Master of Arts in Business Communication and Leadership in Public Relations and Media Campaigns Course Descriptions
30 Total Credit Hours
Required Courses
COMMS 600 – Introduction to Business Communication and Leadership (first year experience)3 credits. Complete the program successfully. You will complete a communication-style assessment to identify strengths and areas to improve. You will also learn how to communicate with diverse individuals, foster relationships, find a mentor, and how to express your professional brand through media.
COMMS 601 – Interpersonal Influence3 credits. Strengthen your career through relationships. Learn how the fundamentals of interpersonal communication can be used to build trust, foster collaboration, increase productivity, resolve conflict, and employee engagement.
COMMS 602 – Creating Persuasive Mediated Messages3 credits. Perform at a higher level with strong persuasive skills. You will study the fundamental elements of persuasion and apply them to create memorable mediated messages.
COMMS 603 – Writing and Presenting for Impact3 credits. Leave an impact. Whether you are writing a concise email or delivering an engaging presentation, in this class you will learn how to harness your natural skills, analyze your audience, and express your ideas in meaningful ways.
COMMS 604 – Communication in a Distributed Workplace3 credits. Enhance your online presence. Remote work is here to stay. In this class you will learn how to coordinate and lead remote teams, maintain team accountability, manage effective online meetings, deliver timely and constructive feedback.
COMMS 605 – Personal and Professional Branding and Leadership Development3 credits. Create your professional brand for results. You will learn how to develop your network, chart your career plan, and enhance your leadership message. You will also master interviewing, resume and cover letter writing.
COMMS 606 – Communication in an Inter-Cultural Workplace3 credits. Make the most of your diverse team. Understand and navigate cultural differences in order to effectively communicate and interact with people from diverse cultures.
Public Relations and Media Campaigns Concentration Requirements
COMMS 720 – Media Campaigns3 credits. Master the art of media campaigns. You will plan, develop, and execute media campaigns for various purposes such as marketing, public relations, social advocacy and political. You will emphasize media strategy, message development, audience targeting, media selection and finally, evaluation.
COMMS 721 – Digital Literacy3 credits.Thrive in a digital world. You will develop skills and knowledge to effectively navigate and use digital technologies to achieve your personal and professional goals. In this course, you will learn how to stay up to date with existing technologies and properly communicate in an online environment. You will learn how to find, evaluate, and communicate through various digital technologies and use online collaboration tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams). You will enhance your digital proficiency, critical thinking, and digital ethics.
COMMS 730 – PR and Strategic Communication 3 credits. Communicate with intent. In this course you will learn how to strategically communicate key messages to achieve organizational goals. You will identify target stakeholders, build relationships with journalists and media outlets, leverage social media for PR and branding, and craft compelling stories for brand building and reputation management.