Edited on Oct 17, 2026.
Related: University Brand Strategy in the AI Era · Top University PR Programs · Newhouse School Profile · The University GEO Gap
The University of Florida runs the only major PR program built specifically around public interest and behavior change communications, anchored by the nation's first Center for Public Interest Communications. It also costs far less than most private programs: UF Online in-state undergraduates pay a projected $3,876 a year in tuition and fees for 2026-27, and the online master's is billed per credit hour. The Public Relations Department has been recognized in the PRWeek Outstanding Education Program competition, including an honorable mention in 2024.
How did public interest communications start at UF?
Frank Karel, a 1961 UF journalism graduate who spent 30 years as vice president for communications at the Robert Wood Johnson and Rockefeller Foundations, endowed a chair in public interest communications at UF in 2009. The College of Journalism and Communications built the Center for Public Interest Communications around that endowment in 2018. It was the first center in the country dedicated to applying behavioral science, narrative research, and social psychology to social change work.
The Center has since run projects for the United Nations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Labour Organization. It publishes the Journal of Public Interest Communications, the field's first peer reviewed academic journal, and hosts frank, an annual February gathering in Gainesville that draws nonprofit leaders, government communicators, and researchers working on behavior change.
What does the UF Bachelor of Science in Public Relations cover?
The undergraduate BS in Public Relations pairs core skills in writing, research, and media relations with data analytics, visual communication, multicultural marketing, and the psychology of persuasion. UF Online lists foundational courses in writing, research, strategy, mass communication law, and visual communication, and says online students take courses with the same instructors as residential students and earn the same degree.
The program is large enough to support the biggest Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter in the country. UF's Alpha Chapter was founded on April 4, 1968, as one of the original nine chapters. It runs Alpha PRoductions, an accredited student-run public relations firm, and has won national Star Chapter awards in 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021. UF students have also won more PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition titles than any other university, according to UF Online.
How much does the University of Florida PR program cost?
Cost depends on the degree and on residency. For the undergraduate degree through UF Online, the university projects 2026-27 tuition and fees of $3,876 for in-state students and $16,580 for out-of-state students, based on 30 credit hours across fall and spring. UF Online sets in-state tuition at 75 percent of the standard in-state rate and adds required fees of $5.25 for financial aid, $5.25 for technology, and $6.76 for capital improvements per credit hour. Out-of-state students pay an additional $35.36 per credit hour in financial aid fees.
The online master's with a public relations concentration is billed differently. UF CJC Online lists tuition and fees of $585.75 per credit hour for a 36-credit degree, made up of 33 hours of coursework and a three-credit capstone. Members of the Florida Public Relations Association receive a discounted rate of $448.73 per credit hour in tuition, which FPRA puts at $17,441.28 total with fees for the full master's. Rates change each year, so confirm current figures with UF directly before applying.
What master's degree does UF offer in public interest communications and PR?
UF offers the first online master's degree in Public Interest Communications in the world, one of eight specializations inside the college's Master of Arts in Mass Communication, alongside tracks in audience analytics, digital strategy, global strategic communication, political communication, public relations, social media, and web design. The program draws nonprofit executives, government communicators, corporate social responsibility leaders, and journalists who want measurable social impact.
The public relations concentration covers foundations, theory, strategic writing, strategy and messaging, management, and measurement and evaluation. UF says it was the first online master's program to earn the PRSA Certification in Education for Academic Programs in Public Relations, as of 2023. The college reports a 97 percent career placement rate for the online program and an average post graduation earnings increase of $18,000.
How does UF's PR program rank against other schools?
College Factual's 2026 analysis of 67 communication and journalism programs ranked the University of Florida first in the country for a communication and journalism degree, based on graduation rates, program size, and graduate earnings. UF graduates 91 percent of its students within six years and awarded about 994 communication and journalism degrees in the most recent reporting year.
The Public Relations Department also took a PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence in the Best College and University Communications Program category at the 2026 Silver Anvils. The college is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).
Who is the UF PR program best suited for?
The program fits students who want PR work tied to social outcomes, such as health campaigns, nonprofit advocacy, public agencies, and civic communication, as well as students who want a strong general PR foundation at public-university prices. Working professionals can use the online master's to add credentials while employed. Students who want a pure agency or entertainment pipeline should compare UF with programs closer to those markets, since UF's distinct strength is research-based, public interest work.
What facilities and outlets do UF PR students use?
UF faculty hold advanced degrees in psychology, public policy, and communication science, and pair scholarship with active industry work. Students work inside the Innovation News Center and the Media Effects and Technology Lab, staff seven student-run media outlets, and complete internships at PR firms, agencies, and nonprofits across the country.
Where do UF PR graduates work after school?
UF PR alumni run communications at NGOs, healthcare systems, and government agencies across Washington, New York, and Florida. Because UF is a public flagship, the training costs far less than comparable private programs, which widens access.
Why does UF's PR program rank among the best in the country?
UF trains communicators as system changers rather than spin operators. Ethics, evidence, and behavioral science run through the curriculum, which is the skill set that public interest work, corporate reputation management, and nonprofit communications now demand together. With the largest PRSSA chapter in the country, college-wide ACEJMC accreditation, and an affordable public price, UF offers both the scale of a major university and the focus of a program built around one discipline.
Related coverage across the Higher Education cluster:
