Inspired By Excellence and Experience
The Public Relations Finishing School offers professional development and career mentoring for emerging public relations professionals, as well as employees tasked with their company’s PR and communications responsibilities.
Eligibility
Whether you are about to enter the field, are a new professional on a PR team, or are tasked with the responsibility for handling PR at your organization, The Public Relations Finishing School will set you up for success. Graduates of our School will be armed with knowledge, skills and abilities – not to mention a portfolio of public relations work ready to impress their employers. Anyone is welcome to take the course curriculum, however it is especially designed for: new professionals, university graduates, college seniors looking to develop a portfolio, journalists and others making a career transition to public relations, and individuals who have been assigned the PR responsibility in their companies or organizations.
COURSE MODULES:
Learn how to write a news release along with the various types, styles and formats of this universal PR tool. Also covered are media alerts and calendar listings.
Learning how to work with the media is key to a PR practitioner’s success. Students will learn the rules and techniques for conducting media relations, writing effective PR pitches, and what to do beyond the PR pitch or after the story runs. Includes pitching practice and role-playing.
This module covers how to develop a media list, who to target, what to capture on the list, understanding the various roles and titles of media contacts, and much more.
Learn the secrets of exceptional account service and client relations. Understand the role of the account service team, including how to work independently and as a team. Also covered are reporting, tracking and measurement as well as new business and becoming a trusted advisor.
Review the basics and elements of a professional, comprehensive, multi-step Public Relations Plan, from the planning statement and research through to budget and measurement. Students will be tasked with creating a complete plan of their own.
Learn to budget for projects and initiatives like a PR pro. Understand how PR services are procured and paid for. Topics include invoicing, billing cycles, time and value billing, the high cost of mistakes, profit and productivity, and more.
Ethics play an important role in the professional practice of public relations. In addition to reviewing examples of ethical scenarios and PRSA’s Code of Professional Conduct, you will learn about proper conduct with clients or whom you represent, effective email correspondence, working with others on the team, accountability, and rules for business etiquette.
More advanced levels of news release writing styles and formats will be covered in this module, along with editing skills and AP style. Articles, blogs, social media posts, and effective interviewing techniques for storytelling are among the learning topics.
Every PR pro needs to know how to plan and implement an event, both in-person and virtual. Other basic event planning and PR work for social gatherings, press conferences and official announcements, anniversaries, open houses, grand openings, seminars, meetings, and celebrations and milestones are covered in this module.
For this final module, you will have the option of completing a Final Project assignment customized just for you; or to spend time with your mentor or a coach to review your course work as a whole, your resume and portfolio, job-readiness and interview skills, and career advancement. Other topics covered in this module are networking, professional development, membership in PRSA and other professional organizations in your field, training, and technology.
*This module is only available to Full Certificate students.
NON-CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
- If no Certificate of Completion is desired, modules may be taken separately and individually, in any order, with the exception of Module 10 which is only available if you purchase the full course.
FULL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
- Students will work at their own pace, taking each course module in the order presented below and must receive a passing grade before moving on to the next.
- Upon completion of all 10 modules, students will graduate and receive their official Public Relations Finishing School Certificate of Completion.
PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT
- (Group discount applied)
- Ask about our customized curriculum specific to meet your agency or business PR training needs.
- Contact an Admissions Specialist