Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations

at Roger Williams University - Bristol Campus USA

A major in history at Roger Williams University will explore the past with an eye toward the future. Budding historians will pursue the truth through a variety of lenses and /or approaches. Students will engage in experiential learning by interacting with the local community. Classes will take part in gaming exercises; students will explore film through an analytical lens and study history in the public sphere. A history student will discover the importance of storytelling, will participate in role play and debate, will interact with the surrounding environs through courses designed to pique their interest and hone critical thinking skills.

Students will walk the path of Roger Williams, hold meaningful dialogue with scholars, study the plight of immigrants past and present, share in the history of indigenous cultures, uncover the lived experiences of those who have remained silent or marginalized in history, enter the world of fantasy, and graduate with the tools necessary to make a difference in the world.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Locate, analyze, and interpret a variety of primary and secondary sources with logic, clarity, and persuasiveness.
• Develop an understanding of historiography, historical methodology, and research.
• Demonstrate historical literacy related to historical time periods and area studies.
• Exhibit a sophisticated appreciation of the complexities and ambiguities in history and culture.
• Address the historical impacts of transnational exchanges.
• Critique how histories are produced by and reimagined in the face of systems of power.

Students in our digital-first Journalism program become more than just great writers. Through rigorous coursework and real-world experience at internships, you’ll learn how to gather news, report current events in an ethical manner on digital, print and electronic platforms.

Student Learning Outcomes

Journalism has traditionally been a professional program that trains students in the professional standards required of a journalist at an entry-level position in the news media industries. Our program thus prepares students who, upon graduation, will be able to demonstrate:

• Strong news judgment and ethical news gathering and reporting.
• Knowledge of news media industries.
• An understanding of news media history and journalistic practices.
• The ability to report and write according to the standards of the news profession.
• The ability to record and edit audio-video content for online publication.
• The ability to report on digital media platforms.
• An understanding of media theory.
• Innovative thinking in the application of critical and analytical skills in news production.

In Legal Studies, you’ll develop the critical and analytical thinking, writing and reasoning skills necessary to examine all perspectives on issues. Our students study topics like ethics, conflict resolution and social justice to understand the profound effect of the law on people’s everyday experiences. Combined with a required second major and advising from attorney faculty members, you’ll be prepared for law school or a legal career such as a mediator, court reporter or claims examiner.

Political Science examines the institutions that govern our societies and the policy decisions that affect every part of our lives. At RWU, you’ll sharpen your thinking, writing and debate skills in classes such as American politics, international relations, comparative politics, political theory and public administration. Combined with real-world internship experience -- locally and in Washington, D.C. -- you’ll be prepared for a career in law, business, public policy or education.

At RWU, you’ll learn both what motivates consumers and how to influence them. Our degree in Marketing will lead you to careers in advertising, brand management, market research, digital marketing, and more.Our curriculum emphasizes creative thinking, collaboration, and hands on experiences while exploring topics like brand strategy, communication, consumer behavior, and strategy development. With tracks in communication or analysis, and internships built into the curriculum, RWU will prepare you for the dynamic field of marketing in our global economy. You'll be ready to hit the ground running in your first job — whether at a large corporation, a startup enterprise or a local non-profit.

The Marketing major is designed to prepare students for careers in a variety of areas, including:

• Advertising and Public Relations
• Digital/Social Media Marketing
• Marketing Research
• Brand/Product Management
• Retail and Fashion Merchandising
• Sales and Sales Management
• Non-Profit Marketing
• Sports Marketing

The Intelligent and Autonomous Systems Specialization is only for students majoring in Computer Science (BS). This specialization is well suited to those Computer Science majors who want to focus on the increased role computer systems have in making decisions and behaving autonomously.

Our Finance degree provides you with the analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed for careers across the financial services industry. At RWU, you’ll make actual investment decisions by managing real-money portfolios in our high-tech trading room environment. You will learn all the business and finance fundamentals required for employment at corporations, banks, investment firms, insurance companies and government agencies.

Real-World Finance Training

Students analyze stock trading data in Center for Advanced Financial Education.Students majoring in Finance have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on training that prepares them to work as a financial analyst on Wall Street and other major financial centers across the globe.

As a Management major, you’ll learn how to lead organizations through complex decisions such as budgeting, negotiating, planning and directing. Because these decisions have broad impacts throughout an organization, RWU’s curriculum encourages you to think about dynamics like diversity, ethics and politics in the workplace. Combined with hands-on internship experience, you’ll gain the management skills for a successful career in human resources, purchasing, administrative services, health services, or your own entrepreneurial venture.

Security in the 21st century transcends law enforcement and government service to encompass many disciplines -- and many avenues to career success. As a Security Assurance Studies major, you’ll learn how to become a security professional who makes sound decisions in the face of dynamic local, national and global issues. This broad interdisciplinary program allows you to specialize in the area of security that interests you most, whether that’s modern languages or computer science.

When you study Economics, you’ll learn the essential economic theories, systems and models that build critical and analytical thinking skills you can apply to any field -- including business, government, law, healthcare and social and community service. At RWU, you can pursue either a B.A. (liberal arts track) or a B.S. (business track), which both offer opportunities for student-faculty research and publishing that can pave the way to graduate studies.