Public Relations & Social Media
Public relations is an industry that uses strategic communication, including social media, to help organizations build mutually beneficial relationships. PR Agency hiring has grown by 30% in the last five years*. Employment of public relations specialists is projected to grow 11% by 2030, faster than the average for all occupations**.
Degree Plans
Social media advertising is paid-for, persuasive communication by a sponsored person or group. Global social media ad spending now exceeds $85 billion.
Learn at OC
OC Public Relations and Social Media students study theory-based and faith-inspired concepts in the classroom (like dialogic theory). Students apply those lessons through Eagle PR, our student-run PR firm, working in our new state-of-the-art Social Media Command Center.
Grow at OC & Compete Against the Best
OC students routinely compete in and win state, regional and national college competitions. Our Up to Us campaigns regarding national debt placed 7th in the nation in 2022! Our previous campaigns in 2020 and 2018 also placed in the top-20. Our Bateman Team placed among the top-18 in the nation in 2016 & 2018. No college in Oklahoma has placed in multiple years. OC students have even won against professionals in OKC through the Uppercase Awards.
Recent OC PR Accomplishments:
Intern in a Large Market
Through relationships with accomplished professionals and alumni, OC students land some of the best internships in OKC. Those experiences in the spring and fall open doors in other markets in the summers and after graduation.
Learn with Accomplished Faculty
OC's communication faculty have received national and local awards for teaching, scholarship and professional work. These include co-authoring a best-selling textbook, awards from the National Communication Association, Emmys, and film festival honors.
Study in D.C.
Through OC's membership in the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, we offer our students faith-inspired opportunities to intern and study in Washington. It is one of the nation's top markets for political advocacy and public relations.
Build In-Demand Skills
OC students apply theory to real-world skills that today's professionals demand. Every student develops certification in the use of Hootsuite, Hubspot and Meltwater, among the leading social media dashboards companies in the world. Students also earn certifications from Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter.
Career Paths
What does your future in Public Relations & Social Media look like?
PR & Social Media Careers
OC alumni work in nonprofit organizations, corporate departments, and agencies. Some are at the top organizations in their state, and others help run communications at the largest companies in the world such as Chilli’s, Disney, McDonald’s and Tyson Foods.
Faculty Feature
I love seeing students create strategic and ethical campaigns that produce measurable results for clients. Agencies, corporations, and nonprofits love hiring our OC grads, many of whom are now highly respected industry leaders!
Dr. Josh Watson / Associate Professor of Communication
*Bureau of Labor Statistics
**USC Annenberg Global Report 2022