I am so happy to share my news with you--I am officially a working girl now! On Monday starts a new season in my life. I will be the Marketing & PR Coordinator for a shipping company in NJ. I realize how lucky I am that I actually landed a job after graduation when I know so many people who are still looking.

From the theory coursework to the hands-on strategic plan, my time spent in the Public Relations program here at Quinnipiac has definitely prepared me for this job. I came into this program last August with a small inkling of what I thought public relations is. I leave this program knowing that public relations is not just an activity, but a whole field dedicated to building relationship and educating the public.

In this program, our professors encouraged us to pick our areas of interest. Some of my classmates were into healthcare, non-profits, and the travel industry. After just a few short months in this program, I became so passionate about social media. All of my projects and papers revolved around social media in some way. It definitely paid off--my research paper on social media was selected to be a part of an international conference!

Now I have to turn the page to the next chapter of my life. I will be moving away from home to start my new job in a new place. I admit, I am a little nervous but I am mostly excited. All the hard work I did in grad school is actually paying off. If you are looking for a solid public relations program that will hone your writing skills and help you discover your passions, Quinnipiac is the place to go!

--Randi Iaco

Randi graduated in 2009 from Central CT State University with an undergraduate degree in Marketing. Subscribe to our feed for more posts from Randi.

Classes are done and summer is here! I thought it would be the perfect time to let you know how the full-time public relations one year program works.

First of all, there is a huge difference between the fall semester and the spring semester. The fall semester was a lot more work, to be honest. Most of my classmates and I are completing the program in one calendar year.

So in the fall we took the required courses: Public Relations Theory, Research Methods, and Law and Ethics. Most of us took Crisis Management as an elective and, in addition, I also took the online Interactive Communications course elective. Most of my classmates took the healthcare class for their second elective. I hope you understand that there are choices with what you want to study! I am not interested in healthcare but I am more interested in social media so I was able to take a course better suited to my interests.

The first semester is mainly an introduction to the field, which is perfect for people who do not have a PR background (like me!). We learned the theory aspect of the discipline, which required a lot of reading. We learned so much about being ethical in a field known for being a bunch of "spin doctors." Our major assignments were mostly papers. It sounds painful but it really prepped us on the theory and prepared us for writing our theses this semester.

So the second semester of the program is very different from the first. This semester is more hands-on because we used all our newly acquired skills. This semester took PR Writing, Integrating Marketing Communications (IMC), Research Design and Strategic Planning. The elective everyone else took was International PR, but I chose another online Interactive Communication class. In lieu of either electives, many of my classmates did an internship. We didn't have class on Tuesdays or Fridays so many of them went to their internships on those days.

Like I said, this past semester was less intense. Our Research Design class allowed us to start our thesis, section by section. The majority of our writing assignments were for this class. The IMC class was mostly group work presentations, which simulates the type of projects we will be doing in the working world. Our PR Writing class consists of weekly assignments that we can use for our portfolio. The strategic planning course gave us the opportunity to make a campaign for a real client.

That's the difference between the two semesters. I hope it gives you a better understanding of the program. So what's next? This summer, I will write my professional project. Because we only need the 6 credit professional project/thesis course my classmates and I were able to walk in the graduation ceremony!

--Randi Iaco

Randi graduated in 2009 from Central CT State University with an undergraduate degree in Marketing. Subscribe to our feed for more posts from Randi.

In the public relations program at Quinnipiac University, students have the opportunity to complete a thesis or a professional project. I was initially attracted to this program because I could choose which one to complete. I felt myself leaning toward completing a professional project, but I wanted to keep my options open because both have many benefits. My courses this semester really helped me to make the right decision.

This semester, I am taking a research design course. My fellow classmates and I have picked out our thesis topics and have been writing it in sections with the guidance of our professor. We actually conduct the research and analyze the results. Our class meets nontraditionally so we have a lot of time to conduct research and write our papers outside of class. It has been a huge help. We even get to submit our papers to a conference for a chance to be published!

At the same time, I am taking a strategic planning course. In this class, we are writing a campaign plan for a real client! We had to find our own clients, which sounds intimidating, but all of us were able to find one without a problem. I am actually writing a campaign plan for my church, Catalyst Church. It's really awesome because we conducted primary and secondary research for the client and create communication strategies. It has been so rewarding and really awesome to work so hands-on with clients.

For me, the choice was easy. I believe a professional project better suits me and I plan on doing that this summer. I only know of one other people who may do a professional project so far. For some of my classmates, writing a thesis is the way to go. Some of my classmates want to get doctorates some day. Most doctorate programs require you to have written a thesis. Plus, if you want to teach a master's level course someday, you do need a thesis in most cases.

So it really does come down to your personality and your future plans, but Quinnipiac helps you to figure out which selection is best. I am glad I was able to learn how to write a thesis and a professional project because it helped me to make my decision!

--Randi Iaco

Randi graduated in 2009 from Central CT State University with an undergraduate degree in Marketing. Subscribe to our feed for more posts from Randi.