Public Relations

Purdue’s public relations program emphasizes why. We don’t just focus on what should be done to build and maintain strong relationships between organizations and publics, but why it should be done. The program emphasizes the integration of public relations theory and research into practice to develop an understanding of the interactions between organizations and their publics. Studying public relations at Purdue prepares students to cultivate and sustain mutually beneficial relationships between organizations of all types and their strategic publics, both as practitioners and researchers.

Why Purdue for Public Relations?

• You’ll earn a degree from one of the few PhD-granting programs in public relations in the nation.
• As a student in the Lamb School, you’ll work with some of the most distinguished scholars in the discipline of public relations.
• While you’re on campus, you’ll participate in stimulating communication courses covering a wide variety of areas.
• Our students have the opportunity to study abroad through partnerships in Denmark.
• Lamb School students have the unique opportunity to work in Washington-related partnerships such as those with Brian Lamb and C-SPAN.
• We’ll work with you to design a personally-tailored plan of study that best suits your needs and interests.
• You’ll collaborate with faculty members and fellow graduate students on research projects.
• As a student and an educator, you’ll teach or assist in a variety of undergraduate communication and public relations courses, earning free tuition and a generous stipend.

Program Faculty and Areas of Interest

• Josh Boyd: Corporate advocacy and issue management, organizational rhetoric, sports public relations
• Charlie Catalano: Public relations planning, techniques, and writing, including executive communications and healthcare PR
• Ilwoo Ju: Marketing communication effects and processes, branding strategy, consumer decision making in health, digital, marketing communication, pro-consumer issues in marketing/health communication
• Diana Zulli: Strategic political communication, scandal and crisis communication, digital technology, and communication theory

Selected Course Offerings

Public Relations Theory; Rhetorical Approaches to Issue Management; Seminar in Public Relations Management; Crisis Communication; Corporate Advocacy; Seminar in Integrated Communication; Strategic Communication Research and Planning; Political Public Relations

For more information, contact us at gradcom@purdue.edu.