Double Major

Declare the COMM Major and PR Major (Main Campus only)

To declare a double major in Communication and Public Relations, each declaration must be submitted separately. Visit comm.arizona.edu/major to declare the Communication major and comm.arizona.edu to declare the Public Relations major. 

Please note that the double major is only offered for Main campus students. Questions should be directed to program advisors. For more information, please visit the advising page.

New majors are declared every Friday at the start of the business day. For more information, please visit the advising page.

Eligibility

• Continuing students must have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 and no pending incomplete grades.
• No prerequisite courses are required to declare the majors.

Program Overview

Humans structure their environment and determine the nature of their relationships with others through communication. This major centers on the scientific study of communication, its processes and effects. 

The B.A. in Communication provides you with skills that are useful for a variety of careers. You will learn how to speak and write effectively, conduct research to better understand the world around you, become critical a consumer of information, and apply critical thinking skills to real world challenges.

Public relations focuses on the strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. This major centers on strategic planning, social media, media relations, crisis communications, event planning, campaign management, and public relations writing while emphasizing the importance of ethics, critical thinking, and research. 

The B.A. in Public Relations provides you with transferable skills that prepare you to work in public and private sectors, including PR agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, health care, legal institutions, educational settings, and more.  

You will have the opportunity to take courses in

• interpersonal communication
• social influence and persuasion
• social effects of media
• new information technologies
• research methods
• sports and entertainment
• campaigns 
• strategic writing 

Because communication is the most basic social behavior and the means by which individuals function in society, its study is relevant to many academic and career interests. Double majoring allows for the varied interests existing in the communication discipline while also providing specific skills and training in public relations. 

Important Information

Declaring the double major does not guarantee registration in Communication and/or Public Relations courses. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis during priority registration and during open enrollment. 

Additionally, courses are subject to prerequisite requirements during all terms, including summer and winter. 

The Communication Department is not responsible for any fees associated with your current program of study. If you need to change your major immediately, please email a Communication advisor and request that your major be changed to “No Major Selected in Social and Behavioral Sciences” while you are in the process of changing your major to “Public Relations" and "Communication."