Hands-On Skills for Success
Our courses give you applied, real-world training that you will use first-hand in your careers. We have courses in research, design, writing, and campaigns, all of which offer students hands-on training in smaller class settings.
Advertising Major
What is Advertising?
Advertising is a form of communication that connects a brand or product directly to a consumer through paid spaces called ads.
More details about the Advertising major can be found in the 2023-2024 Catalog.
Term 1
- Global Citizenship – International Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 1 Natural Sciences Electives 3-4 Credit Hours *
- CCI 150 – Communication in an Information Age 3 Credit Hours
Select one course:
- ENGL 101 – English Composition I 3 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- PSYC 110 – General Psychology 3 Credit Hours *
- PSYC 117 – Honors: General Psychology 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 15-16
Term 1 Milestone Notes
- Natural Sciences Elective 3-4 Credit Hours *
Term 2
- Global Citizenship – International Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 2 Quantitative Reasoning Elective 3-4 Credit Hours *
- 1 Natural Sciences Elective w/Lab 4 Credit Hours *
- ENGL 102 – English Composition II 3 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- CMST 210 – Public Speaking 3 Credit Hours *
- CMST 217 – Honors: Public Speaking 3 Credit Hours *
- CMST 240 – Business and Professional Communication 3 Credit Hours *
- CMST 247 – Honors: Business and Professional Communication 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 16-17
Term 2 Milestone Notes
One course from:
- ENGL 101 – English Composition I 3 Credit Hours *
Term 3
- 3 Arts and Humanities Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 4 College Elective 3 Credit Hours
- ADVT 250 – Advertising Principles 3 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- ECON 201 – Introductory Economics: A Survey Course 4 Credit Hours *
- ECON 207 – Honors: Introductory Economics 4 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- MATH 115 – Statistical Reasoning 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 201 – Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 207 – Honors: Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 16
Term 3 Milestone Notes
- CCI 150 – Communication in an Information Age 3 Credit Hours
Term 4
- College or General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 8 General Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 5 Global Citizenship – US Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- PBRL 270 – Public Relations Principles 3 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- ACCT 200 – Foundations of Accounting 3 Credit Hours
- ACCT 207 – Honors: Foundations of Accounting 3 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 15
Term 4 Milestone Notes
- 2.0 cumulative GPA
- ADVT 250 – Advertising Principles 3 Credit Hours *
Term 5
- 7 General Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 8 Written Communication Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 6 ADVT 310 – Advertising Design 3 Credit Hours
- 6 ADVT 340R – Advertising Research Methods 3 Credit Hours *
- MGT 201 – Introduction to Business Management for Non-Majors 3 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 15
Term 5 Milestone Notes
- ADVT 310 – Advertising Design 3 Credit Hours
- ADVT 340R – Advertising Research Methods 3 Credit Hours *
One course from:
- MATH 115 – Statistical Reasoning 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 201 – Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 207 – Honors: Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
Term 6
- 4,7 College or General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 6 ADVT 350 – Creative Strategy 3 Credit Hours
- 6 ADVT 360 – Advertising Media Strategy 3 Credit Hours
- 6 ADVT 380 – Advertising Professional Seminar 1 Credit Hours
- MARK 300 – Marketing and Supply Chain Management 3 Credit Hours
- MGT 300 – Organizational Management 3 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 16
Term 6 Milestone Notes
- No milestones
Term 7
- 4,7 College or General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 7 General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 6 ADVT 450 – Advertising Management 3 Credit Hours *
- 6 ADVT 480 – Advertising Issues 3 Credit Hours
- PSYC 360 – Social Psychology 3 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 15
Term 7 Milestone Notes
- No milestones
Term 8
- 4,7 College or General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 4 College Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 7 General Elective 1-3 Credit Hours
- 6 ADVT 470 – Advertising Campaigns 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 10-12
Term 8 Milestone Notes
- No milestones
Total Credit Hours 120-122
Footnotes
- Select two science courses from the Volunteer Core list. At least one course must be a 4-credit hour lab science.
- Choose from the Volunteer Core list.
- Choose from the Volunteer Core list.
