Public Relations - Integrated Communications
Program details
Credential: 1-Year Ontario College Graduate CertificateThis one-year graduate certificate program builds on prior education to prepare graduates with the technical knowledge and skills to research, develop, and execute integrated communication plans for an organization.
Students develop the necessary business skills to manage relationships, think strategically, plan events, develop campaigns, and co-ordinate communication projects. Experience is gained in areas such as marketing communications, media relations, fundraising, creative strategy, storyboarding, and employee and other stakeholder communications in both digital and traditional formats. The importance of professional ethics and practices, professional development, leadership styles, and networking skills are emphasized throughout the program.
Classroom instruction and learning is enhanced through the use of case studies, group work, and a capstone project where students apply, integrate, and synthesize knowledge into a real-world application for a client.
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 | Work Term: $17.20-22 |
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
- Create a strategic communications plan with measurable objectives that enable an organization to assess results. This may include any or all components of public relations, advertising or marketing, depending on the need.
- Research the market, the target, and the competitive environments on which to base plan recommendations
- Choose the most effective online and traditional channels for communications, depending on the target and the organizations' objectives
- Develop and write the message(s) to be delivered in a strategic communication, considering the purpose, the target, and the context
- Design print collateral, with entry-level capability (or greater depending on the student's own background)
- Write posts for and co-ordinate the publishing of social media channels
- Create podcasts
- Develop a WordPress website
- Apply Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) techniques to generate traffic
- Create and manage a small-scale event
- Create, edit, and design internal and external communications materials
- Write a media release or pitch a story idea to media; develop a media kit with fact sheets and biographies
Sample job titles
- Marketing Communications Coordinator
- Public Relations Assistant
- Communications Coordinator or Specialist
- Web Writer/Editor
- Marketing and Events Coordinator
- Content and Communications Specialist
- Digital Communications Specialist
- Communications and Social Media Specialist
- Strategic Communications Specialist
- Events Co-ordinator
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