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Director of corporate relations education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of corporate relations. Directors of corporate relations usually study business, communication, or political science. 73% of directors of corporate relations hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 989 real director of corporate relations resumes to see exactly what director of corporate relations education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of corporate relations are the Boston University and the Boston University.

There are also many online director of corporate relations courses to help get the education required to be a director of corporate relations.

There are certain director of corporate relations certifications that you should consider. These director of corporate relations certifications include Accreditation in Public Relations (PR) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

What education do you need to become a director of corporate relations?

What degree do you need to be a director of corporate relations?

The most common degree for directors of corporate relations is bachelor's degree, with 73% of directors of corporate relations earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of corporate relations?

You should major in business to become a director of corporate relations. 18% of directors of corporate relations major in business. Other common majors for a director of corporate relations include communication and political science.

Most common colleges for directors of corporate relations

Directors of corporate relations often get their degrees at Boston University, George Mason University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for directors of corporate relations in the US based on their resumes.
Director of corporate relations common collegePercentages
Boston University7.64%
George Mason University6.25%
University of Florida6.25%
Syracuse University5.56%
University of Pennsylvania5.56%

Best majors for directors of corporate relations

RankMajorPercentages
1Business18.3%
2Communication12.1%
3Political Science9.6%
4English8.2%
5Marketing7.8%

Best colleges for directors of corporate relations

The best colleges for directors of corporate relations are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A director of corporate relations with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of corporate relations. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become directors of corporate relations.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for directors of corporate relations

Advertising disclosure

1. Taxation of Business Entities I: Corporations

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This course provides an introduction to the U.S. federal income taxation of corporations and their shareholders. The course focuses on the relevant provisions of Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as related Treasury Regulations and judicial opinions, governing corporate formation, operations, distributions, and liquidation. Practical in-class study problems facilitate self-discovery of technical tax knowledge along with the development of a variety of professional skills and...

2. Corporate Entrepreneurship: Innovating within Corporations

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For an increasing number of established companies, creating new business opportunities within the company is an imperative for success. Maturing technologies and aging product portfolios are requiring companies to create, develop, and sustain innovative new businesses. The Corporate Entrepreneurship Specialization is designed for those interested in learning how to innovate and apply entrepreneurship principles in the corporate setting.\n\nLearners will develop knowledge on how to navigate the...

3. The Corporate Finance Course

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4.6
(1,522)

Corporate Governance, Capital Budgeting, Cost of Capital, Leverage, Working Capital: Complete Corporate Finance Training...

4. Corporate Finance #1 Introduction & Financial Statements

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4.3
(510)

Navigating the Intersection of Finance, Accounting, and Economics for Effective Corporate Decision-Making...

5. Corporate Finance Essentials II

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This course picks up where Corporate Finance Essentials left, addressing other corporate finance issues not addressed in the previous course, such as market efficiency, bonds, stocks, capital structure, and dividend policy. This course will help you to: ● Understanding the concept of market efficiency. ● Get an overview in issues related to bonds, such as type of bonds, their return (yield to maturity) and default risk ● Getting to know the valuation of stocks through the method of relative...

6. Corporate Strategy

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Corporate strategy is the strategy a firm uses to compete across multiple businesses. Many small firms want to grow by entering new businesses. Many large firms already are in multiple businesses, e.g. a photo camera producer selling also sunglasses. We developed this course to help you make good corporate strategy decisions. Of the many decisions a firm has to make, corporate strategy decisions are among the most consequential. We will look at these key corporate strategy decisions: -...

7. Financial Modeling for Corporates

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4.7
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Learn Financial Modeling for corporate strategy, banking, FP & A, equity analysis & get a world class financial model...

8. Corporate Finance #2 Financial Ratios

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4.5
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Gain Financial Insights and Make Informed Decisions with Ratio Analysis in Corporate Finance...

9. Accounting for Corporations - Financial Accounting

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Demystifying Corporate Accounting: An In-depth Exploration of Financial Transactions in Corporations...

10. Lean Enterprise: Corporate Innovation Certification

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4.2
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New Best Practices for Corporate Innovation...

11. Corporate Finance: Financial Analysis and Decision-Making

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4.3
(839)

Unlocking Financial Insights for Informed Decision-Making and Valuation Strategies: An In-Depth Course...

12. Corporate and Business Law

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4.3
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The need to know course for everything relating to Corporate and Business Law...

13. Corporate ESG and Sustainability - 101 Level Masterclass

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4.5
(2,864)

Building a Best-in-Class ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Program (cf. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR))...

14. How to Throw Events and Attract Corporate Sponsors

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4.8
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48 Industry Secrets that Make You More Money and Get More People to Your Events...

15. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding

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4.3
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Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...

16. S Corporation Income Tax - Form 1120S

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Learn to enter tax data for an S Corporation into Form 1120S from a CPA...

17. The Complete Guide to Corporate Governance

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4.5
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Governance: Understand the workings of a properly run and sustainable business...

18. Relationship Management in Corporate Banking

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4.6
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How to acquire and manage successful Corporate Client Relationships in Corporate Banking...

19. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications

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Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...

20. MBA ASAP Corporate Finance Fundamentals for Career Success

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Concepts & Tools of Financial Analysis, Valuation, Investing, Money Management, and Decision Making. DCF,NPV, IRR & more...

Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of corporate relations

The most affordable schools for directors of corporate relations are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for directors of corporate relations are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for directors of corporate relations.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of corporate relations

The hardest universities for directors of corporate relations to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for directors of corporate relations are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for directors of corporate relations based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of corporate relations

The easiest schools for directors of corporate relations to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of corporate relations without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for directors of corporate relations.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average director of corporate relations salary by education level

According to our data, directors of corporate relations with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $121,178 annually. Directors of corporate relations with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $106,466.
Director of corporate relations education levelDirector of corporate relations salary
Master's Degree$121,178
Bachelor's Degree$106,466

Director of corporate relations education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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