- Select two courses (6 hours) from advertising, advertising/public relations, communication and information, communication studies, information sciences, journalism and electronic media, or public relations that is not currently required.
- Choose from the Volunteer Core list.
- Students must earn a grade of C- or better in each of the following courses: ADVT 310, ADVT 340R*, ADVT 350, ADVT 360, ADVT 380, ADVT 450*, ADVT 470*, ADVT 480.
- Chosen from any course not taught in advertising, advertising and public relations, communication and information, communication studies, information sciences, journalism and electronic media, or public relations.
- Choose from the Volunteer Core list.
* Meets Volunteer Core Requirements.
Courses
ADPR 216 – Special Topics in Advertising and Public Relations
1-3 Credit Hours
Detailed study of a specialized area of advertising and public relations.
Repeatability: May be repeated if topic differs. Maximum 6 hours.
ADPR 265 – Communicating in Diverse and Global Society
3 Credit Hours
This course empowers students to become effective communicators in an increasingly diverse and global society. The course will examine aspects of inclusion, diversity, and equity as well as the roles DEI plays in societal interactions and messaging across platforms and organizations.
ADPR 316 – Special Topics in Advertising and Public Relations
1-3 Credit Hours
Detailed study of a specialized area of advertising and public relations
Repeatability: May be repeated if topic differs. Maximum 6 hours.
ADPR 365 – Social Media Strategy
3 Credit Hours
Social media strategy provides students with practical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to evaluate, understand, and implement social media campaigns. ADPR 365 will be comprised of lectures, case studies, assignments, and engaged analysis activities that will help serve as the foundation for building a strong professional social media skill set.
ADPR 375 – Integrating Communication Channels
3 Credit Hours
Provides students interested in advertising, marketing, and public relations with an introduction to the dynamic world of paid, earned, shared, and owned media. Students will learn the concepts, theories and strategies used to connect with audiences/publics in the traditional and emerging media channels that they use.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 250* or PBRL 270*.
ADPR 415 – Social Media Analytics
3 Credit Hours
This course enables students to grasp the requisite analytics tools to leverage social media data. The course will introduce tools such as engagement analytics, sentiment analysis, topic modeling, social network analysis, identification of influencers and evaluation of social media strategy.
ADPR 416 – Special Topics in Advertising and Public Relations
1-3 Credit Hours
Detailed study of a specialized area of advertising and public relations.
Repeatability: May be repeated if topic differs. Maximum 6 hours.
ADPR 492 – Advertising and Public Relations Internships
1-3 Credit Hours
Approved internships and other supervised practice in advertising and public relations.
Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 4 hours.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 340R or PBRL 340R Registration Permission: Permission of instructor.
ADVT 250 – Advertising Principles
3 Credit Hours
Survey of the role of advertising in American business and society. Relationship between advertising and marketing; functional components of the advertising process ― research, media, creative, and management.
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (SS)
ADVT 310 – Advertising Design
3 Credit Hours
This introductory course examines the varied design options, layout stages, color, type and production techniques using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign needed to develop multimedia advertising.(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 250*.
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising majors or by permission of instructor only
ADVT 340R – Advertising Research Methods
3 Credit Hours
Secondary data and primary research techniques for advertising decision making.
(Same as PBRL 340R)
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (EI)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 250* or PBRL 270*.
(RE) Corequisite(s): MATH 115* or STAT 201* or STAT 207*.
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising major.
ADVT 350 – Creative Strategy
3 Credit Hours
Basic concepts of creative strategy development with intensive practice in developing creative briefs, writing and designing advertisements, and strategically and creatively judging visual and verbal output.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 250* and ADVT 310.
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising majors or by permission of instructor only.
ADVT 360 – Advertising Media Strategy
3 Credit Hours
Assessment of markets, vehicle audiences, and mathematical techniques for advertising planning. Instruction in media planning, buying, and evaluation.
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (SS)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 250* and ADVT 340R*.
(RE) Corequisite(s): ADVT 380.
