Entertainment and Media Studies AB/Journalism and Mass Communication MA(Public Relations)(non-thesis)

This pathway is intended for students interested in having a career in entertainment and public relations. The master’s program with a concentration in public relations is designed to prepare aspiring students to be highly competent, socially conscious, and engaged leaders in public relations with advanced knowledge, expertise, critical thinking, digital analytical skills, and a global vision. The program is tailored to help students step up from the gained tactical knowledge to a more strategic, innovative, and managerial approach to launch their career in public relations and related areas such as corporate communication, stakeholder engagement, crisis & internal communication, external relations, public affairs, financial communication, integrated communication, etc. The intensive program features courses in theory learning and application, digital analytics, ethics & diversity, research- and data-driven strategy creation, leadership capabilities and capacity, and trends in global communication. Students will have many opportunities to learn from and interact with top leaders in the industry and the world to gain real-world work experience and industry insights.

Admission to Program

Students should apply to this pathway after they are accepted into the Entertainment and Media Studies (EMST) major, usually during their first semester of major coursework. Students must have a 3.0 overall GPA to apply and must submit a two-page statement of purpose and a supplemental application. Applications are due on the withdrawal deadline of every fall and spring semester. It is recommended that undergraduate students have at least three semesters left in their plan of study in order to complete all overlap coursework. We also encourage students to meet with Grady’s Double Dawgs advisor before applying.

Curriculum

Graduate-level courses that may be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate program requirements.

JRMC 7940, Public Relations Foundations is required for all students in this Double Dawgs pathway.
Students will then choose three Area of Concentration courses from the list below:
- EMST 6040, 6120, or 6330
- JRMC 8000
- JRMC 8010
- JRMC 8020
- JRMC 8151
Overlap coursework will be planned out with the support of Grady’s Double Dawgs Advisor. Other graduate courses may be substituted with permission from Grady’s Double Dawgs advisor as needed.

Additional requirements that are unique to this Double Dawgs program:

Undergraduate students are required to take STAT 2000 or another undergraduate statistics course if they do not have credit from AP Statistics in order to pursue graduate study. If students cannot complete an undergraduate statistics course during undergrad, they will be required to take a graduate-level statistics course as a cognate course.
Undergraduate students are encouraged to enroll in an undergraduate graphic design course such as ADPR 3515, ADPR 3520, or ADPR 3520E before applying to the master’s program.
Students must complete a minimum of 34 credit hours for this non-thesis M.A. program.
More information can be found on Grady College’s website under the Public Relations concentration M.A. (non-thesis). https://grady.uga.edu/academics/masters-degree/

Admission to Graduate Program

Students will apply to graduate school during the final semester of year 4.
Required application materials:

• Unofficial copies of all transcripts, including any transcripts from institutions previously attended before transferring to UGA or as a dual enrollment student
• Contact information for the three people completing letters of recommendation
• Statement of purpose; students may build off of the statement that was submitted for admission to the Double Dawgs program.
• Résumé/CV
• Supplemental application

Note: students will not need to provide any test scores, including the GRE, or a writing sample to apply to the M.A. program.

Program Advisor

  • Name: Melissa Garber
  • Email: mdy@uga.edu
  • Phone: -
  • Address: Journalism

Undergraduate Major Information

  • Major: Entertainment and Media Studies A.B.
  • Department/College: Entertainment and Media Studies

Advising Contact

  • Name: Office of Undergraduate Services -
  • Email: gradyabj@uga.edu
  • Phone: -
  • Address: Journalism Building

Graduate Major Information

  • Major: Journalism and Mass Communication M.A.
  • Department/College: Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Advising Contact

  • Name: Glen Nowak
  • Email: gnowak@uga.edu
  • Phone: 706-583-8268
  • Address: 120 Hooper St. Journalism Building, Room 207-C