“The Status of Integrative Learning in PR Education”

Journal of Public Relations Education (JPRE)

Special Issue Call for Papers

Manuscript Due Date: December 15, 2026

Anticipated Publication: December 2027

Guest Editors: 

 Jeffrey Ranta, Coastal Carolina University

Debbie Davis, Texas Tech University

Kim Marks Malone, University of Memphis

Integrative learning is increasingly important in public relations education as programs seek to connect classroom learning with professional practice, ethical decision-making, reflection, and career readiness. In both undergraduate and graduate programs, integrative learning helps students combine theory and practice through courses, community partnerships, and workplace-facing opportunities.

This special issue of the Journal of Public Relations Education invites scholarship (research articles, GIFTS/teaching briefs, and case studies) that examines the status of integrative learning in PR education, with attention to how educators design, implement, assess, and critically evaluate these experiences across diverse institutional and instructional contexts.

The purpose of this special issue call is to invite research articles, GIFTS/teaching briefs, and case studies that explore BOTH the challenges and opportunities for public relations pedagogy, focusing on high-impact practices involving integrative and experiential learning opportunities in the undergraduate and graduate levels of education that stress applied professional training taught alongside traditional education practices in the classroom. Submissions that offer practical knowledge and guidance for hands-on applied learning in non-traditional classroom arrangements are of special interest in this edition. We invite original submissions, and areas of focus could include, but are not limited to:

1. Witness/experience results-based outcomes
2. Benefits of acquiring  professional self-efficacy
3. Exposure to professional metrics, analytics, and assessments
4. Values of cultural immersion to obtain student acclimation to a working culture
5. Advantages of seeing the impact of applied research in an integrative space
6. Ability to encourage self-reflection and improve performance in lower-stakes engagements
7. Intercultural competence and community engagement

 Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following modalities and contexts:

1. Internships
2. Fellowships
3. Student agencies
4. Design Labs
5. Social media listening and monitoring labs
6. National contests
7. Community/civic outreach and engagement collaborations
   

Opportunities for collaborations with organizations and outcomes from these studies may include examples of community and/or civic engagement like:

1. Partnerships with nonprofit organizations, community agencies, and civic groups that provide opportunities for student engagement, service-learning, community-based research, and workforce development initiatives
2. Businesses and organizations that need/want student help with a goal toward employing students
3. Service to a home university or one of its affiliates in 
   • Administration
   • Other student orgs
   • Marketing
4. Service to professional organizations
   • National
   • Regional 
   • Local
5. Service to key external stakeholders or audiences surrounding particular issues of interest 
6. Professional education opportunities
   • Certificates
   • Advanced degrees
   • Advanced capabilities

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions should follow the Author Guidelines on the JPRE website. Authors should include the special call name (Integrative Learning in PR Education) in parentheses after their manuscript title to indicate the submission is for this particular special call. Authors should submit their manuscript through Scholastica, the online submission system for JPRE. All submissions will be reviewed anonymously, in accordance with JPRE guidelines. Authors must use APA 7 style for citations, references, tables, figures, and captions, plus follow the JPRE Style guide. All identifying information must be deleted before full paper submissions, or it will be submitted to a desk reject.

Timeline with Key Dates:

• Deadline for full manuscript submission to JPRE’s Scholastica submission portal: https://jpre.scholasticahq.com/ – 12/15/2026
• Notification of review results, including invitations for revision and resubmission (R&R): March 2027
• Deadline for R&R submission: 07/31/2027
• Scheduled Publication: December 2027

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jeffrey Ranta at Coastal Carolina University at jranta@coastal.edu for additional information.