With the increasing amount of verbiage flowing along the information highway, it’s no surprise that public relations managers are in high demand. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics the 2010 median income for PR managers was $57,550 per year. Rutgers is offering a new online, six-month public relations certificate program to capitalize on the job growth in the field, which is expected to grow 16 percent by 2020.
Rutgers’ new certificate program is designed “for early career communications and PR professionals looking to gain crucial knowledge, skills and leadership that can advance them to the next level,” according to a press statement. The certificate program will be taught this fall by PR industry experts and Rutgers faculty as part of the Rutgers School of Communication and Information (SC&I) Professional Development Studies.
“We are extremely pleased to offer this new, targeted program designed to advance the careers of public relations professionals,” said Claire McInerney, acting dean at SC&I. “Through this program, Rutgers faculty and PR industry experts can also assist businesses in need of highly effective training for their PR and communication teams.”
The program begins Saturday, September 7, with a keynote, “The State of the Industry,” by Mark Beal, managing partner at Taylor, a New York-based PR agency. It also includes the required “Ethics in Public Relations” workshop, which will be led by Dick Martin, former AT&T executive vice president of PR and brand management.
The school’s statement says that the “program curriculum allows public relations and communications professionals, career changers and job seekers to hone their knowledge of developing comprehensive strategic PR plans; create an integrated approach to public relations that includes branding and social media; measure public relations campaigns to demonstrate value; manage crisis communications; and become an effective leader and spokesperson.
“The curriculum is designed for immediate practical application in the workplace. It includes two required courses and five electives. Each course is one-month long and offered online, allowing for completion in six months. Cost: $795 (grants may be available to unemployed New Jersey residents). For information visit https://comminfo.rutgers.edu.
