Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design < University of Colorado Boulder

Programs Offered

Bachelor's Degree

Strategic Communication - Bachelor of Science (BS)

Advertising, public relations and media design (APRD) strives to produce leaders in strategic communication who are grounded in analytical and strategic management thinking and who equally understand the tactical and creative requirements of running professional communication campaigns. We believe in amplifying our students' curiosity, increasing their tolerance for risk and encouraging them to look at life and a career with an entrepreneur’s eye for opportunity. APRD is committed to providing students with the necessary skills and techniques to think strategically, critically, adapt, create and above all lead in a rapidly changing media world.

Our goal is to help students acquire the kind of in-depth expertise in at least one area of strategic communication and design that will enable them to generate ideas and solve problems for a variety of organizations, including but not limited to advertising agencies, public relations consultancies, publishing and design firms, nonprofits, start-ups and personal ventures. We produce graduates who are forward-looking and have a deep interest in and knowledge of diverse cultures both within the United States and throughout the world.

Advertising, public relations and media design actively encourages students to enroll in courses offered both within and outside CMCI. Similarly, many of our courses are open to students in other units on the grounds that strategic communication and the planning process can solve problems in a wide variety of disciplines.

Course code for this program is APRD.

Faculty

While many faculty teach both undergraduate and graduate students, some instruct students at the undergraduate level only. For more information, contact the faculty member's home department.

Barrett, Bridget
Assistant Professor; PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Cheval, Melinda Kiger
Associate Teaching Professor Emerita

Doty, Dawn
Associate Teaching Professor; MA, Johns Hopkins University

Duncan, Thomas R.
Professor Emeritus

Elliston, Diane
Assistant Teaching Professor; MFA, Claremont Graduate University

Fisher, Jolene
Associate Chair, Associate Professor; PhD, University of Oregon

Gangadharbatla, Harsha
Professor; PhD, University of Texas at Austin

Gillette, Jeff
Assistant Teaching Professor; MS, Virginia Commonwealth University

Hopp, Toby
Associate Professor; PhD, University of Oregon

Khedekar, Deepti
Assistant Teaching Professor; PhD, University of Colorado Boulder

Labrecque, Joseph
Assistant Teaching Professor; MA, University of Denver

Lee, Seow Ting
Professor; PhD, University of Missouri–Columbia

Ligon, Dan
Associate Teaching Professor; MFA, Brown University

Logan, Kelty Irene
Associate Professor Emerita

Morehouse, Jordan
Assistant Professor; PhD, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Moriarty, Sandra E.
Professor Emerita

Nottoli, David
Assistant Teaching Professor; MBA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Peterson, Loni
Assistant Teaching Professor; MA, University of Denver

Robbs, Brett
Professor Emeritus

Schauster, Erin E.
Associate Chair, Associate Professor; PhD, University of Missouri–Columbia

Slayden, David Lee
Associate Professor; PhD, Indiana University Bloomington

Sriramesh, Krishnamurthy
Professor; PhD, University of Maryland College Park Campus

St. John, Burton
Faculty Director, Professor; PhD, Saint Louis University

Tashakori, Parisa
Faculty Director, Assistant Teaching Professor; MA, Islamic Azad University (Iran)

Vargo, Christopher
Associate Professor; PhD, University of North Carolina

Wang, Mia
Assistant Professor; PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Weaver, Kay
Chair, Professor; PhD, University of Stirling (Scotland)

Willis, Erin
Associate Professor; PhD, University of Missouri–Columbia

Young, Morgan
Assistant Teaching Professor; M.A., George Washington University

Courses

APRD 1003 (3) Principles of Strategic Communication

Introduces the foundations, nature, and practices of advertising and public relations and the various industry functions - including account management, market research, account planning, media planning, creative strategy, creative execution, branding, image reputation and crisis management. This course offers historical, organizational, financial, creative and critical perspectives concerning strategic communication.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 65 units or less completed.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 1004 (1) Fundamentals of Grammar

Teaches students the basic rules of grammar, punctuation, word choice and sentence structure so that they can write clear and concise messages that convey a desired meaning, apply punctuation in an accurate and effective manner, and differentiate between style conventions.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 2001 (3) Strategic Thinking in Advertising and Public Relations

Reviews historical and contemporary views of critical and strategic thinking, as well as strategic practices utilized in advertising, branding, and public relations through the use of readings, exploration of case studies, lectures, individual and group exercises, and client projects.

Requisites: Requires a prerequisite course of APRD 1003 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to students with Strategic Communication (STCM) plan (Majors) or who are On-Track admitted to STCM.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 2004 (3) Introduction to Research Methods and Insights

Provides students with the fundamental skills necessary to develop research-based strategies to address challenges faced by advertising, public relations, and marketing professionals in their efforts to address client communication needs.

