Become a Competent Communicator for Your Organization with Our Master’s in Public Relations Online
Do you seek to help shape the future of your organization? Liberty’s Master of Arts (MA) in Public Relations can help equip you with the essential concepts, skills, and expertise to help organizations build mutually beneficial relationships with diverse audiences. Through comprehensive coursework and practical exercises, you can learn to navigate the dynamic field of public relations, mastering the art of strategic communication and relationship management. This public relations major emphasizes the importance of advocacy, honesty, loyalty, and objectivity. We aim to prepare graduates to be effective communicators who positively impact organizations and their stakeholders.
Public relations majors are trained to deliver ethical and impactful messages across various platforms and contexts. Whether you’re working with businesses, nonprofits, or government agencies, you can focus on developing the ability to craft and disseminate messages that resonate locally and globally. Our goal for this public relations degree program is to help you prepare for a variety of roles in academic, corporate, or church-affiliated settings.
Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America
What Sets Us Apart?
- Private Nonprofit University
- 600+ Online Degrees
- No Standardized Testing for Admission
- Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
- Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree
Top 10 Reasons to Choose Liberty
Why Choose Liberty’s Public Relations Degree Online?
Liberty University’s online public relations master’s is tailored to help you achieve your career goals by focusing on essential skills in the communications sector. The public relations curriculum is based on modern scholarship and can help prepare you to be crisis-ready in nearly every professional environment. The idea that communication is constant will shape the way you plan and work in the marketplace.
Businesses, nonprofits, and agencies across all industries need skilled professionals capable of resonating with and persuading audiences. Our master’s in public relations can enhance your current skills while offering the convenience of 100% online courses, providing the flexibility you need.
What Will You Study in Our Public Relations Program?
The MA in Public Relations program at Liberty University is designed to help equip you with communication and leadership skills applicable to various settings. The curriculum includes online courses that focus on developing your ability to write, communicate, plan, and strategize. You will study basic communication strategies, such as effective storytelling that connects with consumer emotions and creates brand identity. In addition, you can explore advertising and public relations tactics for successful mass communication.
The core studies in our public relations master’s degree program encompass a variety of critical topics designed to develop your skills and expertise in the field. In Public Relations Writing, you can experience the intricacies of crafting messages for diverse audiences and media, from press releases to press conferences. This course can challenge even skilled communicators to consider the nuances of audience, message, and media in every project. Additionally, Public Relations Planning examines the process of setting goals and establishing measurable outcomes using various communication tools. You will be tasked with creating campaigns and initiatives that elevate your public relations expertise and push you to think strategically and creatively.
Crisis Communication and Strategy delves into the crisis lifecycle, focusing on the crisis and post-crisis stages. Through practical exercises, you can learn how to navigate organizational crises and develop real-world outcomes applicable in professional settings. Finally, Analytics in Crisis Communication uses a case study approach to evaluate and analyze historical crises within the marketplace. This course emphasizes the importance of measurable post-crisis analytics to inspire the prevention of future corporate crises, ensuring you understand the value of data-driven strategies in managing and mitigating crises.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Advertising/public relations executive
- Director of communications
- Public information officer
- Research manager
- University administrator
- University professor (adjunct)
- Vice president of communication
Featured Courses
- COPR 510 – Public Relations Writing
- COPR 515 – Public Relations Planning
- COPR 545 – Crisis Communication and Strategy
- COPR 640 – Analytics in Crisis Communication
Course guides coming soon
Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Communication and the Arts.
- View the Graduate Communication and the Arts Course Guides (login required).
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Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
| Graduate Full Time | $565/Credit |
|---|---|
| Graduate Part Time | $615/Credit |
| Military Graduate | $275/Credit |
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Scholarship Opportunities
Admission Information for the Online MA in Public Relations Degree
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Preliminary Acceptance
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
- Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
- Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
- Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
- If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
- Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.
Dual Enrollment
Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
Transcript Policies
Unofficial College Transcript Policy
Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:
- Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
- Cumulative GPA
- A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
- Degree and date conferred (if applicable)
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.
If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Admissions Office Contact Information
Call
(800) 424-9596
Fax
(888) 301-3577
Email for Questions
luograd@liberty.edu
Email for Documents
luoverify@liberty.edu
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
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Military
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
- Active Duty
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/Retirees
- Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
- Current Department of Defense Employees
Available Benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)*
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practic*ms, internships, or field experiences)
*Not applicable to certificates.
