The University of Alabama’s advertising and public relations department has been named a top-five finalist for Outstanding Education Program in the 2018 PRWeek Awards.
UA’s department has been a top-five program in eight of the 10 years PRWeek has given this award.
“It is an honor for the department of advertising and public relations to be evaluated and recognized as being among the top five educational programs in the United States,” said Dr. Joseph Phelps, department chair and faculty member, advertising and public relations. “This much sought-after recognition of academic excellence is an appropriate reflection of the great work that our faculty and students are doing every day.”
The advertising and public relations department’s dedicated pursuit of excellence has led to recent, national success. Students from the program recently received awards for Best Campaign and Best Tactic in the 2017 Public Relations Student Society of America Student-Run Firm Awards. Also, Capstone Agency, a student-run, integrated communications firm comprised of top communication students at UA, currently serves as PRSSA’s agency of record.
“Clearly, this award speaks to the emphasis we place on teaching, research and service,” said Dr. Mark Nelson, dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences. “Our program offers a rich and rewarding educational experience that prepares them for success in the highly competitive field of communication. Our faculty are committed to providing students with an educational experience that promotes research and experiential learning.”
The judging criteria for submissions consider each program’s faculty contributions to public relations in teaching, research and service to the industry, and the program’s initiatives in connecting current and former students to the public relations industry in three areas: job and internship placements, speakers and events, and consulting and experiential learning.
Entries for the PRWeek Awards are deliberated upon by a panel of judges, which includes public relations education professionals and senior public relations professionals from agency, corporate, nonprofit and government teams. The winner will be revealed at the 2018 PRWeek Awards Dinner and Presentation on March 15, 2018.
Other finalists are Baruch College/CUNY, DePaul University, Georgetown University and Syracuse University/Newhouse.
PRWeek provides breaking news, analysis and opinions for the public relations industry. The PRWeek Awards were launched 19 years ago to showcase and recognize the outstanding talent and innovation of practitioners in the public relations industry.
The department of advertising and public relations is part of the College of Communication and Information Sciences. For more information, visit cis.ua.edu.