ADVT 380 – Advertising Professional Seminar
1 Credit Hours
Exploration of career choices in mass communications. Résumé and letter writing, interviewing, and portfolio preparation.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 250*
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising or public relations major.
ADVT 450 – Advertising Management
3 Credit Hours
Case-study approach to advertising decisions. Data analysis and interpretation, generating alternative strategies, oral and written presentation of recommendations.
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (AOC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 350 and ADVT 360*.
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising or public relations major.
ADVT 460 – Account Planning
3 Credit Hours
Account Planning focuses on the development of advertising strategy based on insight-oriented research. Emphasis on the use of qualitative research in advertising strategy development; secondary and quantitative data are also used.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 340R*
ADVT 461 – Social Media
3 Credit Hours
Practical and analytical skills necessary to create, evaluate, and execute social media campaigns. Course emphasis is on on-line reputation management; ethical, legal, and privacy issues; and evaluating digital technologies.
(Same as PBRL 461.)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 340R*.
ADVT 470 – Advertising Campaigns
3 Credit Hours
Group-based development, execution, and evaluation of an advertising campaign for a regional or national client.
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (EI)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 450* and PBRL 270*.
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising or public relations major.
ADVT 480 – Advertising Issues
3 Credit Hours
Examination of the role of advertising in society and controversies surrounding economic, social, cultural, and ethical aspects of advertising. Emphasis on written and oral exposition of different viewpoints.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 360*.
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising or public relations major.
ADVT 490 – Special Topics
3 Credit Hours
Detailed study of a specialized area of advertising. Topics vary by semester and include advanced media strategy, advanced creative strategy, direct marketing, and multicultural advertising.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 360*.
Registration Restriction(s): Advertising or public relations major.
ADVT 493 – Independent Study
1-3 Credit Hours
Individual study in a specialized area under the supervision of a faculty member.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 3 hours.Registration Restriction(s): Advertising or public relations major.
Where the Real World is Your Classroom
Public Relations Major
What is Public Relations?
Public Relations is the strategic communication process that connects an organization to the public.
More details about the Public Relations major and courses can be found in the 2023-2024 Catalog.
Term 1
- Global Citizenship – International Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 1 Natural Sciences Elective w/Lab 4 Credit Hours *
- CCI 150 – Communication in an Information Age 3 Credit Hours
- ENGL 101 – English Composition I 3 Credit Hours * (or equivalent)
Select one course:
- PSYC 110 – General Psychology 3 Credit Hours *
- PSYC 117 – Honors: General Psychology 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 16
Term 1 Milestone Notes
- Natural Sciences Elective *
Term 2
- Global Citizenship – International Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 1 Natural Sciences Elective 3-4 Credit Hours *
- 2 Quantitative Reasoning Elective 3-4 Credit Hours *
- 3 General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- ENGL 102 – English Composition II 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 15-17
Term 2 Milestone Notes
- ENGL 101 – English Composition I 3 Credit Hours * (or equivalent)
Term 3
- 4 Arts and Humanities Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- 5 Global Citizenship – US Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- PBRL 270 – Public Relations Principles 3 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- ECON 201 – Introductory Economics: A Survey Course 4 Credit Hours *
- ECON 207 – Honors: Introductory Economics 4 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- MATH 115 – Statistical Reasoning 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 201 – Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 207 – Honors: Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 16
Term 3 Milestone Notes
- CCI 150 – Communication in an Information Age 3 Credit Hours
Term 4
- 6 College Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 3 General Elective 3 Credit Hours *
- ADVT 250 – Advertising Principles 3 Credit Hours *
- JREM 200 – Multimedia Writing 3 Credit Hours *
