Gain a Competitive Advantage in Public Relations and Corporate Communication

Public relations and corporate communication involve managing an organization's image and perception through strategic communication, crisis management, advertising, and stakeholder engagement.

The value of going back to school to pursue a public relations master's degree depends on your career goals, market demand, and the program's quality. Higher education and graduate programs in public relations can enhance skills, expand networks, and lead to higher-level positions.

A program in public relations can give you a competitive edge when interviewing with potential companies and employers. If you're interested in increasing your knowledge, being involved in a campus community, expanding your network, and leveling up to leadership roles, going back to school could be a good fit for you.

Public relations and corporate communication both seek to distill and simplify often complex or contradictory situations into meaningful and impactful messages that help people understand and interpret the actions of a company. Both PR and corporate communication professionals develop strategies to speak to a variety of audiences including internal stakeholders such as employees and external stakeholders such as journalists and legislators.

Public relations is charged with managing the reputation of a brand, company, or organization holistically across multiple stakeholders. The public often looks to a company’s statements on social media and in traditional media as a guide to better understand their position on important social, political, and economic issues. PR professionals serve organizations with reputation management and brand management strategies, developing statements and messaging that align with the brand.

Graduates of our degree work with a broad range of employers—including start-ups and technology-driven companies, established consumer brands, communications and PR agencies, nonprofits, and government or trade associations. Our graduates hold positions like senior vice president at an agency and global head of communications within a brand. Graduates with entrepreneurial spirits can even work for themselves by creating an agency or freelancing as a consultant.

A public relations program prepares students to enter careers in the field as account executives, public relations managers, public relations specialists, public relations coordinators, media relations managers, social media managers, corporate communication managers, internal communications managers, and more.

New York City is the home to some of the largest advertising, marketing, and public relations agencies in the world, with brands across multiple industries like healthcare, financial services, professional services, packaged goods, direct-to-consumer (DTC), hospitality, fashion, and beauty.

Earning a degree in the city puts you in the center of the global hub for companies, the latest trends, and technology developments. New York City also attracts leading professionals who live and work in the area. That concentration of talent and creativity ensures the city, its universities, trade associations, and affinity organizations are constantly active and engaged with the latest professional and academic thinking in the PR and  strategic communications fields.

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. 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

Public relations managers are responsible for shaping an organization’s external public relations strategy, executing the day-to-day work with various stakeholders, and managing the organization’s reputation. In addition to working for brands, they can collaborate with individual celebrities or public-facing personalities. PR managers create press releases, develop social media strategy, and build relationships with thought leaders to develop actionable messaging recommendations on topics like business, culture, technology trends, and more.

The average salary for a public relations manager is $122,148 in the United States and $142,669 in New York, NY, according to salary.com. Several factors play into salary like location, education and seniority. Working in a large city or pursuing higher education like an MS or bachelor's degree in public relations can help professionals earn a higher salary.

Public relations management is important in supporting the growth and overall health of an organization in terms of how it's perceived and understood by the various publics and stakeholders who are critical to its success. Forging strong community relations, conducting market research, using information, and strategizing content creation plays a critical role in positioning the organization and its leadership in a complex social, political, and economic environment.

Strategic communications is a function of and approach to public relations and corporate communication. It acknowledges the important role of coordinating different communications across a range of touch-points and media in a way that’s aligned with the broader goals of companies, institutions, and organizations.

The work starts with a clear understanding of the client’s business, marketing and communications strategy, and the priorities of executive leadership. Strategic communications is rooted in an understanding of public discourse and the application of research. It seeks to find efficient ways to deliver messaging and engage key stakeholders.

Corporate communication is a form of strategic communications that requires the acquisition of highly nuanced communications skills. Through the Corporate and Organizational Communication concentration, you will learn to communicate clearly and effectively across the organizational functions, while gaining a deeper understanding of strategic business communications, corporate accountability, and how to develop and execute a communications plan that supports the goals and objectives of a company or an organization.