WKU News

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (08/09/2019) – Western Kentucky University’s public relations major in the Department of Communication has earned renewal of its international Certification in Education for Public Relations (CEPR) by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

The award will be presented in October at the 2019 PRSA International Conference in San Diego.

“WKU is a leader in public relations education,” said Dr. Helen Sterk, head of the Department of Communication. “The curriculum, professors, and courses reflect knowledge of ongoing developments in the public relations industry. Our ethics course is one of the very few in the country, adding to the program’s distinction.”

According to the Public Relations Student Society of America's (PRSSA), 40 public relations programs in the world, 35 in the United States including one other in Kentucky, carry the distinction of CEPR (http://prssa.prsa.org/chapter-firm-resources/start-a-prssa-chapter/pr-program-certification/). 

Previously earned by the WKU public relations major in 2004 and 2011, the program was evaluated on eight standards: PR curriculum, faculty, resources, students, assessment, professional affiliations, relationship with university, and diversity and global perspectives.

PRSA, through its Educational Affairs Committee, conducted the certification review process. An on-site review team of two accredited PRSA members -- a full-time educator and a practicing professional -- spent two days interviewing faculty and students, visiting classes, and touring campus facilities.

For more information on WKU’s CEPR distinction, contact Dr. Helen Sterk at (270) 745-3296.

The WKU public relations major is one of four majors in the Department of Communication. The public relations major prepares students for a variety of careers in agencies, corporations, and nonprofit and governmental organizations. For more information on the public relations major, contact the Communication office at (270) 745-3296 or https://www.wku.edu/communication/.

About CEPR

         Certification in Education for Public Relations (CEPR) is a voluntary program of quality-assurance endorsement for studies in public relations at colleges and universities worldwide.  Established by PRSA in 1989, CEPR is a program with standards based on recommendations of the Commission on Public Relations Education (http://www.commpred.org).  For more information on CEPR, details are available at http://prssa.prsa.org/chapter-firm-resources/start-a-prssa-chapter/pr-program-certification/.