Select one course:
- ACCT 200 – Foundations of Accounting 3 Credit Hours
- ACCT 207 – Honors: Foundations of Accounting 3 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 15
Term 4 Milestone Notes
- 2.0 cumulative GPA
- PBRL 270 – Public Relations Principles 3 Credit Hours *
Term 5
- 3 General Elective 3 Credit Hours
MGT 201 – Introduction to Business Management for Non-Majors 3 Credit Hours
- 7 PBRL 310 – Public Relations Design 3 Credit Hours
- 7 PBRL 340R – Public Relations Research 3 Credit Hours
Select one course:
- CMST 210 – Public Speaking 3 Credit Hours *
- CMST 217 – Honors: Public Speaking 3 Credit Hours *
- CMST 240 – Business and Professional Communication 3 Credit Hours *
- CMST 247 – Honors: Business and Professional Communication 3 Credit Hours *
Credit Hours 15
Term 5 Milestone Notes
- JREM 200 – Multimedia Writing 3 Credit Hours *
One course from:
- MATH 115 – Statistical Reasoning 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 201 – Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
- STAT 207 – Honors: Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours *
Term 6
- 3,6 College or General Electives 6 Credit Hours
- MARK 300 – Marketing and Supply Chain Management 3 Credit Hours
- 8 PBRL 320 – Public Relations Writing 3 Credit Hours
- 7 PBRL 370 – Public Relations Cases 3 Credit Hours
- 7 PBRL 380 – Public Relations Professional Seminar 1 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 16
Term 6 Milestone Notes
- No milestones
Term 7
- 3 General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 6 College Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 7 PBRL 420 – Advanced Public Relations Writing 3 Credit Hours
- 7 PBRL 470S – Public Relations Campaigns 3 Credit Hours *
- PSYC 360 – Social Psychology 3 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 15
Term 7 Milestone Notes
- No milestones
Term 8
- 3,6 College or General Elective 3 Credit Hours
- 3 General Elective 4-6 Credit Hours
- 7 PBRL 400 – Ethical and Legal Issues in Public Relations 3 Credit Hours
Credit Hours 10-12
Term 8 Milestone Notes
- No milestones
Total Credit Hours 120-122
Footnotes
- Select two science courses from the Volunteer Core* list. At least one course must be a 4-credit hour lab science.
- Choose from the Volunteer Core* list.
- Chosen from any course not taught in advertising, advertising and public relations, communication and information, communication studies, information sciences, journalism and electronic media, or public relations.
- Choose from the Volunteer Core* list.
- Choose from the Volunteer Core* list.
- Select two courses (6 hours) from advertising, advertising/public relations, communication and information, communication studies, information sciences, journalism and electronic media, or public relations.
- Students must earn a grade of C- or better in each of the following courses: PBRL 310, PBRL 320, PBRL 340R, PBRL 370, PBRL 380, PBRL 400, PBRL 420, PBRL 470.
* Meets Volunteer Core Requirements.
Courses
ADPR 216 – Special Topics in Advertising and Public Relations
1-3 Credit Hours
Detailed study of a specialized area of advertising and public relations.Repeatability: May be repeated if topic differs. Maximum 6 hours.
ADPR 265 – Communicating in Diverse and Global Society
3 Credit Hours
This course empowers students to become effective communicators in an increasingly diverse and global society. The course will examine aspects of inclusion, diversity, and equity as well as the roles DEI plays in societal interactions and messaging across platforms and organizations.
ADPR 316 – Special Topics in Advertising and Public Relations
1-3 Credit Hours
Detailed study of a specialized area of advertising and public relationsRepeatability: May be repeated if topic differs. Maximum 6 hours.
ADPR 365 – Social Media Strategy
3 Credit Hours
Social media strategy provides students with practical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to evaluate, understand, and implement social media campaigns. ADPR 365 will be comprised of lectures, case studies, assignments, and engaged analysis activities that will help serve as the foundation for building a strong professional social media skill set.
ADPR 375 – Integrating Communication Channels
3 Credit Hours
Provides students interested in advertising, marketing, and public relations with an introduction to the dynamic world of paid, earned, shared, and owned media. Students will learn the concepts, theories and strategies used to connect with audiences/publics in the traditional and emerging media channels that they use.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 250* or PBRL 270*.
ADPR 415 – Social Media Analytics
3 Credit Hours
This course enables students to grasp the requisite analytics tools to leverage social media data. The course will introduce tools such as engagement analytics, sentiment analysis, topic modeling, social network analysis, identification of influencers and evaluation of social media strategy.
