To answer the question in one word, yes, there is definitely a difference between the field of advertising and public relations.

PR vs. Adversting

Public relations and advertising careers while very similar in approach, do have some key essential differences.

• A PR professional is hired to get free publicity for the company. Public relations does not include paying for publicity. When a company pays money for its publicity and buys useful advertising space, its is known as advertising.

• Since a company pays for its advertising space, it has complete control over the content it produces. However, a public relations officer does not buy any advertising space and is in charge of getting free promotional opportunities for their client. As a result, a PR officer has no control over the content that is ultimately produced.

• The degree of control enjoyed by an advertising professional also extends to the shelf lie of the promotions. A company need only design an ad once and it can be used multiple times, as long as it suits a client’s budget. However, PR officers do not have this control and they definitely cannot recycle media releases and other promotional opportunities.

• When consumers see an advertisement, they are fully aware they are watching/ listening or reading an advertisement of the company’s product or services. Public relations on the other hand works in a more covert fashion. Therefore, a media release an easily appear as a news article and consumers might believe they are reading an article, when they are actually reading an improvised press release.

• Advertising involves a larger amount of creativity, especially when it comes to strategizing and designing advertising campaigns for a client. Public relations on the other hand is less creative and concentrates more on finding opportunities to generate news about the client.
• Advertising campaigns are designed to suit their target audience. Public relations professionals on the other hand work hard to hook editors in to convince them that their client has a potentially newsworthy story to tell.
• Advertising professionals are in charge of organizing sponsoships etc. When a client sponsors an event, public relations officer step in to give the client the proverbial pat on the back. by announcing the sponsorship via a media release.

There are several such differences between the world of advertising and public relations so if you are considering pursuing a course in either of these two fields, now you know which one to choose.

On a more practical scale, we could say that online education has given importance to Mathematics in the form of online degrees dedicated to the subject. Aside from being a topic that could quickly capitalize on the distance learning framework, it’s also one of the  best online degrees for recession-friendly careers too, because if you think about it, expertise in Mathematics will always be a marketable skill.

We’ve already discussed the hottest psychology degrees you could take online and have given you a list of the top 5 online engineering degrees, so without further ado, here are the top 4 interesting online degrees in Mathematics that could interest the logically-minded online student:

Math Major #1: Operations Research

Operations research deal with the design and implementation of methods that make any kind of business, industrial, or production problem effective and efficient. Taken simply, it’s a computational field that’s at the helm of any kind of efficiency challenge: workforce processes, project management, supply-chain management, queuing models, etc. For example, a simple problem in operations research could include making grocery line efficient so that more customers could finish their purchases in an hour. Students taking online degrees in operations research will be schooled in statistics, game theory, decision theory, probably theory, simulation and modeling, and business analysis. As one could see, if you’re the type to really get it on with challenges involving efficiency, an online degree in operations research might be a good choice.

Math Major #2: Statistics and Applied Statistics

We make sense of the real world by gathering data and analyzing it for meaningful patterns and occurrences. Statistics is our primary tool for this kind of investigation because in a way, it’s the direct link between theory and empirical evidence – the world seen through numbers. The study of statistics is also about presenting this information and translating it for practical use so it’s a field that also permeates economics, psychology, demographics, and the social sciences. Online degrees in statistics prepare students for work in research-oriented fields and are schooled in statistical theories, research designs, tests of significance, error-handling, statistical qualifications, and surveys. Subfields include quantitative psychology, epidemiology (i.e. the study of the spread of diseases), econometrics, data mining (i.e. Internet), and business statistics. If these topics  interest you a lot, then you’re on for an online degree in statistics.

Math Major #3: Actuarial Science

Ever wonder how insurance companies determine premiums and coverage, and how credit cards ascertain their interest rates? Actuarial science is the culprit, and it’s the mathematical field that deals mostly in any kind of financial risk. As you may have observed, the study of actuarial science is a combination of probability, statistics, economy, and business – a monetary-oriented, taken simply. Online degrees in actuarial science prepare students in this line of work, equipping them with knowledge in financial economics, asset allocation, financial risk, business practices, and actuarial models. Given the nature of their work, actuarians are paid very well, and hold stable careers.

Math Major #4: Mathematics Education

Those who have a combination of excellent mathematical skill and teaching competence would be very well at home taking an online degree in Mathematics education.Mostly a graduate-level course, students should first finish a major in a mathematics-intensive undergrad (e.g. engineering, statistics, operations research) before enrolling in an online degree in Mathematics. An online degree in Mathematics education prepares students in the knowledge and skills required for the design and implementation of mathematical curricula, teaching strategies, curriculum modification, tests & measurements and action research.