College of Communication > Academics > Public Relations and Advertising > About > Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate FAQ

  • Our faculty is connected to the industry and our students have access to a strong network of experts.
  • There are more than 100 public relations and advertising agencies within 10 blocks of our Loop campus.
  • Our agency connections, professional class visits and events offer opportunities for networking, internships, and career development.
  • Faculty working on cutting-edge research projects. Topics of these projects include business public relations, social media, advergaming, communication for social change, Latino media & communication, health promotion, corporate social responsibility.
  • Our PRAD student organizations:
    • Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) where students attend agency visits and serve as regional conference hosts and national conference presenters
    • adVentors, where students are members of AAF and the One Club, attend agency visits and panels with experts while building their portfolios
  1. Our innovative curriculum reflects the rapid changes of the industry by focusing on such topics as content marketing, digital and social media strategy, PR and advertising entrepreneurs, communication for social changes, data visualization, and much more.
  2. Our students get hands-on experience through PR and advertising competitions with groups including AAF, Bateman, Washington Scholars, and Fox Sports, and we've created campaigns for in-class clients including Starbucks, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigley Gum.
  3. We teach through experiential learning through opportunities including The New York Way, study abroad to Europe and attendance at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, plus more.
Examples of professional roles our alumni have stepped into include (but are not limited to): account manager, copywriter, corporate communication, creative director, crisis communication manager, digital strategist, internal communication, marketing specialist, media buyer, media planner, social media manager, or sports communication.

For more information, see our Career Outcomes page.

Graduate FAQ

The program requires six core courses, which equip the students with the foundations in PR and advertising, communication ethics and law , research, data and insights, and career strategies and e-portfolio guidance. Since the program is a total of 12 courses (48 credits), students can then choose six electives. The program encourages students to take up to two  courses outside of the program in the College of Communication or other colleges at DePaul.

The electives enable students to individually build a curriculum that fits their needs and interests. Dealing with real-world client challenges in classes and learning from former and current professionals qualifies students to succeed in the industry and leave the program as well-prepared and confident graduates. An overview of offered courses can be found under Degree Requirements.

PRAD graduate courses are typically offered one evening (5:45 pm to 9:00 pm) per week on the DePaul Loop downtown campus. Since DePaul is on a quarter system, each course generally runs for 10 weeks plus an exam week. Given there are many dozens of agencies, corporations and non-profit organizations conveniently located in and around the Loop, students are able to work during the day and gain valuable professional experience, while completing their coursework in the evenings - the best of both worlds.

Here you can find the general Class Schedules.

A full course load for graduate students at DePaul is two courses per quarter with a full schedule of courses offered in fall, winter and spring quarters. Since the PRAD program is a total of 12 courses (48 credits), students generally complete the program in two years or less. The number of classes taken per quarter varies with personal and work circumstances.

Most PRAD graduate courses are offered face-to-face on the DePaul Loop campus in a seminar-style format to take advantage of building personal and lasting relationships with professors, classmates, guest speakers, class clients and other professionals. Courses make use of technology, such as the DePaul course management system, Desire2Learn (D2L), and various social media tools and digital platforms.

Individual AppointmentsProspective students may schedule an individual in-person or phone appointment in the Office of Graduate Admission by e-mailing gradcom@depaul.edu or calling (773) 325-4405. The graduate program directors are also available to answer questions year round.

Open House & Information Session

During the open house or information sessions, each College of Communication graduate program will have representatives available to speak with you and answer your questions. Refreshments will be provided. To view upcoming graduate events for open houses and information sessions, visit DePaul's Admission Events website.

Student Ambassador

For a student perspective on the program or the admission process, please feel free reaching out to the PRAD student ambassador.

Make sure to explore other sections of the PRAD website like the ePortfolios or the about page to get an overall feel of the program.

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