A PR Student’s Experience on the First PR in the UK Trip
PR Major, Zoe Schantz, shares learning experience from inaugural PR in the UK Education Away
By: Kennedi Mamo
Michigan State University features a robust education abroad program, with many different types of programs offered for any major or minor. In summer 2023, the Department of Advertising and Public Relations’ inaugural “PR in the UK” cohort of PR majors and minors traveled to London. The five-week, faculty-led trip was based in London, the PR capitol of Europe, but also featured side trips on weekends.
PR Major, Zoe Schantz, was one student who traveled in the program’s first trip.
“I’ve always wanted to study abroad, and I felt that it would be a really interesting experience to do something in the United Kingdom because it is a place I have always wanted to go,” said Schantz.
From the coursework, Schantz was able to receive eight academic credits. The trip includes three classes regularly taught at MSU, all taught by MSU professors.
“Having it be faculty-led made you feel more confident in your learning. In the way that you know that they teach at MSU, and you know that you are being taught the right content,” said Schantz.
A key component of this trip abroad is to make international connections, which were made through meeting with London PR agencies. The group met with Manning Gottlieb OMD, BBC Creative, Haygarth and Historic Royal Palaces. They also met and worked with RAPP London on an assignment.
Students were tasked with creating a campaign to introduce KFC’s new secret ingredient. The campaigns were presented to an executive chairman of RAPP and other PR professionals.
The PR in the UK trip also featured a side trip to Cardiff, Wales, with the entire student and faculty cohort. They also went on a bus tour of Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath, England. Beyond that, Schantz was able to go to Rome, Dublin and even a Harry Styles concert in her free time.
The PR in the UK trip gives students a once-in-a-lifetime experience for learning and exploring.
“It was a really awesome experience in general. I learned a lot and it made me really love PR more than I already did,” said Schantz.
The Department of Advertising and Public Relations offers other education abroad programs in addition to the new PR in the UK trip. Students can learn more online at https://educationabroad.isp.msu.edu/.