APRD 2005 (3) Strategic Communication Writing

Introduces students to strategic writing across multiple media platforms and demonstrates the different forms of writing used in the strategic communication subfields. Students will learn strategies for crafting and delivering effective messages to target audiences.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 1004 and APRD 2001 and APRD 2004 (all minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 2006 (3) Software and Design Applications

Equips students with the practical knowledge and critical skills necessary to effectively employ visual design in advertising and public relations practice. Students will be introduced to both the fundamental principles of graphic design and the technical tools used to bring design ideas to life.

APRD 3001 (3) Visual Design 1

Students are introduced to design elements and principles, research and visual storytelling. They are challenged to communicate intellectual, sensory and emotional concepts by learning a visual vocabulary of type, color, and form expressed in a variety of mediums and dimensions.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3002 (3) Communication and Media Planning

Concentrates on strategies and tactics advertisers and marketers use to communicate their brand stories to their desired audiences. These include traditional media planning and placement - TV, print, radio, and out-of-home - as well as new areas like digital, social, and experiential approaches to communications. Students will learn how to create, develop, and present communication plans and campaigns in an interactive and fast-paced environment.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Advertising (ADV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3003 (3) Strategic Communication Research Methods

Provides an opportunity to use and master quantitative and qualitative research methods. Students conduct research and analyze data to determine the target audience¿s relationship with specific product categories and identify the emotional and practical needs that create brand relationships.

APRD 3004 (3) Account Management

Examines managerial and decision making processes of advertising and related brand communication functions. Emphasis on determining opportunities, integrating with other elements of the promotion mix, setting objectives, establishing budgets, and measuring advertising and communication effectiveness.

APRD 3005 (3) Content Strategy and User Engagement

Explore and understand the importance of content as a brand building tool. Students will gain the ability to use analytics to create strategy that allows the brand to have meaningful and cohesive conversation with its community.

APRD 3006 (3) History of Advertising

Explores the critical moments in advertising history from the start of the Industrial Revolution through the current post digital era.

Requisites: Requires a prerequisite course of APRD 1003 (minimum grade C-).
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3009 (3) Brand Building

Explains the value of a brand in a marketing and advertising environment: how to build, manage, and protect a brand. Specific areas covered include what a brand is and why it matters, how a brand creates value, ways to measure and understand the value of a brand, managing new and established brands, and the role of consumer insight in managing a brand.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all with minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Advertising (ADV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3010 (3) Consumer Insights

Students will learn how to leverage insights for the purposes of creative strategy and creative brief writing.

APRD 3011 (3) Visual Design 2

This advanced-level course is a continuation of "Visual Design I". Through hands-on studio exercises, interactive lectures, and critiques, students will learn to utilize the fundamentals of design, creative thinking, and storytelling to create practical and advanced projects that can be added to their portfolio. They will also learn to articulate the qualities of a visual design system and the strategies behind them.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite of APRD 3001 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Creative (DSN) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3100 (3) UX and UI Design Workflows

Explores how to create and produce effective and engaging designs for dynamic information across a variety of screens while maintaining brand identity. Extending the design principles learned in previous classes, the student will concept for user interfaces (UI) and navigational frameworks that optimize usability and accessibility.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of APRD 3001 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3102 (3) Copywriting 1

Explores the development of interactive concepts that meet a strategic brief's brand objectives. Emphasis is placed on developing strong digital ideals and mastering and applying the styles appropriate for different digital media.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all with minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3103 (3) Public Relations Writing

Emphasizes communication tactics: How to plan, write, and produce public relations tools; select audience and media; utilize print and electronic media. Focuses on Associated Press style and advanced writing techniques.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Public Relations (PRL) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3104 (3) Digital Storytelling for Public Relations

Provides students a new skill set in digital storytelling ideas, production, and analysis. Students will develop the skills to produce creative online stories that will reach strategic audiences. We will look at the changing roles of the storyteller in news, promotion, and public relations while discussing and analyzing media consumption habits that encourage a seamless transition from consumer to creator. This course is designed for public relations students within the strategic communication major.

APRD 3105 (3) Public Relations Strategy and Implementation

Exposes students to concepts in strategic planning and implementation of public relations efforts. Students will come to understand the organization's internal and external communications and identify potential crises in the development of public relations strategy. This class provides an overview of the public relations process and its application to the development of strategy. Students will also understand implementation and evaluation of strategy.

APRD 3112 (3) International Public Relations

Introduces students to the cultural, social and economic issues relevant to strategic communication in the global arena. Provides students with the foundational tools necessary to both understand and effectively navigate the often complex world of strategic intercultural communication. Specific topics will include exploration of the contextual factors that influence public relations practice in different nations/regions, discussion of the various theoretical models that govern global PR practice and critical evaluation of international PR case studies/campaigns.

