute compelling communication strategies. Our graduates of the Public Relations program have pursued careers in a wide variety of industries and occupations. No matter your focus area—pharmaceuticals, health and fitness, political campaigns, entertainment, hospitality, financial services, technology or government organizations—a Public Relations degree will have a sustained value during any economic cycle.
Career paths chosen by some of our graduates include:
With the ability to communicate effectively comes the power to bring about positive change. At Emerson, you will learn to analyze and gain meaningful insight into communities, cultures, institutions, and lifestyles, as well as your target audience’s beliefs and values.
Throughout your course of study, you will gain valuable, real-world experience by conducting public opinion polls and organizational social media audits, formulating crisis communication plans, writing speeches, and creating digital content. By investigating the ways in which different types of messaging can engage and persuade, you will leave the program with the skill set and strategic insight required to be a compelling advocate for better business practices, improved policies, and social justices.
The master of science degree in media arts and technology is a one-year applied science and technology program concluding with a capstone project. Students develop relevant knowledge and skills with a technical emphasis and business-oriented approach. Students will recognize new ways for operating and identifying emerging technologies to meet and exceed evolving market demands, and for becoming leaders in the improvements of cross-media products and processes. The program provides students with the ability to create meaningful and measurable changes in graphic communications through applied cross-media initiatives. The required capstone project allows students to develop and demonstrate in-depth knowledge in a specific topic area. Led by senior faculty, the capstone project is designed to prepare students to be innovators in the rapidly evolving media landscape.
The curriculum concentrates on the latest technologies, which allow students to employ knowledge of print, web, mobile, and social media workflows to solve communication problems. The course work investigates strategies, processes, and technologies relating to publishing, graphic communications, print, and media. The diverse expertise of the faculty ensure a breadth of relevant experience while educating students on issues and trends across the graphic communications field. The School of Media Sciences strives to be on the leading edge of graphic communications and give students the opportunity to address real world problems within the industry. This program aims to create a collaborative environment where students combine course work with access to faculty expertise, staff support, and extensive facilities to extend their current knowledge base.
The program is two semesters, 30 credit hours of study, and culminates in a capstone project.
The program encourages cross-disciplinary and interdepartmental collaboration. Students may choose elective courses from a variety of courses offered in the School of Media Sciences or with other graduate departments and programs at RIT.
Capstone project
The capstone project requires students to develop and demonstrate extensive knowledge on a specific topic related to graphic communications. Students complete original work in the form of a number of methodologies, including experiments, comprehensive case studies, surveys, focus groups, and research analysis. Outcomes from this experience include innovation of a process, recognizing unmet customer needs, solving cross-media issues, and/or identifying resources required for business transformation or business solutions.
To be considered for admission to the MS program in media arts and technology, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
The MFA program in photography and related media emphasizes a broad interpretation of photography as a conceptual art form, with the intention of inspiring and nurturing the individuality of each student as a creative, productive artist. The program encourages graduate study in photography and related media as a means to personal, aesthetic, intellectual, and career development.
The curriculum provides a focus of study that is continually sensitive to the needs of each student, building upon the strengths each individual brings to the program. Successful completion of the program enables students to seek careers in fields including education, museum or gallery work, or as self-employed visual artists.
The program provides students with the opportunity to use the still and moving image as a means to:
Distribution of work within these guidelines is subject to modification based upon the candidate’s background, abilities, and interests. An individualized course of study is prepared with the advice of the graduate faculty and made a matter of record. Modifications in this prescribed program thereafter must be approved and recorded.
Elective courses are available in areas such as, but not limited to, video, printmaking, painting, sculpture, communication design, crafts, bookmaking, graphic design, new media, computer graphics, art history, and archival preservation and conservation. A complete list of graduate electives is available through the student's adviser. There are also graduate electives offered throughout the university. Students also have opportunities to enhance their studies through independent studies and internships.
Matriculation from the MFA program is obtained when the student has completed and mounted their graduate thesis exhibition, successfully passed their thesis defense, and submitted their thesis publication. The thesis must be an original body of work appropriate to the major commitment of the degree. The thesis publication is a professional, published presentation of the thesis project, which must be submitted, in both print and digital form. It must contain an extended artist statement and a presentation of the majority of thesis artwork. It is prepared for inclusion in the Wallace Library, the School's Archive, and the Graduate Annex Space. The verbal defense requires a public address by the student, discussion of the thesis project, and exhibition in a digital presentation format.
The MFA program in photography and related media and the BFA program in photographic and imaging arts are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Our collaborative, interdisciplinary program will nurture your talent, develop your skills, and connect you to industry mentors and colleagues throughout the world and throughout your professional life. Our unique approach comprises research, aesthetic design, cultural studies, and hands-on production techniques in a variety of media combined with opportunities to specialize in the area of greatest interest to you:
Throughout, you’ll produce traditional and nontraditional productions for broadcast, cable, broadband and wireless distribution. You might write a dramatic or comedic script; direct a digital movie on location; produce a documentary; create a new reality or talk show or soap opera in our television studio; or participate in our student-run ad agency, our Globesville web channel and/or ProdCo production company, taking on a leadership role.
Advance your career in the field of strategic communication with our Public Relations Graduate Certificate. You’ll learn what it takes to successfully target individuals and communities through the latest social media and emerging communication technologies. Our 16-credit certificate program allows career changes or professionals looking to re-tool in the industry with the credentials and experience necessary to compete for today’s top Public Relations jobs.
Your ability to communicate effectively will give you the power to bring about positive changes within any industry or sector. By learning to gain meaningful insight into your target audience’s beliefs and values you will be able to develop messages that resonate with the communities, cultures, and institutions you serve.
Throughout your course of study, you will gain a valuable foundation in communication technology and research methods. You can also focus the subject of your learning by selecting from a diverse offering of elective courses and courses from our three program tracks: Strategic Public Relations, Political Communication, and Sports Communication. You will leave the program with the skill set and strategic insight needed to advance your career in today's market.
Ready to effect change? Apply today to our graduate certificate program in Public Relations
The MA in Professional Communication (MAPC) provides the knowledge and training for superior oral, written, and visual communication skills. Our program is designed for people who seek the techniques and knowledge required to be communication specialists in a wide range of fields in an ever-shifting 21st century workplace.
The program features small class sizes, personal attention and opportunities for applied research and professional engagement.
• The program’s convenient schedule of late afternoon and evening courses appeals to full-time graduate students and enables professionals to work while completing their degree.
• The MAPC includes courses that meet both on-campus and in a hybrid (on-campus/online) format for flexibility and convenience, while providing engagement with cutting-edge technology.
• Offering three concentrations, the program creates a community of professional communicators who have varied career interests.
You can request more information on our website
Strategic Communication
Strategic communicators work as planners, designers, and leaders to develop and disseminate messages both within and outside of organizations. Students enrolled in this concentration analyze how organizations interact internally and externally with the public, industry and media. Students also gain practical communication skills that give them a competitive edge in the workplace.
Technical Communication
Technical communicators use communication skills to translate complex scientific, engineering or technical information into content that users can understand and utilize. Students enrolled in this concentration learn how to communicate to the user while ensuring that the product or service has a competitive advantage. As technology grows in a variety of fields, the demand for such skilled, user-centered and agile technical communicators has never been greater.
Health Communication
This concentration equips students with the theoretical and practical communication tools needed to effectively and ethically impact public and personal health literacy. From creating health awareness campaigns, improving patient relationships, working with regulations, and explaining health care policy, Health Communication professionals are critical to the facilitation of understanding health care issues as a basis for informing, influencing and motivating diverse audiences about health and medical issues.
You can request more information by visiting our website
Graduates from the program bring a thorough knowledge and skill set of advanced communication to careers in a range of sectors — including technology, government, finance, health services, academic, and many other sectors where communications skills are highly valued.
