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 University of Mississippi and Mississippi State.
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 Delta State, University of Mississippi, MUW, and University of Southern Mississippi.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider MUW.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Mississippi Delta Community College, Mississippi Valley State, East Mississippi Community College, and Delta State.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Mississippi Valley State, Delta State, and Itawamba Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of University of Mississippi, Mississippi College, Mississippi Valley State, and Mississippi State.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Mississippi Valley State, Mississippi College, MUW, and Northeast Mississippi Community College.
Excellence
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Delta State, Mississippi Valley State, MUW, and University of Southern Mississippi.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at MUW, Mississippi State, University of Southern Mississippi, and Mississippi Delta Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Mississippi • Oxford, MS
Studying Journalism/Public Relations (completion in 2008)
• 9/17/2011
"I had a very typical experience in the University of Mississippi's Journalism Department. I worked hard, attended classes, and made good grades. I excelled. But many of the professors I had did not continue their own education or keep current in their skills, so I felt that some of what I learned was outdated. In 2008, the "New Media" communications professors were out in over their heads when students would mention blogs or social networks, communications outlets that I use daily as a PR professional."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My recommendation would be based on one's financial needs. As a first-generation college student who did not want to go into debt with student loans, my degree from the University of Mississippi was a good buy and I funded it from scholarships and grants. However, consider that The University of Mississippi is a smaller state school whose program can not be compared to a private school or an Ivy League. Also, one should consider that the U of M did not offer a PR major, at least not when I attended. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Since I finished my degree, the journalism school has received a large endowment that enabled the school to completely renovate its facilities and update the newsroom. With the renovations came a name change from "Department of Journalism" to "School of Journalism and New Media," reflecting the changing times. I'm giving the program a rating of 9 instead of 10 because there is always room for improvement. |
| Program Quality | 7 | When I graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Master's in 2008, the school did not offer a program in PR. Instead, my degree is in journalism with a PR concentration. |
| Instruction | 7 | The score reflects that the University of Mississippi's PR program is above average, but is not "extremely good" because of the limited number of courses available. Still, the courses I did take packed in a lot of relevant information that I use every day in my career. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I'm a writer and natural lover of words, which is why I chose to go into the communications field to begin with. For a journalism/public relations degree, I had to take many introductory-level journalism and PR courses that I would rate a 1 for "extremely easy." The most challenging course the program offered was an Advanced PR class that focused on crisis communications. I would have benefited from more of these. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was more textbook-learning oriented than hands-on. Probably 1/4 of my courses were lab-based, or even required writing samples. The majority were lecture-based and theoretical/academic in which we would have two multiple-choice exams per semester. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | In the mid-2000s, when I attended, online courses were beginning to take off at the University of Mississippi and I hear the school has offered more online courses each semester since. I appreciated the school's willingness to give me afternoon and evening courses so I could still work during the day. My rating of 7 is because the Journalism School was relatively small when I was there, and many classes were only offered once per semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I wish I could give two ratings: one for the facilities and resources when I attended (pre-2008) and one for their condition now (post-endowment). I considered the facilities and libraries to be slightly below average when I was there, but the school has been renovated and expanded, with the addition of many new faculty members, so it is now above average in my estimation. Overall, I will give a rating of 5 for average. |
| Social Life | 5 | My social experience was just what I expected for a state college in Mississippi. I was not in the Greek system, but the University is known for its Greek life and the wealth of social opportunities that come with that. For me, a working independent student, I rate my social experience as average. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I rate the job placement program at the University of Mississippi average. I am not qualified to rate the career services the Journalism School offers because I already had a job lined up on my own before I finished my degree. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | After three years, I still receive the Journalism school's publications and invitations to special events. However, since I live in the same town where I went to school, I expected a more active local alumni support group. For this reason, I am rating the University of Mississippi's alumni program as average. |
Mississippi State University • Starkville, MS
Studying Communications/Public Relations (completion in 2010)
• 3/5/2012
"The advising was terrible, and my graduation was delayed two semesters because of my advisor. My school was not very helpful in the job search."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | After you graduate, you're on your own. You should be able to use your professors as job resources. They should be willing to help you find a job in your field. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | We produce many great PR professionals. We are not the best school in the state for this program, though. |
| Program Quality | 6 | We have very knowledgeable professors and I learned a lot. My advisors were not great, though. |
| Instruction | 6 | I successfully learned how to prepare a complete public relations campaign. I wish that I had learned more about the design side of this degree. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Some of the courses were very easy, and seemed like busy work. We only had one course that we really dreaded. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We learned more theoretical content. I feel that we only had one hands-on class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | At times, classes were very easy to schedule. Other times, I couldn't take courses because of time conflicts. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had wonderful computer labs. The computers were top notch and very helpful. |
| Social Life | 8 | I love the pride that our fans and alumni have. Our campus was always alive! |
| Placement Services | 1 | I received zero help. I feel like they decreased my chances of finding a job. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Our alumni are there, just not active. I wish that they were more active. |
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