국내 홍보학 커리큘럼 현황: Communication Continuum Theory of Public Relations 중심으로

Abstract

Public relations undergraduate programs in Korea experienced much growth during the past 30 years. Quickly advancing technology and communication channels call for examination of current status in PR education and discussion on future direction of the pedagogy. Based on the Communication Continuum Theory of Public Relations, the current study conducted content analysis of 33 programs to explore how 5 principles in public relations education are being implemented in undergraduate programs in Korea. Findings yielded the following results: need of more emphasis on ethics; on the right track in preparing students for the present and future; all programs teaching other academic disciplines; limited PR theory and applied courses compared to advertising and media/journalism/broadcasting courses; and PR program positioned far away from business/management schools. Discussion on current status of PR studies and theoretical implications in case of Korea are discussed, followed by limitations and direction for future studies.