About Joining PRSSA

The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is the leading pre-professional public relations society in the country. As a member, you have access to a wide range of benefits that will enhance your knowledge of the public relations profession and provide you with resources to increase your marketability. To join, attend our next PRSSA meeting, fill out the the member information form, and pay your member dues.

Once a member, you will have opportunities to travel and attend national events; network with professionals and colleagues; obtain access to internships and jobs around the world; and gain leadership experience and training on local, regional and national levels.

Learn More:

Why Join?

QuoteThere are countless advantages to a PRSSA membership. Highlights include access to a national internship/entry-level position database called JobCenter, the opportunity to apply for more than $20,000 in scholarships and awards and the chance to write for national publications like FORUM and Connecting with PRSSA.

Another benefit of PRSSA is the leadership opportunities offered to members on both local and national levels.

One of the biggest advantages to PRSSA is the network you can create. By attending events like our National Conference, Regional Activities and National Assembly, members can meet peers and professionals from across the country and in some cases across the globe.

If you are interested in leadership, PRSSA holds elections for paid dues members each spring; the national leaders are elected during National Assembly. Additionally, there are scholarship competitions that students can participate in.

Our members need to be aware of what challenges currently face the industry before they get into the professional world. Students need to know about diversity of thought, so they are open to people with a wide range of ideas and backgrounds. By promoting advocacy and diversity to students, they will leave college and PRSSA with a solid foundation of what lies ahead and will be prepared to handle obstacles in a diverse workforce. QUOTE

~ Scott Iwata, National President 2005-2006.

UT Member Benefits

  1. Learn the research skills and computer applications that you need to succeed in the PR world.
  2. Attend workshops and panels to build, maintain and target your resume and portfolio for internships and jobs.
  3. Use PRSSA as a resource for finding the perfect internship or job for you.
  4. Get first-hand advice from PR practitioners as they share their experience on a variety of PR-related topics.
  5. Run for the Executive Board
  6. Reduced joining membership dues of the PRSA Volunteer Chapter upon graduation

National Member Benefits

  1. Scholarships and Competitions: PRSSA awards nearly $20,000 to members in scholarships and award competitions each year.
  2. JobCenter: Visit PRSSA’s online database of internship and job contacts, available exclusively to dues-paying members. The site has everything you need to find the internship or job you’re looking for: job hotlines, directories, professional contact information and even an online career manual. Contact PRSSA@utk.edu for the username and password.
  3. National Conference: Members from across the country convene annually for the PRSSA National Conference. The conference offers professional development sessions, socials, resume critiques, networking opportunities and more! Get more info on this year’s conference is in San Diego, California on the conferences page.
  4. FORUM: FORUM is PRSSA’s national newspaper, which is mailed to chapter faculty advisors in September, January and April. FORUM contains society and industry news, tips for writing, job hunting and other relevant topics. Any member can submit pieces to this publication – A must addition to your portfolio!
  5. Regional Activities: Chapters in each section of the country offer mini-conferences each spring. They provide day-long seminars on different facets of PR, as well as chances to network with professionals and peers.

Member Dues

Anyone is welcome to join us for our PRSSA meetings and events. However, to become an official member you must pay $65 yearly dues. To do so, simply fill out the member information form and return it to the PRSSA mailbox in the School of Advertising and Public Relations Office (476 Communications Building) during normal office hours. Member Dues must be turned in by October 13, 2009. If you have any questions, please email prssa@utk.edu.