Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Public Relations

What you will study

The curriculum for UCM’s master’s degree in Business Administration begins with a suite of online modules to refresh and strengthen your foundational business skills. You’ll then complete your core MBA coursework and dive deep into topics in PR and strategic communication — in whatever order you choose.

Be prepared for any strategic communication need

Learn to lead as you anticipate and plan for situations and events — both positive and negative. You’ll strengthen your abilities to create strategic messaging that allows you to not only engage with internal and external audiences — using a wide range of media — but also build and nurture these relationships. Your coursework for UCM’s MBA in PR, led by our faculty of seasoned PR and strategic communication pros, may include:

• Strategic Communications: Discover the role of strategic storytelling to help develop and sustain organizational success, among other aspects of public relations.
• Strategic Crisis Communication: Learn to think and plan strategically in crises while we look at past and current successes and failures in PR and strategic communication.

You’ll also have your choice of other graduate-level business topics to complete your Master of Business Administration with a Public Relations concentration.

As a full-time graduate student, you can fulfill requirements for your Master of Business Administration degree in as few as 12 months. If you’re a working professional with other demands, a student athlete or international student, you have the option to extend your studies over several years. No matter your timeline, an MBA in Public Relations from UCM will enhance your personal and professional skills and help you land the promotion or PR and strategic communication career you desire.

 

 

Unique learning opportunities in public relations

Real-world experiences both inside and outside of UCM’s classrooms will bring your education to life. As a PR graduate student earning your MBA, you’ll have many opportunities available to you:

• Applied learning: Put your learning into practice as part of your graduate coursework. The applied nature of UCM’s master’s degree in Business Administration helps you analyze complex situations and think strategically about communication. We limit the number of students in our online and on-campus classes to ensure that all our students can personally interact with our expert faculty and receive constructive feedback.
• Internships: Gain on-the-job experience when you choose an internship with an organization to shape and manage its communications. You can also intern with an agency to help serve the needs of a variety of clients.
• Student associations: Meet and network with other graduate students when you join the Graduate Student Association. You can also participate in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) for further networking and learning opportunities.

 

What can you do with an MBA in Public Relations from UCM?

Your AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration from one of the best schools for MBA degrees — the University of Central Missouri — will earn you recognition from businesses of all sizes, nonprofits, PR firms and more. We maintain a 96% job placement rate for students who graduate with a master’s degree in Business Administration from UCM. 

Our alumni have gone on to work as PR managers, directors of communications and marketing communications managers for companies such as:

• Barkley
• Cerner Corporation
• FleishmanHillard
• Golin
• Google
• IBM
• Leverage Lab
• McDonald’s USA
• Spectrum
• State Farm
• Trozzolo Communications Group

Your career path with a Master of Business Administration in PR

UCM’s MBA program faculty in PR will work with you one-on-one to ensure your graduate education aligns with your career goals. They are also happy to provide their expert career advice as you evaluate your job options. Use the interactive tool below to discover the possibilities with a Master of Business Administration in PR from the University of Central Missouri.

 

 

Financial assistance options for UCM’s Master of Business Administration concentration in Public Relations

As you evaluate the best schools for MBA degrees and make plans for your education, you may need assistance to fund your college experience and invest in your future. At the University of Central Missouri, we can help you finance your MBA in PR degree with resources such as loans, employment opportunities and scholarships.

Scholarships for students of UCM’s MBA in Public Relations

You may qualify for a variety of scholarships available from UCM, our alumni and other supporters, including:

• Public Relations Learning to a Greater Degree Scholarship
• Adrian and Margaret Harmon Business Graduate Scholarship
• Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies Scholarship
• Lucas Sterne & Albert G. Spaeth Graduate Business Scholarship

Use the UCM Scholarship Finder to learn more about scholarships for students completing our master’s degree in Business Administration.

Explore programs related to public relations.   If you’re still exploring the range of master’s programs related to internal and external communications, consider these graduate degrees also offered at UCM: Marketing, MBA  Communication, MA Sport Management, MS

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the MBA program must have a completed undergraduate degree (in any discipline) from an accredited institution and have earned a minim undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale).  The GMAT and GRE are no longer an admissions requirement.  However, students must be prepared for the rigor of quantitative analysis (including business math and statistics, accounting, finance, and economics) in order to be successful in the program.