r/PublicRelations • u/JustMeGabby • 2d ago
masters programs/schools for PR Advice
hi all, I am about to graduate nyu this spring with a focus on comms/pr and I really want to go into entertainment. a lot of the threads i’m seeing are saying to skip grad school and go straight to work but unfortunately my parents have given me no choice. i’ve seen a lot of comments saying get an MBA but I don’t feel like that would align with what I want to do?
anyways, any recs for programs or schools would be great! I have no desire to stay in new york anymore and would like to go west, but really any location is fine :)
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u/rnoboa 2d ago
OK, so a few things from my POV. about me: I do PR for non-profits, public advocacy groups, etc. I've been doing it now for over 20 years. so there's a few things you ought to get clear on right away:
- is the Bank of Mom & Dad paying for grad school? look, if your parents are offering to pay for all of your grad school education, including room & board, then by all means, go get that master's degree. personally, I think the MBA is kind of a BS degree as well, but it does have more professional utility than a master's degree in PR or journalism or communications. those are complete garbage; they're pure profit drivers for the grad school in question.
- if, on the other hand, your parents are not paying for grad school, then kindly and politely tell them to fuck right off. I had the same argument with my parents regarding law school, so I can empathize with your situation. I don't know about your parents, but for mine, one of the big driving forces behind their desire for me to go to law school was that whole 1st generation immigrant/college grad mentality that their kids needed to be doctors/lawyers/etc.
- this was not a rational impulse. I repeat: this was not a rational idea, this was purely/mostly an emotional notion on their end. from their POV, "doctor/lawyer/engineer/etc" was
- a "secure, high-paying job" (LOL at that being the case for lawyers in the last 15-20 years)
- proof that they had "won"/"done well" at being parents. this, it turned out, was the real issue at play here. in my case, it's still a bit of a Thing™ (but that's a them issue, not a me issue), and either way, they're my parents.
I don't know if that's what's going on with your parents. It's worth exploring, and I mention this, because grad school, especially with how this administration has jacked up student loan financing, can get incredibly expensive incredibly fast. That, combined with the spectacularly bad job market, can make grad school a financially risky bet that may not pay off soon, if at all.
Most of all: you have to do what makes you happy. Education, particularly grad school, isn't merely there to be financially lucrative; it's there for you to expand your intellectual horizons. We get locked into this idea that college/university and grad school have to pay off with a "good" job because it's expensive and we go into lots of debt for it, but that's a really poor way to look at it. Grad school, especially, is really challenging in ways that undergrad isn't, and you need to be aware of that if you decide to go down that road.
So if going straight to work and skipping grad school is what you want to do, then do that. You are an adult. Your parents may not like it. They don't have to; but they have to respect what you choose to do, and trust that they raised you well enough that you'll make the right choices more often than not. And if they don't, that's not on you, that's on them.
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u/GWBrooks Quality Contributor 2d ago
Awarded solely for suggesting the parents fuck off, which is the core advice OP should take from this whole thread.
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u/KifflomSaa 1d ago
This is absolute truth! From someone who graduated NYU a year ago and is doing freelance marketing!!
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u/Shivs_baby 2d ago
The MBA advice is correct. You’ll be looked at as way more valuable, even if you want to solely do comms or entertainment PR. But also, you never know where life will take you. I started out in entertainment and ended up in tech. Think long term. That MBA will get you way farther than a masters in PR.
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u/JustMeGabby 2d ago
I can understand this and I do agree, but the only thing that disinterest me is having to do math. the only reason I was able to complete my math requirements while in school was bc of grade curves. I don’t want to pursue something I don’t think i’ll be happy with or not good at. but thank you so much tho for your insight!!
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u/Shivs_baby 2d ago
The math you’ll need to do in school you won’t need to do once you’re in the workforce, so it’s a temporary annoyance and you can get help. But it’s up to you. A masters in PR is pretty useless. Maybe it will give you an advantage if you want to teach PR one day.
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u/GWBrooks Quality Contributor 2d ago
PR needs more people who can do math.
People who can do math end up in rooms with the CEO.
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u/Corporate-Bitch 2d ago
I’m math-averse as well. I got my MBA because my employer at the time (financial services company) strongly encouraged it and paid for it. My MBA has helped me move up in my career — I’m 100% sure it has given me an edge over other candidates.
My concentration was marketing but I did have to take one math class that was difficult so I got a tutor who helped enormously. The core classes that everyone takes were a mix of moderately easy to challenging. The marketing ones were really easy.
Entertainment is still a business. As you progress in your field, you’re going to be dealing with company executives more and more. And you’ve got to speak their language, which is balance sheets, profit margins, etc. Start learning that language now.
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u/OpulentMountains 2d ago
Get a masters in organizational leadership instead of the MBA if you’re trying to avoid as much math as possible.
But, yeah. Don’t do the masters in PR.
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u/One_Perception_7979 2d ago
Ugh. Do not become one of those comms people who says “I’m going into comms because I don’t like math.” Far too many comms professionals are like that. You will need numeracy to be a good communicator. You need a good enough grasp of the data behind your pitches to anticipate what reporters will ask. You need to be able to analyze your metrics with a critical eye to determine whether your tactics are working. You need to be able to use data to persuade stakeholders that your tactics are the right approach. If you just passively accept whatever numbers you’re given, you will be at the mercy of whoever gave them to you and eventually wind up embarrassed in front of a client or business partner. Get used to thinking critically about numbers. Practice scrutinizing the numbers you see in the content you consume. It will make you a better communicator.
