Keeping Up With Fast-Paced Industry Changes—Digital Media Education in U.S. Advertising and PR Programs

Abstract

The continuing technological development of the advertising and public relations (PR) industry and increasing transfer of marketing expenditures from traditional channels to emerging digital media have placed a heavy burden on advertising and PR education. While it is not clear how educators are responding to the digital challenge, this study provides a complete picture of advertising and PR digital media education in the United States. Through a content analysis of curricula from 99 universities with advertising and PR programs, we found that nearly one-quarter (23.5%; n = 1,128) of advertising and PR major courses taught digital media and that digital media education placed greater emphasis on skills courses. Furthermore, the advertising and PR discipline was still based on mass communication, journalism, and marketing rather than computer-related fields. It is hoped that this article will shed some light on the digitalization of future advertising and PR education.