Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Information Sciences in

Public Relations with a concentration in Digital Communication

Online

Program Overview

From social media to digital marketing, digital communication has become a cornerstone of effective public relations strategies. The University of Alabama’s online Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Information Sciences (BACIS) with a major in Public Relations and a concentration in Digital Communication equips students with the skills necessary for creating persuasive messaging across digital platforms to build awareness, interaction and engagement with stakeholders.

Online Program Format

120 Credit Hours

$399 Tuition Per Hour

Put a Positive Spin on Your Resume

Learn from faculty with decades of professional and research expertise in public relations and digital communication. The curriculum will give you an understanding of the social and digital media landscape and its evolving role in advertising and public relations. You’ll learn how to conduct research to measure program needs, develop objectives and focused strategies, implement state-of-the-art tactics and identify and measure campaign success. The online coursework lets you build a strong foundation for your public relations career from a premier university, wherever you are.

Application Deadline	Applications accepted year round
Accreditation	Accreditation Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC)
Are test scores required?	ACT and SAT scores are not required through the Fall 2026 entry term
Scholarships and Grants Available	Discover a range of scholarships and grants to support your educational journey

Curriculum

The Public Relations major with a concentration in Digital Communication program consists of 120 credit hours.

Please note that courses are subject to change.

Required Core Courses (44-45 hours)

First-Year Compass Courses (3 hours)

UA 101 Legends (1 hour)
UA College Compass Course (e.g., CIS 100; 2 hours)

Written Composition (3-6 hours, depending on placement)

EN 103 Advanced Composition or EN 104 Honors Composition
Can be satisfied by EN 101 English Composition and EN 102 English Composition

Humanities (HU), Literature, Fine Arts and World Languages (9 hours)

Literature (3 hours)
Humanities, Literature, Fine Arts and World Languages (6 hours)
- NOTE: Must meet the World Languages requirement, which can be met in a variety of ways and can take 0-6 hours to complete

Natural and Mathematical Sciences (11 hours)

Natural Sciences (8 hours)
MATH 110 or higher (3 hours)

History and Social/Behavioral Sciences (SB) (9 hours)

History (3 hours)
History or Social/Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)

U. S. and Global Citizenship (3 hours)

Writing (6 hours)

Can be satisfied by APR 303 and APR 333 in the PR major with the digital communication concentration

To learn more about the core curriculum requirements, visit UA’s Core Curriculum Framework website.

Foundation Courses (16 hours)

MC 101 Introduction to Mass Communication
JCM 103 Mechanics of Media Writing
APR 241 Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations
APR 280 Introduction to Audience Analysis
APR 290 Introduction to Channels and Messaging
APR 303 Public Relations Strategy (W)

Concentration Courses (15 hours)

APR 300 Basic Principles of Design
APR 325 Social and Digital Media
APR 333 Digital Writing and Strategy (W)
APR 430 Advanced Digital Marketing
One (1) APR/MC 400-level elective (3 hours):
- APR 422 Channel Planning
- APR 423 A+PR Management (W)
- APR 436 Viral Communication
- APR 437 Social Networks
- APR 439 Branding Principles & Practice
- APR 452 Ethics and Professionalism (NOTE: Cannot also count as a capstone course)
- APR 453 Investigation and Insights (NOTE: Cannot also count as a capstone course)

Capstone Courses (6 hours)

Students will pick one (1) of the following courses:

APR 452 Ethics and Professionalism
APR 453 Investigation and Insights

Required:

APR 433 Public Relations Campaigns

Ancillary Courses

CIS 250 Introduction to Design Software (NOTE: This course is a prerequisite to APR 300 and APR 325)
CIS 260 Introduction to Consumer and Media Research Resources (NOTE: This course is a prerequisite to APR 280)
EC 110 Principles of Microeconomics (SB; NOTE: This course is a prerequisite to APR 424)
COM 123 Public Speaking (HU)

Minor Requirement

All students must complete a minor in addition to their major requirements, and students commonly select Communication Studies.

Admission

To apply for formal admission to any of the undergraduate degree programs offered through UA Online, you must complete an admissions application and submit transcripts from all colleges previously attended (and a high school transcript if you have less than 24 semester hours of college coursework). Transfer students considering admission should review UA’s transfer information and policies.

Applicants must meet one of the following admission requirements:

If you have earned more than 24 college-level credit hours at the time of your application to the University, you will need to meet the transfer student admission requirement of a minimum 2.0 overall college GPA.

If you have earned less than 24 college-level credit hours at the time of your application to the University, you will need to meet both the 2.0 overall college GPA required for transfer students, as well as admission requirements for freshmen students.

Find more information and learn about restrictions related to this degree program that may exist regarding licensure in the state in which you reside.