Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Public Relations Specialists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Full Sail, Palm Beach State College, Central Florida, and Embry Riddle.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Nova Southeastern, Florida Atlantic, Trinity College of Florida, and University of Miami.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Florida A&M, Saint Thomas University, Trinity International University, and Nova Southeastern.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Nova Southeastern, Barry, Warner University, and Indian River State College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Embry Riddle, Full Sail, Eckerd, and The University of Tampa.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Clearwater Christian, Stetson University, Webber International University, and Eckerd.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Miami, University of Florida, Florida State, and Rollins College.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Edward Waters, University of South Florida-Main Campus, University of Florida, and University of Miami.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Stetson University, University of Miami, Rollins College, and Florida A&M.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Florida • Gainesville, FL
Studying Journalism (completion in 2008)
• 7/15/2011
"I am quite satisfied. I think it was worth it. If given a choice, I would choose it again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I would, because of all the things I've mentioned, and especially so for the hands on experience I was given. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The current reputation of the Journalism Specialization in the Mass Communication program is really quite good. I have no complaints. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It was good as there was lots of hands on experience, including practical projects rather than only literary ones. |
| Instruction | 8 | The curriculum was very relevant. However, it was a bad year (given the financial meltdown), so curriculum should be more updated. This is no fault of theirs, of course. |
| How Difficult | 7 | As difficult as one expects it to be, it's not math or physics. If you like or take an interest in writing and literature, it is not difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A good healthy mix. I mentioned this earlier, but I prefer practical, hands on work. It's good practice for the real world. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There was a lot of schedule flexibility, especially with the online options. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I had access to libraries, labs, and lots of wifi. You don't need much more than wifi and the internet: those are all the resources you need. |
| Social Life | 9 | It was all quite good. Like they say, college is the best years of anyone's life. |
| Placement Services | 6 | As I said, it was a bad year for the economy when I graduated. I'm sure there's not much they could do to change that. It wasn't in their hands. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't really think an alumni network is helpful in the first place. It really is only your talent that should get you places. |
University Of Central Florida • Orlando, FL
Studying Psychology (completion in 1992)
• 9/20/2011
"The school has grown since I graduated. I wish it were larger when I attended."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would recommend a school that specializes. My school was good, but I wish I would have had more opportunities within my field. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | We were not known for my program. At the time I attended the school was very small. |
| Program Quality | 4 | Overcrowding in classrooms is common. There are not enough professors to teach enough subjects. |
| Instruction | 5 | There are too many people per class to get a quality education. There is not enough preparation for the major. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The courses were not difficult. Mostly we relied on memorization. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very much a mix of both learning styles. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were many times I could not find the time for classes I was interested in. Class schedules were tight. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | The school was still relatively small. There were too many students. |
| Social Life | 2 | I was never the partying type. I never kept up with social schedules. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I never utilized the job placement services. They were poorly organized at the time. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I found the alumni network to be very supportive. They were frequently in contact with us. |
University Of South Florida • Tampa, FL
Studying Mass Communications - Public Relations Concentration (completion in 2010)
• 10/9/2011
"I have always loved my alma mater for its reputation, campus grounds and overall atmosphere. I had several choices in FL and several scholarship offerings (including from USF) and I have always felt that I made a good choice in selecting USF. Go Bulls!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The professors and even the T.A.'s are very knowledgeable, many with current real-world experience. Everyone, from faculty to student to office staff, is willing to help a student get ahead and build a career. The opportunities (i.e. internships and job experience) available to a student will help you to get ahead in the job market. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | USF is primarily known for its research and medical degrees; all other programs seem to fall under that shadow. However, employers interested in Comm. majors are aware of USF's reputation. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Rigorous coursework made up the bulk of my experience at USF. However, the advising department was less than helpful on several occasions. |
| Instruction | 9 | Each of my professors had real-world experience in the subjects they were teaching, whereas the English department was predominantly graduate student instructors. I felt that I was gaining applicable knowledge through the program, and that I would graduate well-prepared. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Some classes - such as Communication Law and Advanced Reporting - required a modest amount of engagement and effort. Others, such as Narration and Description, were easier and required less time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my core classes were fairly heavily book-based; something that I feel is not necessarily a weakness. Selective requirements allowed me to move outside of my comfort zone. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Online and summer classes are provided for most pre-requisites. However, fall and spring semesters are difficult to coordinate as classes are often taught in the same time blocks. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | USF's Communications building makes up the main hub of all Mass Comm. classes. It is a beautiful, well-maintained building with ample lecture halls and no lack of space for students. |
| Social Life | 9 | As a person who invests little in campus socialization, I was surprised at the volume of events which I did attend. USF makes a great effort to involve its students on campus. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not require the help of the Career Center following graduation. Several of my peers have indicated that its staff is very helpful and can provide much-needed assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I'm not very well acquainted with our alumni association. I don't feel qualified to comment on its activities beyond the fundraising requests sometimes received in the mail. |
Stetson University • Deland, FL
Studying Psychology (completion in 2010)
• 1/22/2012
"I loved every minute. I would go back in a heartbeat."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My current supervisor knew about my school and I think it influenced her decision. It's a great school that turns out a lot of great people. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Stetson is a great school to receive a BA in psychology. It was a popular field to study. |
| Program Quality | 10 | |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors were very good at explaining the material. I learned a lot of information that was relevant to my current job. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Some classes were harder than others. It was a tough program overall. I liked the classes that dealt with numbers the best. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Books were used most of the time. Hands on work usually occurred in labs. | |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The library made accommodations when needed. The computer labs were always available to students. The classes only had a max of about 35 students. Most classes were smaller than that, however. |
| Social Life | 10 | I wasn't a social person. When I was out with others it was always fun and interesting, though. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Most people landed a job after graduating. The career services program is always available to assist those needing employment. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The alumni stay in touch through a number of ways. They also send emails out frequently. |
University Of West Florida • Pensacola, FL
Studying Public Relations (completion in 2006)
• 3/22/2012
"I'm satisfied because I feel I was well prepared for my career. I keep calm during emergencies and do well keeping positive relationships with community leaders."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I already have recommended it to others. Several teens who I mentored ended up changing their career paths to one similar to mine. It's been neat to see some of them already graduate and be successful in their careers. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | They have a great reputation. We've had many major hurricanes, etc. which have made public relations in this region even more experienced. Those public relations experts work with the University. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I think my University did a good job of preparing me for my career. We were given many projects to complete and presentation tasks that helped prepare me for my job. |
| Instruction | 8 | It helped that several of my teachers worked part time at the University and also held jobs in the field. They could give first hand knowledge as well as text book instruction. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I think my University did a good job of pushing us to do our best. It helped prepare me for my career. Some projects were easy for me and some were quite a challenge. I feel as though I am stronger for the challenges I was faced with. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I feel as though my University did an excellent job at giving us hands on training. We even toured an Emergency Management Center after Hurricane Ivan and were given a play by play. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was easily able to work a part-time job while attending school. They offered classes on nights and in the summer which were very helpful. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Our classes weren't huge and therefore it made our professors more accessible if we had questions. The University had great facilities that were available to us as well. |
| Social Life | 7 | I didn't participate in a whole lot of social events at my University, but it was mostly because I was so extremely active in the community. If I hadn't had so much that I was already involved in, then I would have been more involved in school activities. There were plenty of them available. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I didn't have any trouble finding a job and using my degree. I know many of classmates easily found jobs and are doing well in their careers. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The Alumni groups are very active and work hard at recruiting us to all attend different events. They host fundraising campaigns as well as social gatherings. |
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