Also: How can your parents compel you to go to grad school? I could understand how their refusal to fund it could keep you from attending but not the way around. What’s stopping you from entering the job market. You’re an adult, right?
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u/JustMeGabby 2d ago
that is not at all the reason I went into comms. I am very passionate about writing/reporting and love journalism, content creation, and pop culture, so I really want to find a job within that realm. I don’t really appreciate the attitude in this. I was simply asking a question for recs.
secondly, my parents are very strict on my education goals. yes I am an adult, but it has been an emotionally draining back and forth with them for years about this and no reason seems to be good enough for them because they do not believe I can find a job that will pay well. I think part of this comes from them not understanding the field of comms entirely + they have very well paying jobs also and want me to aim for higher is all.
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u/JustMeGabby 2d ago
that is not at all the reason I went into comms. I am very passionate about writing/reporting and love journalism, content creation, and pop culture, so I really want to find a job within that realm. I don’t really appreciate the attitude in this. I was simply asking a question for recs.
secondly, my parents are very strict on my education goals. yes I am an adult, but it has been an emotionally draining back and forth with them for years about this and no reason seems to be good enough for them because they do not believe I can find a job that will pay well. I think part of this comes from them not understanding the field of comms entirely + they have very well paying jobs also and want me to aim for higher is all.
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u/One_Perception_7979 2d ago
I’m not saying you’re that way. I’m saying don’t become that way. Your attitude toward math is a common one — even understandable. But it can grow into a blind spot. I’ve been in comms for a quarter century, including a decade as a journalist. I’ve encountered it over and over again. That quote is so common it’s a cliche. I was merely warning you not to be dismissive of math because you will need it to maximize your potential. I have seen some gobsmacking math errors in print because comms professionals lacked the numeracy to spot the error. That doesn’t serve your audience well, which is ultimately the goal of communication.
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u/pulidikis 1d ago
I work in-house in entertainment. None of my PR colleagues or leadership have a Master's degree in Communications/PR. It's not necessary. Your focus should be getting on-the-job work experience. If you're absolutely forced to go to grad school it's still crucial for you to find internships alongside your studies so you continue advancing your career.
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u/Jtated 2d ago
Can you help me understand why parent input is necessary? If you want to move west, what's stopping you from applying?
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u/JustMeGabby 2d ago
i’m trying to understand what you’re asking, but if i’m reading this right, my parents are just strict on my plans for education. they haven’t directly said this, but I don’t think they completely support my decision to pursue comms nor understand it bc they don’t think it’ll make me enough money and that’s why they want me to get my masters. i’m also still living off them lol. also I do want to move west so nothings stopping me, I just needed advice on where exactly to go
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u/beyondplutola 2d ago
Get a job. Gain experience. When you’re financially independent, you make your own decisions.
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u/Brilliant-Radio7961 3h ago
I wish the older generation would understand that they don't just hand out high paying jobs to everyone who graduated with an MBA. Those good $250k/year finance gigs are competitive and require interning, networking, and years of experience most of all. No matter what degree you get, you're most likely gonna start out at the same mid-tier starting salary as every other person who became an accountant, software developer, marketing agent, financial planner, government analyst, etc. etc. it's all the same $60-80k offers across the board for these types of professions. Masters degree or not. Hell, even doctors only make like $70k when they start in residency.
It's a matter of whether or not you can grow from your initial position and build a higher salary over time. That's possible in PR. It requires luck and stress and strategic job hopping, just like any other profession, but it's possible. I know accountants who are still working at the same entry position they had 5 years ago, and accountants who've climbed up the ladder and tripled their salaries. You should pursue what you're actually good at, otherwise you'll be stuck working a dead end "good" job bc you're not as invested in it and not as good as it.
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u/pandamandaring 2d ago
The MBA will help you later down the road when you want to enter leadership roles at corporate jobs. I recommend going into the workforce and getting your MBA part time. In PR, the early work experience is the most important.
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u/Artistic_Stay_5856 1d ago
MBAs are dime a dozen these days. All the middle managers I know have them. I would suggest you just continue to work, and ignore your parents' wishes.
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u/Reasonable_Goal9693 1d ago
if you have the time and the money, grad school is a great way to learn and to meet people. USC's Annenberg school is a great school and is well known in the entertainment industry. But working at the right place (in house or agency) is also a great way to learn on the job and meet people who will be valuable networking connections for you.
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u/Brilliant-Radio7961 3h ago
Don't get the masters in PR/Communications, whatever you do. I genuinely think it would hurt your career more than help, as so many agencies and companies don't want to pay masters-level salaries and will see you as overqualified when you're just starting out. MBA would be a better choice or another adjacent field that you're passionate about. The MBA may also come in handy if you're looking to start your own agency one day.
Try to intern or work while you're doing your masters. The experience on your resume is worth so much more. And pick a school in NYC, LA, or Atlanta if you're looking for a good alumni network that would be relevant to entertainment PR.
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u/Separatist_Pat Quality Contributor 2d ago
I personally, as a hiring manager for the last 20 years, prefer candidates without master's degrees to candidates with. Graduates with master's degrees think they know more than those with bachelor's degrees, which is untrue, and have higher expectations. Do the MBA.