PR degrees and what the industry knows about them

When I went for a recent interview at a PR consultancy in Headingley, Leeds. I was asked if I knew how to write a press release because some of the undergraduates who had come to them hadn't had the basic skills. I found this very patronising and said yes I was trained how to write press releases in PR writing which was a module I was taught as part of my MA. I am wondering how much people in the industry know about the PR degrees that are out there and if they really appreciate the value of one. Many PR jobs that are advertised say that a degree in PR/journalism is not essential. This annoys me somewhat because they obviously don't think that there is a body of knowledge to PR and that anyone can do it and that it is just about writing press releases. Although writing is important to PR I wonder if they realise that PR requires more than just good writing skills and that for it to be taken seriously as a profession we need educated practitioners who understand PR not just people who think it's something to have a go at.