BYU PR program dubbed top five by PR Week

By Harper Anderson

BYU has joined a new conference. This conference won’t be the Pac-10 or the Big 12. BYU is joining the likes of NYU and Georgetown in the conference of one of the top five public relations programs in the country.

The BYU PR program joined NYU, Howard University, Georgetown and Alabama as finalists in the PR Week PR Education Program of the Year Award.

“This recognition affirms something we already suspected, which is that we have a very good PR program,” said Brad Rawlins, chair of BYU’s Department of Communications. “It’s nice to have a third party verification of the quality of the program.”

A lot of the students have felt the benefits of being a part of a great program already. “I know that I have gotten the internships and the opportunities that I have because people know that BYU’s program is outstanding,” said student Lauren Lytle. “It makes me feel good knowing that I am in one of the top five PR programs in the country.”

“We have a faculty that is well-known in their respective areas, both nationwide and internationally,” said PR professor Laurie Wilson, former department chair. “In addition, we get some of the best students in the nation and our graduates are placed all over the world.”

Although it may not have been the change of venue that most people were expecting for BYU this summer, it is a change that will reflect on the university for years to come making it a reliable program for a lot more incoming students in the future.