ADPR 416 – Special Topics in Advertising and Public Relations
1-3 Credit Hours
Detailed study of a specialized area of advertising and public relations.Repeatability: May be repeated if topic differs. Maximum 6 hours.
ADPR 492 – Advertising and Public Relations Internships
1-3 Credit Hours
Approved internships and other supervised practice in advertising and public relations.
Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 4 hours.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ADVT 340R or PBRL 340R
Registration Permission: Permission of instructor.
PBRL 270 – Public Relations Principles
3 Credit Hours
Theories and principles of public relations. Overview of public relations in management of business, government, institutions and organizations. Brief case studies and public relations projects.
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (SS)
PBRL 310 – Public Relations Design
3 Credit Hours
Study, use, and application of design, color, type, and layout styles as they affect concept development in the creation of promotional materials. Analysis of organizational goals and how they mold strategic and conceptual development. Application of relevant computer software for creation of promotional material.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): PBRL 270* or ADVT 250*.
Registration Restriction(s): Public relations major.
PBRL 320 – Public Relations Writing
3 Credit Hours
Mechanics of effective writing for various media to achieve organizational goals. Overview of governing communication and persuasion theories. Focus on implementation of research-based, planned, and managed techniques in a lab setting.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): PBRL 270*; PBRL 310; JREM 200*.
(RE) Corequisite(s): PBRL 380.
Registration Restriction(s): Public relations major.
PBRL 340R – Public Relations Research
3 Credit Hours
PBRL 370 – Public Relations Cases
3 Credit Hours
Oral and written analysis of current and classic case studies in public relations. Ethics, professional organizations, publications, research, and forms of public relations. Methods of communication and persuasion.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): PBRL 340R*.
Registration Restriction(s): Public relations major.
PBRL 380 – Public Relations Professional Seminar
1 Credit Hours
Exploration of career choices in mass communication. Resume and letter writing, interviewing, and portfolio preparation.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): PBRL 270*.
Registration Restriction(s): Public relations major.
PBRL 400 – Ethical and Legal Issues in Public Relations
3 Credit Hours
Exploring legal and ethical issues that affect the practice of public relations.
PBRL 420 – Advanced Public Relations Writing
3 Credit Hours
Advanced mechanics of effective writing for various media to achieve organizational goals and produce professional-quality public relations materials. Advanced understanding of governing communication and persuasion theories. Focus on implementation of research-based, planned, strategic, and managed techniques in a lab setting.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): PBRL 320*.
Comment(s): Students will receive credit for the course with a D, but they must have a C or better to use it toward major requirements.
PBRL 430 – Crisis Communication
3 Credit Hours
Emphasis on practical and theoretical applications to preparing for and engaging in crisis communication and management, including risk communication and issues management.
Credit Restriction: Students cannot receive credit for both PBRL 430 and PBRL 530.
(RE) Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing.
PBRL 470S – Public Relations Campaigns
3 Credit Hours
Research, planning, and communication and evaluation of major public relations campaigns. Oral and written presentation of written public relations project from inception to completion. Requires extensive out-of-class work.
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (AOC) (EI)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): PBRL 320 and PBRL 370 and ADVT 250*.
Registration Restriction(s): Public relations major.
PBRL 490 – Special Topics
3 Credit Hours
Topics vary.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Permission of instructor.
PBRL 491 – Foreign Study
1-15 Credit Hours
Approval of hours and topic by advisor required prior to registration.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 15 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Public relations major.
PBRL 493 – Independent Study
3 Credit Hours
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Public relations major.
PBRL 495 – Professional Advancement Seminar
1 Credit Hours
Optional, preparatory training for students seeking an entry-level, professional designation in public relations accreditation. Earning a professional nationally recognized designation will give new graduates an advantage in a competitive job market.
The 4+1 Master’s Concentration
Earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years
The 4+1 concentration allows students who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication majoring in advertising or public relations from the University of Tennessee (within the last three years) to earn a master’s degree with a fifth year of graduate coursework. The concentration is designed to help students gain a deeper understanding of the skills they focused on during their undergraduate studies while gaining knowledge in other areas of their advertising or public relations degree.
