Dec 07, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Integrated Public Relations and Advertising B.S., with Public Relations Concentration


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Total Degree Hours: 120
Plans of Study

The Bachelor of Science in Integrated Public Relations and Advertising will prepare students for leadership positions in the fields of public relations, advertising, and integrated communications. This interdisciplinary program combines the strategic communication skills of public relations with the creative and promotional elements of advertising, providing students with a versatile skill set that is highly valued in today’s communication industry. To complement the integrated approach of this program, students will also be able to choose an advertising or public relations concentration to gain a deeper understanding of one of the two fields. The Advertising Concentration is designed to cultivate the next generation of creative thinkers and strategic planners in the dynamic world of advertising. Rooted in a fusion of creativity, media planning, and management principles, our program provides students with a innovative education that prepares them for success in the ever-evolving advertising industry.

University Admissions - College of Arts and Sciences


Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:

For Admission information specific to the College of Arts and Sciences, see the information at College of Arts and Sciences .

Graduation Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences


Satisfactory completion of the following requirements:

  • Students must complete all State and University level graduation requirements.
  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in USF coursework. Note: Some Departments/program/major require a higher GPA. Students should refer to Department/program/major specific catalog requirements.
    • The College may approve an exception when a student has successfully earned the minimum grade required for all courses applied in the major but does not have a major GPA of 2.0.
  • Physical Education coursework is limited to two (2) semester hours.
  • ROTC courses that are primarily physical training and field experiences will not be applied to College of Arts and Sciences degree programs. All other military Science coursework will apply, in particular, coursework utilized toward completing an established ROTC minor will be applied to the total hours toward degree. 
  • When earning a second degree, double major or concurrent degree, the Major Core and Major Elective/Concentration areas of the degree audit must not overlap for both degrees.  All other areas of the degree audit may have overlapping credit hours applied.
  • Maximum of 20 hours of S/U option. S/U contracts must be negotiated in writing within the first three (3) weeks of the term. None of the 20 credits may be taken in the student’s major unless S/U is the only grading option. Coursework fulfilling the General Education Core Curriculum Requirements and the State Communication Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Writing) and State Computation Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Math) may not be taken S/U.
  • The Audit option is available only during the first 5 days of classes.
  • Complete all major course requirements.
  • College of Arts and Sciences students are expected to complete a minimum of 50% of their major and/or minor coursework in residence at USF. Some College of Arts and Sciences Departments/programs/majors have established additional major course hours to be taken in residency at USF. See the major or program section of the catalog for these credit-hour requirements.

Integrated Public Relations and Advertising Required Courses: (60 credit hours)


State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites - Integrated Public Relations and Advertising B.S.


Following Florida BOG Regulation 8.010, state mandated common course prerequisites are lower-division courses that are required for progression into the upper division of a particular baccalaureate degree program. 

Transfer students should complete the State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted. Successful completion of the common prerequisites alone does not guarantee a student admission into the degree program. 

Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C- is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.

There are no State Mandated Common Prerequisites for this program.

State Mathematics Pathway – Integrated Public Relations and Advertising B.S. (6 Credit Hours)


The Integrated and Public Relations and Advertising B.S. uses the Statistical Reasoning Mathematics Pathway with the following requirements:

Integrated Public Relations and Advertising Supporting Required Courses: 2 courses; 6 credit hours


The following courses are supporting required courses for this major. The degree will not be awarded if these courses have not been taken by the end of the student’s final semester.

A minimum grade of “C” (not C-) in each supporting course is required.

Integrated Public Relations and Advertising Core Courses: 16 courses; 48 credit hours


Take one of the following: 1 course; 3 credit hours


Major Elective Courses: 1 course; 3 credit hours


Choose 3 credit hours of coursework from the following list:

Integrated Public Relations and Advertising Major (Restricted) Electives: 9 credit hours


Students complete the general Integrated Public Relations and Advertising B.S. program of study and one of the following two concentrations:

Public Relations Concentration


Public Relations Concentration Core Courses: 3 courses; 9 credit hours


Additional Information - Integrated Public Relations and Advertising B.S.


GPA Requirements


Major GPA (All USF courses which are applied to major requirements): 2.5
General Education GPA (All USF courses which are applied to General Education requirements): 2.0
USF GPA: 2.0
Overall GPA: 2.0

Grading Requirements


A grade of C (2.0, not C-) or better to meet major course requirements unless specified elsewhere. Will vary by area.

Note: Some USF courses have higher grade criteria to meet prerequisite knowledge necessary for progression into higher level courses.

Residency Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences


Department Major Academic Residency Requirement: At least 18 hours of major coursework must be completed at USF. 

College of Arts and Sciences Major Academic Residency Requirement: 50% of major must be completed at USF.

USF Academic Residency Requirement: Thirty (30) of the last 60 hours earned must be from USF.

Research Opportunities - College of Arts and Sciences


All undergraduate students in any degree program can participate in undergraduate research. There are a number of options to receive academic credit for a mentored research experience and to have the experience show on the official transcript. Students who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 2912 IDS 4914 , or IDS 4910  courses. These courses will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research will assist students in understanding the various course options (https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/hipur/index.aspx).

Advising Information - College of Arts and Sciences


Undergraduate Advising Information

The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Advising Team provides students with support to create timely graduation plans that will integrate both their academic and professional goals.  Each of our undergraduate programs has dedicated professional advisors with specialized knowledge and understanding of the major requirements, course offerings, undergraduate research, and career opportunities in their field.  Additionally, we have dedicated pre-health and prelaw advisors to help students prepare for admission to professional graduate programs.

CAS Academic Advisor Contact information can be found here: CAS Advisors

To schedule an advising appointment: Advising Appointments

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