My professors says I need to intern or else I won't get a job in PR/marketing once I graduate? Is this true? (NYC area) (PR pros only pls)?

Your first job after graduation is more likely to be an internship than entry-level job, if you can find that. Competition for PR, advertising, marketing, marketing communications, etc, jobs has increased dramatically. And companies are not inclined to hire someone with no experience at all. Hence, you will apply for intern positions, and hope you are the intern who is hired for entry-level position. Internships have become increasingly important.

Doesn't mean you cannot find an entry-level job without doing internship first. But your chances are not all that good, nowhere near as good as they will be with excellent references from an internship.

Many professional jobs are "earned" by interning.  This includes jobs in marketing, PR, accounting, finance, etc.  Why don't you want to intern?  It seems you've already decided that you don't want do this.  

Getting a job is based on two factors: demonstrating the needed skills set, and having a contact in the company.  The best way to achieve both of those is to do an internship where you demonstrate your abilities and make connections.  If you feel you have people who will actually get you a job at age 26-27 with zero experience, then you are lucky indeed.

Getting into a PR firm or a PR department of a top company is very competitive.  It is very likely that these organizations will offer entry-level jobs to people that interned with them while the person was in college.  

Internships were MANDATORY for my nephews degree in Supply Chain.  He could not have graduated without them. I think he worked 2-3 summers.

This is not unique to PR and only PR people don't need to answer...

Internships give you a leg up.  The more internships or the better quality, the more it will help you get a job.

Universities should not allow students to graduate without internships/externships/work placement or whatever the school calls the program.

Internships are NOT an "end all", they are a propeller.  Sure, you can do a great internship and still not be able to find a job.  So think of where that puts the people who don't do internships, farther below.

In PR it really is WHO you know, so that's a big yes!