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Drake’s public relations program earns prestigious certification

PRSA_CMYK_AltThe Drake public relations program is one of only 34 programs worldwide to earn the Certification in Education for Public Relations (CEPR) from the Public Relations Society of America.

“This is an important milestone for the Drake PR program,” says Kelly Bruhn, assistant professor of public relations at Drake. “The process confirmed something many in this region have known for some time—the education students receive at Drake is among the best PR preparation in the world.”

Drake’s rigorous, six-course PR curriculum features innovative content and unique approaches to the profession, including a research class, yearlong capstone, and service-learning components. Additionally, the Drake PR program has a top-notch alumni network in Des Moines, providing students with professional opportunities while they are in school.

“Learning about the PR program is what convinced me to choose Drake,” says Laura Plumb, a senior studying public relations and sociology. “The professors really care about the students and helping us succeed, and the incorporation of real-world experience into courses has been vital to my success. When I take these projects to interviews, they’re amazed at all of the work I’ve been able to do as a student.”

The Drake PR program has a strong history of providing students with experiential learning opportunities and has partnered with more than 90 organizations since Bruhn started at Drake in 2009.

For a recent PR capstone project—a multifaceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic experience—the Drake PR students worked closely with Character Counts in Iowa, a local non-profit that promotes civility and help Iowans practice and recognize good character.

“The Drake students were exceptional to work with on this project,” says Scott Raecker, executive director of Character Counts in Iowa and chairman and CEO of the Josephson Institute. “As a non-profit organization we received benefit that we would not have been able to afford in the marketplace—with results that were as good as any we would have contracted to accomplish.”

Bruhn has also witnessed the enormous growth in the program during her tenure.

“In six years of teaching at Drake, I’ve seen the number of PR majors explode, increasing 204 percent,” says Bruhn. “It’s one of the hottest growth areas in communications today, and it’s a great career choice for students interested in creating solutions for companies and organizations.”

For more information on the Drake PR program and the CEPR, contact Kelly Bruhn at kelly.bruhn@drake.edu or 515-271-2124.

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About CEPR
The process for certification included a comprehensive application, a curriculum review, and a site-team visit. Drake’s public relations program will be honored at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) International Conference in Washington, D.C. this October.