Double Dawgs Programs for PR Majors

By Molly Gilarde 

Double Dawgs programs allow UGA students to earn both their undergraduate and graduate degrees within five years.

One way to improve job opportunities and gain more knowledge in a specific field is to pursue a master’s degree after graduation. Generally, this takes two years after earning an undergraduate degree to complete; however, it doesn’t always have to take that long. With UGA’s Double Dawgs program, students can earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in certain fields within five years. Currently UGA offers three Double Dawgs pathways for public relations majors. 

Integrated ADPR – Public Relations AB/Journalism and Mass Communication MA

This pathway allows students to earn a MA in journalism and mass communication with a focus on integrated ADPR. This master’s concentration is only available to students who graduated from UGA with a degree in advertising or public relations, so this Double Dawgs pathway is a unique opportunity. Courses in this program focus on PR and advertising campaigns, research and management. 

This program is great for PR majors who want to gain a little more knowledge and practice before going out into the workforce. It is also helpful for students who want to gain more experience in the field of advertising, as the master’s program integrates both advertising and public relations into its coursework. In fact, one of the courses that students in this program must take is Advertising Foundations (JRMC 7960), allowing them to learn more about advertising, which while related to PR, has many important differences. This is a more general degree than the other two Double Dawgs pathways, which appeals to students who know that they want to work in PR but are not sure of which realm they want to be in. 

A few required courses:

  • Advertising Foundations (JRMC 7960)
  • Advertising and Communication Management (JRMC 8100)
  • ADPR Theory (JRMC 8151)
  • Digital and Social Communication Strategies (ADPR 7760)
  • Social Media Analytics, Listening and Engagement (ADPR 7750)

Emerging Media – Public Relations AB/Journalism and Mass Communication MA

This pathway allows Grady students to continue their studies in mass communication with a focus on new and emerging forms of media. Similar to the undergraduate new media certificate, the MA with a concentration in emerging media focuses on interactive digital media, web and app development, user experience design, digital storytelling and many other aspects of emerging forms of media. It is less focused on traditional PR and advertising and more focused on how technology and design interact. 

In this pathway, students work in teams on a capstone project in interactive and digital media. This project could be an app or other digital product, or could also be a campaign for a specific client that involves digital deliverables, such as a website and social media campaign. This capstone allows students to get real-world experience working with emerging media. 

A few required courses:

  • Emerging Media Strategy (JRMC 7013)
  • Emerging Media Workshop (JRMC 7014)
  • Advanced New Media Production (NMIX 7110)
  • Digital Media Storytelling (JRMC 7012)
  • Media Interaction Design and Usability (JRMC 8016)

Non-thesis – Public Relations AB/Public Administration MPA

This pathway is different from the other two because it is designed to complement, rather than continue, the studies that a Grady PR student would complete in their undergraduate years. The master’s degree in this pathway is not housed in Grady, but rather in the School of Public and International Affairs – better known as SPIA. Because of this, courses in this program do not focus on PR specifically, but on the field of public administration and policy. Similar to the undergraduate public affairs communications certificate, this program allows students to learn from both colleges, letting them develop more skills and knowledge in this specific area to pursue PR in policy, politics or public affairs. Students who want to work in public relations for a government organization or nonprofit could benefit from this pathway. 

Double Dawgs programs are certainly not the only option for earning a master’s degree, but they can be a useful way to save time and money for students who are interested in any of these three pathways. If you are a Grady PR student looking to go to grad school, one of these programs could be for you!