An analysis of the university curricula of Spanish “dircoms” from a public relations approach

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Public Relations Review

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/pubrev

An analysis of the university curricula of Spanish “dircoms” from a

public relations approach

Kathy Matillaa

, Joan Cuenca-Fontbonab

, Marc Compte-Pujolc,⁎

a Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, Pza. Joan Coromines, s/n. 08001 Barcelona, Spain

b Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, Pza. Joan Coromines, s/n. 08001 Barcelona, Spain

c Faculty of Business and Communication, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia, C/Sagrada Familia, 7, 08500 Vic Barcelona, Spain

ARTICLE INFO

Keywords:

Degree

Communication director (dircom)

Professionalism

Spain

ABSTRACT

This study aims to determine whether university qualifications are prevalent among Spanish

communications professionals and whether they is to a degree level, certificate of advanced study

(“diplomatura”) level, or even to the third level (PhD and/or the Diploma of Advanced Studies￾DEA). Additionally, this study seeks to ascertain if the different types of college studies taken are

linked to communication and, specifically, to public relations. Members of the Association of

Communication Directors-Dircom were chosen as the sample, whose curricula appeared in its

2015 directory. Results indicate that the subjects of the sample were mostly academic, and that

previous communication training they received was prevalent in the four training variables

analyzed. Consistent with the international literature reviewed in this study, it is however noted

that most subjects held degrees in Journalism (21.56%), ranking well above those who studied

Public Relations (6.67%), which could be the reason that knowledge and skills acquired by

Spanish professionals are still insufficient for the proper practice of the position, thus

perpetuating the press-agent model, without allowing an evolution to more mature levels of

praxis, with more managerial and strategic orientations. The quality of previous university

training received by Spanish practitioners is particularly relevant at the moment, since higher

education within the EHEA, conceived as a satisfier of labor-market needs, has not yet

materialized, and because the Dircom association has recently joined the project of international

professional accreditation promoted by the GA-Global Alliance.

1. Introduction

In May 2015, Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner Responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of the European Commission/

EACEA-Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, recognized that the Bologna Process had reached a crucial point.

Indeed: “Over the last three years, 47 countries, more than 4000 higher education institutions and numerous stakeholder

organizations have continued to adapt their higher education systems, making them more compatible, modernizing degree

structures and strengthening their quality assurance mechanisms”. However, despite the great efforts deployed in recent decades in

Europe, the commissioner found that “In many countries, students and graduates still face obstacles in having their studies abroad

recognized for work or further study. Graduates too often discover that they do not have the skills and competences they need for

their future careers” (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2015: 3).

This last point is particularly important if one considers that in the context of the Bologna Process (www.webcitation.org/

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.04.003

Received 18 September 2016; Received in revised form 21 March 2017; Accepted 9 April 2017

⁎ Corresponding author.

E-mail addresses: kathyms@blanquerna.url.edu (K. Matilla), joancf@blanquerna.url.edu (J. Cuenca-Fontbona), marc.compte@uvic.cat (M. Compte-Pujol).

Public Relations Review xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx

0363-8111/ © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article as: Matilla, K., Public Relations Review (2017), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.04.003