As a graduation requirement of the Public Relations Major, students must complete 250 hours of professional public relations internship or research experience, including for-credit and not-for-credit experiences. Hours may be accumulated through public relations internships, public relations research or a combination. Experiences must have the prior approval of the Public Relations Field Experience Program Director and require a completion report from the student and their supervisor/mentor.
Public Relations Field Experience Program
Core Competencies / Learning Objectives
Public Relations Field Experience should provide students with opportunities to 1) apply their public relations coursework in a professional setting, 2) be supervised/mentored by a public relations professional and 3) gain experiences that reinforce qualities of successful public relations professionals, including:
- Responsibility, flexibility and professional-orientation
- Ability to respond and adapt to new and changing situations
- Ability to think conceptually
- Initiative to problem-solve
- Creativity and pragmatism
- Ability to take criticism
- Organization and self-management
- Integrity as members of teams and as leaders
- Demonstration of respect, empathy and appreciation for difference
- Understanding of other cultures and perspectives
Learning objectives vary by student and experience, however, PR Field Experience should provide students with opportunities to:
- Apply boundary-crossing competencies and effectively collaborate in works teams as a both a leader and a follower
- Apply knowledge and skills in professional settings
- Apply knowledge to solve real-world problems
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication while establishing working relationships
- Engage in creative/innovative design processes
- Make informed, ethical decisions
- Practice critical-thinking and inquiry
- Respond empathetically
- Use context-appropriate leadership strategies
- Use inclusive practices to inform actions
- Work effectively in a diverse environment
Learn more about how these MSU PR Majors are earning their PR Field Experience hours in this video from The Brief:
Processes and Procedures
To be completed for each individual PR Field Experience
- Upon acceptance into the PR Major, students must complete and submit the MSU PR Field Experience Application for each individual experience.
Students must receive pre-approval for each individual PR Field Experience by the PR Field Experience Program Director
- Upon Experience Application review, the PR Field Experience Program Director will approve or deny the experience as qualifying for the student’s 250-hour graduation requirement.
- Students and their supervisor/mentor will receive an email notification with a determination for their MSU PR Field Experience Application. If application is denied, students will receive notice explaining why and how to correct issues with their application.
To be completed by student and their supervisor/mentor for each individual PR Field Experience
- Upon completion of experience, students must complete and submit an MSU PR Field Experience Student Completion Report.
- In addition, their supervisor/mentor must complete and submit an MSU PR Field Experience Supervisor Completion Report through which they will confirm the experience start date, end date and number of hours completed.
- Upon receipt/review of both the student and supervisor/mentor MSU PR Field Experience Completion Report, students and their supervisors/mentors will receive an email notification with an approval determination for completed PR Field Experience Hours.
- An application, and student and supervisor/mentor completion report must be submitted and approved by the PR Field Experience Program Director for experience hours to count toward a student’s 250-hour graduation requirement.
- It is the student’s responsibility to ensure their supervisor/mentor(s) completes an MSU PR Field Experience Completion Report.
- Students on an F-1 Visa must also process a CPT form or OPT form and secure authorization to work in the United States from the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).
Students must complete Steps 1 – 3 for each PR Field Experience until they reach the 250-hour graduation requirement.
MSU PR FIELD EXPERIENCE APPLICATION
MSU PR FIELD EXPERIENCE STUDENT COMPLETION REPORT
MSU PR FIELD EXPERIENCE SUPERVISOR/MENTOR COMPLETION REPORT
Fill in the blanks and use this email below to make completing the MSU PR Field Experience Supervisor/Mentor Completion Report as easy as possible for your supervisor.
Dear, NAME:
As part of my Michigan State University Public Relations Major 250-hour field experience requirement, I need my supervisor/mentor to complete a brief experience completion survey. Would you be willing to please complete the following survey confirming:
My start date: DATE
My end date: DATE
Hours Completed: XX hours
MSU PR Field Experience Supervisor/Mentor Completion Report
Thank you for providing me the opportunity to gain valuable work experience.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
The ComArtSci Career Center can help with everything from career exploration, resume and cover letter writing, to mock interviews and job search strategy.
Handshake has the latest jobs from employers hiring at MSU.
Network with Communication Arts and Sciences alumni.
Students can refer to these public relations sub-disciplines as a starting-point for their PR Field Experience search:
- Media Relations
- Strategic Communication
- Integrated Marketing
- Brand Strategy
- Copywriting/Editing
- Government Relations/Public Affairs
- Lobbying
- Corporate Communications/Employee Relations
- Association/Member Relations
- Investor Relations
- Community Relations
- Internal Communications
- Fundraising/Development
- Event Support
- Social Media Management
- Influencer Marketing
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is temporary alternative/work study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS F-1 CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING FORM
PR 493: PR Internship is offered in fall, spring and summer semesters annually and allows students to receive academic credit for internship hours worked.
