Majors and Minors Home
About the Major
In advertising and public relations, South students gain experience in strategic communications and creative practices. They learn research, planning and writing and how to execute a campaign. They understand that effective communication is necessary in all industries to build relationships and share information with diverse audiences.
Jobs in Advertising and Public Relations
- Communication specialist
- Public information officer
- Account executive
- Brand manager
- Digital strategist
Related Programs
Greek Leader Finds Niche in Public Relations
A Treadwell Foundation scholarship brought K.D. Floyd to the University of South Alabama, where he walked on the football team, became president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and used his public speaking skills to find a place in advertising and public relations.
During his senior year, everything came together during a communications internship with Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
“It was the best possible experience I could have had,” Floyd said. “I got to see how an entire communications department worked, how all of these people interacted. It made me feel like I needed to know all of these things.”
At South, the Birmingham native joined the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. One of his goals is being a role model for young Black men in higher education.
“Know your material and speak from the heart. Always speak from the heart.”
He kept busy in the Department of Communication, too. At the student radio station, 97.1 FM, The Prowl, he hosted a talk show called “The College Experience with K.D. Floyd.” For women’s home basketball games, he worked the crowd as an emcee and sideline personality.
At Ingalls Shipbuilding, his summer internship turned into six months of work, which included a series of employee videos.
“I did the interviews, shot the interviews and B-roll, edited it all on Adobe Premier Pro, submitted it, and then did tweaks and closed captioning,” he said. “I had to learn how to take criticism, but it was all for the better for it.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Floyd decided to return to South as a graduate student in communication. He became a teaching assistant for some of the same public speaking courses he took as an undergraduate.
“I tell them, ‘Know your material and speak from the heart,’” he said. “Always speak from the heart.”
Did You Know?
- Campus organizations offer students a chance to get involved and gain experience working with different clients and stakeholders. These programs include Jag Media, the American Advertising Federation and the Public Relationships Student Society of America.
- Internship opportunities for students at South have included major employers such as Airbus, Baldwin EMC and Ingalls Shipbuilding, along with the BerlinRosen marketing agency, Distinguished Young Women and the Lending Tree Bowl.
- Advertising and public relations graduates from South have gone on to work for organizations including PUMA, Google and the U.S. Navy.
Contact:
Dr. Robert Coleman
Chair, Professor
Department of Communication
(251) 380-2800
Curriculum and Degree Requirements