Bachelor of Public Relations (Honours)
Program details
Credential: 4-Year Bachelor of Public Relations (Honours)This four-year Bachelor degree program prepares graduates with the critical thinking skills and practical experience required to manage reputation, responses, and relationships between an organization and its public.
Students use a case-based approach to consider and address the problems faced by public relations professionals. This method requires the student to develop strong oral and written communication skills, research skills, diplomacy, strategic thinking and the ability to understand complex issues.
Students develop the business acumen needed to manage issues, plan events, develop campaigns and lead communication projects in areas such as employee communication, media relations, investor relations, marketing communication and other specialized communication functions in corporate, not-for-profit and agency environments.
Student availability & wage data
Conestoga College facilitates recruitment on an ongoing basis - there are no hard deadlines. Typical time frames for work terms are listed below.
Postings are accepted beginning four months before the start of a term until all students have secured employment provided the minimum 12 consecutive weeks of full-time work is met.
Work/Study Sequence
| Year | Fall (Sept - Dec) | Winter (Jan - Apr) | Spring (May - Aug) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Classes | Classes | |
| Year 2 | Classes | Classes | Classes |
| Year 3 | Work Term 1: $17.20-23 | Classes | Work Term 2: $17.20-26 |
| Year 4 | Classes | Classes |
Note: The work-study sequence for this program has changed. Beginning in fall 2020, students will also be available for work term in the fall semester.
Conestoga College collects data on hourly wages of co-operative education students and offers suggested ranges as a service to employers for the purpose of establishing fair and competitive compensation.
Our experience has been that employers increase wages as skills increase, particularly when employing students for more advanced work terms. The Co-operative Education Office can provide assistance to employers in establishing appropriate wage rates.
Work term capabilities
Specific skills and abilities that students are typically capable of performing during a given work term are listed below.
Work term 1
- Manage event and other campaigns that arise in the fulfillment of public relations work
- Identify important media contacts
- Write news releases and pitch a news story
- Develop a public relations campaign: identify stakeholders and publics; set and write process and outcome objectives; devise strategies and tactics; prepare communication materials, establish budgets, and set evaluation criteria
- Create content for web and social media, channels and monitor their impact
Work term 2
- Develop communication strategy for the purpose of employee communication, issue, crisis communication, investor communication and corporate social responsibility
- Prepare for media interviews
- Apply qualitative and quantitative research techniques for measuring messages, communication channels, and organizational outcomes
- Identify the role of fundraising for the not-for-profit sector and perform the public relations planning and tactical functions to support fundraising goals
- Manage a visual communications project by using professional practices in the creation, design and printing of documents
Sample job titles
Work term 1:
- Public Relations Assistant
- Communications Coordinator
- Communications Officer
- Event Planner
- Fundraising and Development Coordinator
- Web Strategist
- Web Writer/Editor
- PR and Product Coordinator
- Marketing & Events Coordinator
- Charities Coordinator
- Media Relations Coordinator
- Donor Relations Coordinator
- Member Relations Coordinator
- Employee Communications Coordinator
- Internal Communications Coordinator
- Marketing Communications Coordinator
- Community Relations Coordinator
- Strategic Communications Specialist
- Manager - Media & Interactive Services
- Investor Relations Specialist
- Manager - Corporate Communications
- External Communications Specialist
Post a co-op job now
Setup an account or login to Conestoga's MyCareer to post a job.
Contact information
Do you need help developing a recruitment plan or job posting, accessing wage information, or connecting with a talented co-op student? Contact:
Bailey Binns-Franchetto
Employer Relations Consultant
bbinnsfranchetto@conestogac.on.ca
226-988-0718