Requisites: Requires a prerequisite course of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Public Relations (PRL) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3300 (3) Crisis Communication in Public Relations

Explores theories and research related to public relations communication before, during and after a crisis; examines the fundamentals of organizational communication, crisis management and strategic planning.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Public Relations (PRL) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3301 (3) Social Media Strategies

Emphasis on how social media and internet marketing influence public relations; understand the fundamentals and best practices in social media management, visual communication and mobile applications.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with subplans of Advertising (ADV) or Public Relations (PRL) only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3302 (3) Case Studies in Public Relations

Designed to help develop and refine critical thinking in selecting, creating and applying tools, techniques and principles of public relations to a variety of managerial cases and problem situations.

APRD 3400 (3) Creative Concepting 1

Introduces students to Design Thinking and the techniques for designing ideas into concepts. The course leads students through the design thinking process of 1) Empathize, 2) Define, 3) Ideate, 4) Concept, 5) Prototype, 6) Test. Most emphasis is placed on the first four steps.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all with minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communications (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3401 (3) Creative Concepting 2

Building on the fundamentals mastered in APRD 3400, this course takes design thinking for strategic communication purposes to the next level. Students tackle projects of greater complexity, designing concepts for, among others, mobile applications, social platforms, and interactive experiences. This class prepares the foundation for - and ladders into - APRD 4600.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 and APRD 3400 (all minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3402 (3) Content Creation

Focused on rapid content creation, this course will teach students how to develop and produce social content for strategic communication by combining message, concept and execution into consumer-facing touchpoints. Strategic Communication majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan have priority; others may enroll on a space-available basis.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all with minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors.
Recommended: Prerequisites APRD 3500 or APRD 3001.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 3500 (3) Copywriting 2

Explores the uses of story and how the design of story must adapt to different platforms and genres, including both short and long-form narratives, visual narrative, film, personal essay and advertising copy writing.

APRD 3501 (1) Software Applications 2

Equips students with the critical skills necessary to effectively employ intermediate design software skills in advertising and public relations practice. Students will expand upon existing creative software skills and explore concepts and techniques when working with visual design and media content, motion design, animated compositions, audio and video production, and additional intermediate level topics.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of APRD 3001 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.

APRD 3504 (1) Software Applications 3

Equips students with the critical skills necessary to effectively employ advanced design software skills in advertising and public relations practice. Students will expand upon prior creative software skills and explore advanced concepts and techniques when working with general visual media design, 3D compositing, interactive motion design, user interface design, animation concepts, data-driven visuals, and will explore additional media platforms not covered in previous courses.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of APRD 3001 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.

APRD 4000 (3) Event Planning and Management

Introduces students to the planning and management of experiential events. Specifically, the course will locate experiential and event planning within the broader context of organizational strategy and will introduce students to project management through proposal development, scheduling, budgeting, and evaluation components that underlie successful event production.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all with minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Public Relations (PRL) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4010 (3) Strategic Health Communication

Introduces students to theory, research and contemporary concerns in health communication. Focuses on strategic communication for public service and public education campaigns related to health. Includes advertising and health promotion, community relations, public service programs, advocacy, online communities and social media management.

APRD 4100 (3) Brands and Culture

Explores the intersection between culture and marketing communication. Students will examine brand communities, brand and category culture as well as popular culture and the impact on and within marketing communication. The goal is for students to become more aware of the importance of culture in the ability of communication to disrupt the status quo within a market.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communications (STCM) majors with Advertising (ADV) or Public Relations (PRL) subplans only and at least 70 credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4102 (3) Sustainable Brand Practices: Ethics Cases in Advertising and PR

Explore contemporary issues and ethics cases in advertising and public relations and how these practices impact the long-term success of a brand. Students will explore branding concepts and theories of ethics to examine some of the current controversies in which advertising and public relation campaigns are involved and how these issues can be dealt with in an ethical and socially responsible manner.

APRD 4300 (3) Strategic Communication Analytics and Metrics

Provide students with a base knowledge of analytics and metrics used in strategic communication. Students will learn how to obtain and clean big data, how to analyze and turn it into insights and how to present and communicate insights into actionable recommendations.

