The MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communication (PRCC) offered by the NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business, Department of Integrated Marketing and Communications provides you with the skills and the hands-on experience needed to develop the public relations and communication strategies that elevate brands, build reputations, and manage crises across a broad array of industries. Unlike conventional master’s in public relations, this degree stands at the crossroads of marketing and public relations, honing your writing and communications skills across a variety of digital platforms—social media, blogs, and the web. Students gain the NYU advantage, which opens doors to professional opportunities here in NYC and around the globe.
Master’s (MS) in Public Relations and Corporate Communication
Degree Advantage
- Degree core curriculum that hones critical writing and research skills
- Degree concentrations in Public Relations Management and Corporate and Organizational Communication
- Internships at top public relations firms, media organizations, communications companies, and PR departments
- Builds digital communications skills—social media strategies, blogging capabilities, web content development
- Flexible full- or part-time study options
- Can be completed in as little as 18 months
Who Should Consider Earning the MS in PRCC?
If you have a deep interest in uncovering facts, delivering information in accurate and compelling ways, and influencing outcomes, the MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communication provides in-demand skill sets that meet the needs of today’s global business and communications environment. Whether your goal is to work in a PR firm, plan and execute digital communication strategies or focus on crisis communications, this degree prepares you for a wealth of opportunities across industries.
Degree Overview Video
Winner of the 2021 PR Week Awards for Outstanding Education
This prestigious industry award recognizes the achievement of a higher education academic program in the fields of public relations and communication. Judges for these awards—senior leaders from PR and communications firms, corporations, nonprofits, educational institutions and government agencies—base their recommendations on curriculum innovation; quality and accomplishments of faculty members; proven impact on the PR industry; student enrollment; and professional placement success.
Learn From Communications and Public Relations Experts
Study with faculty members who are public relations and communications experts across a wide range of fields who impart their strategies for engaging audiences in meaningful and measurable ways. Their insights focus on the social, economic, and cultural dynamics that influence PR and communications campaigns and shape opinions. Their expertise provides new ways of thinking and alternative views that encourage your professional growth.
PRNEWS A-list Acknowledgement
The PRNEWS 2023 Education A-List features many of the top U.S. institutions that are training future PR and marketing professionals. In making decisions as to which institutions should be named to the list, the PRNEWS editorial staff examines factors such as curricula, diversity, faculty composition, academic awards, and capstone courses in how the schools' curricula reflected the changing nature of communication. Being named to the list increases the value of earning the MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communications because it acknowledges the enduring quality of the program, its faculty, and graduates—all factors that matter to hiring managers as well.
Choose From Two Concentrations That Provide In-Demand Skills
Each concentration in the MSPRCC program is designed to prepare you for a different, yet related facet of the business. The Public Relations Management concentration develops your abilities to engage audiences and key stakeholders through effective campaign creation. The Corporate and Organizational Communication concentration focuses on building skills for all functions of the corporate communications environment.
Internships and Job Opportunities
Through the Division of Programs in Business and the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYU SPS, MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communication students can complete internships that often evolve into permanent positions. In fact, over the last two years 93.5% of our students reported being employed within six months of graduation. Alumni of the program secure job opportunities across a wide range companies including:
- Allegravita
- AmeriChina Group
- AZIONE
- Blackrock
- Burson, Cohn & Wolfe
- China Institute
- Edelman
- Finn Partners
- FleishmanHillard
- Ketchum
- Lululemon
- Major League Baseball
- MediaMorphosis
- Michael Kors
- Makeblock Co.
- MSNBC
- MSLGROUP
- Penguin Random House
- SAP
- Tekomsel
- United Nations
- Weber Shandwick
- W20 Group
- YY Inc.
- ZTE Corporation
- Zheliang Daily Media
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are similarities between public relations and corporate communication?
Public Relations and Corporate Communications both seek to distill and simplify often complex or contradictory situations into meaningful and impactful communications. The intended audience may be internal stakeholders such as employees, or external stakeholders such as journalists and legislators. These critical functions within a corporation both provide well-researched and insightful communications that leverage fact-based information and opinion to help shape how people understand and interpret the actions of a company or brand or organization.
What is the connection between PR and social media management?
Public Relations is charged with managing the reputation of a brand, company or organization holistically across multiple stakeholders. Increasingly these many “publics” that the PR professional needs to serve, express their opinion on social media, engage with brands through social media, and look to a company or organizations statements on social media as a guide to better understanding their position on important social, political, and economic issues.
How are public relations and marketing related?
Public Relations and marketing work very closely together within a company or an agency to provide a holistic and integrated set of communications to the consumer and a broad range of critical stakeholders. Public Relations directly supports the reputation management of a brand or company, especially among thought leaders and key opinion-makers and serves the company at critical moments like crisis communications. Marketing aims to create, capture, and communicate the value of a brand and help generate demand for the products and services of the company among customers and potential consumers, establishing the benefits that are desirable and differentiated from the competition.
For what type of jobs will this degree prepare me?
Graduates of our MS Public Relations and Corporate Communication degree work in a broad range of organizations — including start-ups and technology-driven companies, established consumer brands, communications and PR agencies, non-profit or charitable groups, and government or trade associations, Our graduates enter the field with positions like Account Executive, PR Coordinator, Media Relations Manager, Social Media Manager, Manager Corporate Communications etc. and our alumni hold positions like Senior Vice President in the agency world and Global Head of Communications within a brand.
What is the advantage of studying PR and communications in NYC?
New York City is the home to a large number of advertising, marketing, and public relations agencies and a significant number of brands across multiple industries like healthcare, financial services, professional services, packaged goods, direct-to-consumer, hospitality, fashion and beauty. The city also acts as a global hub for many companies and industries and more broadly ’trends’ and technology developments. New York City attracts some of the leading professionals in their field who live and work in the area, and that concentration of talent and creativity ensures the city, its universities, its trade associations, and affinity organizations are constantly active and engaged with the latest professional and academic thinking in Public Relations and Communications.