One of the most beloved instructors in my major Kelli Matthews wrote a blog post titled “What if You Don’t Have a PR Degree?” designed to give people in this situation advice on how to enter the field. I’m in the opposite situation, majoring in public relations but not working in it afterward.

At the age of 18, I decided on public relations as the particular skillset that I could bring to the arts world. In my public relations classes, I learned how to write much better than most adult Americans, even college graduates. I learned how to put together a killer PowerPoint and present it. I learned how to work in groups from the planning to executing of projects. I learned how to cold email and call people. I learned how to research efficiently and comprehensively. I learned how to network. I didn’t learn all this because I was an exceptional student; these were simply graduation requirements for everyone in the public relations sequence.

Many recent graduates complain that their classwork in college has nothing to do with their current jobs. However, I use the skills mentioned above at work at H!TANG & China Creative Connections nearly every day. Additionally, my degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations has gained me on-the-job respect for my writing and grammar in a field where employees come from a variety of educational backgrounds, at both my current position and at the art gallery.

Arts and administration classes at the University of Oregon can also supplement public relations coursework. This department offers a certificate in Meeting and Event Management and a class called Marketing the Arts. Marketing the Arts was one of my favorite courses of college, and I used coursework in Meeting and Event Management to help me plan the 2008 University of Oregon PRSSA Regional Activity.

It’s pretty easy, even in a small market, to find internships and student leadership positions where art and public relations intersect. For me, these were:
Marketing and Public Relations Intern at Hult Center for the Performing Arts
Publicity Committee Head for UO International Student Association‘s International Week and Night
Marketing and Public Relations Intern at Seattle Theatre Group

Other UO PR students and grads who are combining arts and PR:
Caitlin Sinkey: Gala Coordinator at Ballet Fantastique
Emily Tormey: Development/Events Associate at Broadway Rose Theatre Company

American expatriates in Beijing’s arts who did not major in PR but use it in their jobs:
Sarabeth Berman at LDTX
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