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 American Public University System, West Virginia University, New River, and West Virginia State University.
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 West Virginia State University, Ohio Valley University, Fairmont State, and Marshall.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider West Virginia Northern Community College and West Virginia Wesleyan College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider West Virginia Northern Community College, Marshall Community and Technical College, KVCTC, and Marshall.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of American Public University System, Bethany, Davis & Elkins, and Ohio Valley University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Davis & Elkins, Bethany, West Virginia Wesleyan College, and Alderson Broaddus.
Excellence
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Ohio Valley University and WVU Tech.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at WVU Tech, Alderson Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, and BCTC.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
West Virginia University • Morgantown, WV
Studying Theater (completion in 1982)
• 2/27/2012
"Even though my career path has taken me away from a career in theater, I feel like I basically got a strong liberal arts education that has served me well. I feel like I have a good breadth of knowledge and excellent writing skills, both of which were fostered within my university experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I don't think I would recommend a theater degree for someone wanting to be a PR generalist. However, it could lead to a career in fine arts administration or similar. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I think it has a strong local reputation. I'm pretty sure it would never appear on anyone's list if you asked the average person to name the top 5 theater schools in the US. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Although perhaps not a traditional major for PR career preparation, my theater program afforded me the opportunity to gain career experience in this area. I worked as manager of the box office and publicist for the theater season, which definitely gave me a taste for this type of work. |
| Instruction | 5 | PR was not the focus of my program, which was performance oriented. However, I received useful out-of-classroom experience. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I received good grades with a normal amount of work, so I think the difficulty was average. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A performance program by nature is hands on. Both acting and technical classes had significant experiential components that were essential to learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | I have no idea what it's like now. What was available to me then was pretty typical -- day classes and some summer offerings. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | It was a small department, so faculty accessibility was good. The performing arts center was well equipped. I never pursued any sort of tutoring or study group support, so I don't even know if it was available. I think not, within my major. There may have been for general ed classes; I just don't know. |
| Social Life | 8 | I did not really get involved in the school's social events, but the social experience was abundant for those who wanted to pursue it. I would say the social experience within my department was strong. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I received minimal assistance within my major. I did get my first job after graduate school because of a contact made with my academic advisor, but the employer reached out to my advisor. It was more of a passive effort, rather than any active support. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There is no effort, beyond a printed newsletter, to link alumni. More importantly, there is no effort whatsoever to foster a feeling of belonging among those of us (and there surely must be many) who earned degrees in theater, but ended up not working in the field. I feel like my alma mater considers my career path irrelevant. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.