PR 494: PR Research is offered in fall, spring and summer semesters annually as a faculty-supervised independent study that allows students to receive academic credit for research experiences emphasizing public relations. Students must be approved to enroll in variable 1 to 8 credit hours. To enroll, students must seek out an experience and faculty-approval, complete an MSU Application for Independent Study.
Past Approved PR Field Experience Organizations
MSU PR Majors have acquired approved PR Field Experience hours through a variety of organizations, including:
- 313 Presents
- 42pointSEVEN
- absolute R relations
- Addixions Salon
- A Gold Consulting
- AIA Group
- All American Entertainment
- Allied Global Marketing
- Aloft Chicago Mag Mile
- Alpha Omicron Pi
- Americorps
- Ann Arbor SPARK Digital Clinic
- Associated Students of Michigan State University
- Axia Public Relations
- Balm Skin Clinic
- Barrios Tacos
- Ben & Jerry's Primo Partners
- B. Frank Communications
- Big Ten Network Student U
- Blue Ember Group
- BluPRint
- Bright Horizons
- BT PR
- Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Burns Entertainment
- Capnos
- Carbon Solutions LLC
- Chateau Coffee Co.
- Columbia University
- Digital Vision Enterprises, LLC
- Dot Dash Meredith: Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
- Dow Chemical Company
- Elan Implant Center
- Emily Blair Media
- Equiduct, Inc.
- Fashion Fights Cancer
- Foundation
- General Motors
- Great Lakes Wine and Spiritis
- Greater St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church
- Grosse Pointe War Memorial
- Güd Marketing
- Gypsy Mamma Travel Blog
- The Hair Loft
- HAP
- Harbor Strategic
- H-Net
- Howell Area Chamber of Commerce
- Inditex-Zara
- INFKNIT
- INNOCEAN USA
- Interlochen Center for the Arts
- Jackson National
- James Madison University Athletic Communications Department
- Jewish Community Relations Council
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
- Kairos Promotional Agency
- Kappa Alpha Theta
- Kesem
- Kolt Communications, Inc.
- Lake Effect Digital
- Lansing Lugnuts
- Lividini & Co.
- LIT Media
- Logan's Roadhouse
- LovelyLuxe
- Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
- Martin Waymire
- Meji Meji
- Memore
- Metroit Media
- Michigan Community Service Commission
- Michigan Health Council
- Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders
- Michigan Social Impact Network (AmeriCorps)
- Moonsail North
- MSU Athletics
- MSU Black Poet Society
- MSU College of Arts and Letters, Citizens Scholars Program
- MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Advertising + Public Relations
- MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Communication
- MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Media and Advertising Psychology Lab
- MSU College of Nursing
- MSU College of Social Science, Communications Department
- MSU Department of Police and Public Safety
- MSU Global Health Studies Program
- MSU Human Resources
- MSU IMPACT 89FM
- MSU Innovation Center
- MSU IT Services
- MSU McDonel Hall Student Government
- MSU PRSSA
- MSU Spartan Ambassador Internship Program
- MSU Student Bookstore
- MSU Student Life and Engagement
- MSU Undergraduate Research
- MSU University Advancement
- MSU Waterski Team
- MSU Wharton Center for Performing Arts
- NexCare Health
- North Creative
- Northern Ohio Baseball Group
- Peckham
- PDFS Staffing
- Pi Beta Phi
- Pi Sigma Epsilon - Eta Beta Chapter
- Press Here Publicity
- Purple PR
- RCAH Center for Poetry
- RealPlay Sports
- Red Bull
- Riddle and Bloom
- Ripple Public Relations
- Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan
- Roncelli, Inc.
- roundtable6
- SB Nation
- SideLine Cue
- Siemens Software
- Sigma Delta Tau - Beta Beta Chapter
- Smithsonian - Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- Snips Media
- Spartans Illustrated
- State Farm
- Stellantis
- TEDxMSU
- Telemetry Public Relations
- The Hype Agency
- The Modern Day Wife
- The Plug
- The Power of the Patient Project
- The Shark Group
- The State News
- Tropic Like It's Hot
- United Wholesale Mortgage
- University Activities Board
- USA Hockey NTDP/USSA Hockey Arena
- WeatherTech
- WKAR
- Women's Center of Greater Lansing
- VIM Magazine (MSU)
- Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity
Qualifying Non-internship Experiences
MSU offers students a variety of qualifying non-internship experiences including these and more:
- PRSSA Eboard
- PRSSA Bateman Competition
- Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Public Relations Courses
- University Undergraduate Research Art Forum
- MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences Media and Advertising Psychology Lab
- Advertising + Public Relations Student Agency
- MSU Greek Life Council Public Relations-related Eboard
- ASMSU PR Staff
- University Activities Board Coordinators
- MSU Registered Student Organization Public Relations-related Eboard
Faculty
Amanda Vasas
Professor of Practice; PR Field Experience Program DirectorDepartment
Advertising + Public RelationsAmanda Vasas is a professor of practice and the public relations field experience program director for Michigan State University's College of Communication Arts and Sciences Department of Advertising + Public Relations.