Requisites: Requires a prerequisite course of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with a minimum of 70 hours and a subplan of Advertising (ADV) or Public Relations (PRL) only..
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4301 (3) Social Media Listening

Provides the practical understanding and application of strategic social media listening from the brand perspective in advertising and public relations, focusing on critical thinking and the ethics of using social media data. Provides students with hands-on experience in industry leading listening tools including Brandwatch, Social Studio, Meltwater and Hootsuite. Equips students with the skills needed to find relevant conversations, uncover insights then apply their perspectives to management for business impact.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (all with minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communications (STCM) majors with Advertising (ADV) or Public Relations (PRL) subplans only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4302 (3) Marketing Data Visualization

Teaches students how to use data visualization to tell business stories based upon the analysis of marketing and business data. Students will learn basic data concepts, types, and uses. They will explore, summarize, and analyze the data using various techniques and best practices with Tableau Software.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communications (STCM) majors with Advertising (ADV) or Public Relations (PRL) subplans only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4303 (3) Search Advertising Strategies

Build, manage and evaluate digital advertising campaigns for a non-profit organization. Teams of students are assigned a local non-profit and will evaluate, develop, and execute search advertising campaigns for their use. The course also provides a general overview of the search advertising landscape, "paid search." Course prepares students for careers in advertising agencies, media agencies, marketing departments and search consultancies.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005, APRD 2006, and APRD 3002 (all with minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Advertising Strategy (ADV) subplan only.
Recommended: Prerequisite APRD 4300.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4404 (3) Advanced Ad Campaigns NSAC

Work and design an ad campaign for a real-world client through the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). Students in the course commit to both the fall and spring semesters in the same academic year for 6 total credit hours (4 hours of capstone credit plus 2 hours of upper-division elective credit). This two-semester course is equivalent to APRD 4405, and credit cannot be given for both.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours.
Requisites: Requires a prerequisite course of APRD 3001 or APRD 3010 or APRD 3105 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors only with a minimum of 80 hours completed.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4405 (4) Strategic Communication Capstone

Puts into practice knowledge from previous coursework to plan and execute a strategic communication campaign. Students work with others, operating as an agency. Students will develop one or more strategic communication campaigns. In addition, students will practice organizational and leadership skills; design and layout skills; produce a plans book; and pitch the proposed campaigns to the class and the client.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 3001 or APRD 3010 or APRD 3105 or APRD 4506 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communications (STCM) majors with 85 or more credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4406 (3) Advanced PR Campaigns BATEMAN COMPETITION

Offers students the opportunity to develop and implement a PR campaign for a real-world client through the Bateman Competition, PRSSA's national case study competition for public relations students. Students in the course commit to both the fall and spring semesters in the same academic year for 6 total credit hours (4 hours of capstone credit plus 2 hours of upper-division elective credit). This two-semester course is equivalent to APRD 4405, and credit cannot be given for both.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours.
Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of APRD 3103 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Public Relations (PRL) subplan only and who have completed at least 80 credit hours.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4501 (3) Design for Social Innovation

Provides an introduction to design thinking as a means to drive social change and solve real-world problems. This studio class is project based and asks students to experiment with new behaviors of work and learning, including: collaboration, iteration, prototyping, empathizing, craft and inference. Field work and collaboration with teammates are required.

APRD 4543 (3) Strategic Brand Management

Examines the theory of branding: what brands are, how brands are created and measured, as well as strategies for managing brands and brand communication.

Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of APRD 2005 and APRD 2006 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors with Advertising (ADV) or Public Relations (PRL) subplans and a minimum of 85 credits only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Advertising Media Design

APRD 4600 (3) Creative Portfolio 1

Develop a variety of design concepts and execute them at a professional level. Students are assigned projects to demonstrate their ability in areas such as branding, product design, advertising creativity, and interaction design. Students will also design their own online portfolio. Creative work is presented in a juried show at the end of the semester.

Requisites: Requires a prerequisite course of APRD 3001 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communications (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4601 (3) Creative Portfolio 2

Drawing on creative skills and knowledge developed in previous courses, students produce a final creative portfolio ready for professional viewing. There will be an opportunity to enter work into the International One Show advertising and design awards competition.

Requisites: Requires a prerequisite course of APRD 4600 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to Strategic Communications (STCM) majors with the Creative (CTV) subplan only.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4800 (3) Seminar in Honors Writing and Research

Supports seniors accepted into the APRD Honors Program in developing the research foundation for their projects, whether scholarly, creative, or hybrid. Topics include topic development, primary and secondary source research, and the writing of a scholarly literature review. Project and time management, planning for creative and scholarly field research, and peer support and editing are emphasized. In the spring, students take an independent study with their faculty advisor to complete their honors project.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

APRD 4841 (1-6) Undergraduate Independent Study

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.

APRD 4873 (1-4) Special Topics

Special Topics.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 16.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to Strategic Communication (STCM) majors only with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors)
Additional Information: Departmental Category: Advertising Media Design

APRD 4931 (1-6) Internship

Internship course

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of APRD 3001 or APRD 3002 or APRD 3103 or APRD 3503 (all minimum grade C-).