Required Courses: 

SEMINAR IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION (COM 60111) 

This course surveys the theories and processes of strategic communication and its practice by business, government, politicians and nonprofits — in domestic and international arenas. It also emphasizes the application of theory to provide an in-depth understanding of planning, executing and evaluating strategic communication plans. 

INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (COM 64100)  

Developing cohesive and integrated external and internal communication initiatives across traditional and social media channels is becoming increasingly important for strategic communication professionals. Traditionally, public relations, marketing and advertising/promotion have had separate functions; increasingly, the role of strategic communication practitioners is to ensure the consistency of the brand story and message across all channels of communication. 

STRATEGIC PERSONAL BRANDING (COM 64400) 

This graduate course will examine the theories and processes of personal brand development and self-marketing. An emphasis will be placed on experiential learning, self-awareness, image and perceptual management, career development, self-promotion, brainstorming and effective communication. 

STRATEGIC CORPORATE BRANDING (COM 64600)

This graduate course will survey the theories and processes of business brand design, development and implementation. The course will examine best practices, trends and creative strategies used in contemporary business branding. An emphasis will be placed on experiential learning, case study analysis and the application of relevant theory to provide an in-depth understanding of the development, planning, execution and evaluation of business brands. 

Required Courses: 

SEMINAR IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION (COM 60111) 

This course surveys the theories and processes of strategic communication and its practice by business, government, politicians and nonprofits — in domestic and international arenas. It also emphasizes the application of theory to provide an in-depth understanding of planning, executing and evaluating strategic communication plans. 

SPORTS COMMUNICATION (COM 66111) 

Sports Communication provides students a strategic and holistic sports communication approach and framework to solve communications challenges. The course focuses on understanding the ever-increasingly competitive athletic landscape —  collegiate and professional (though the lines are blurring) — to aid the sports communicator in crafting a strategic communication plan based on quantifiable objectives and desired outcomes. Special topics include crisis and reputation management, leveraging social media, the emergence of AI, and athletes and culture. 

STRATEGIC SPORTS MEDIA RELATIONS (COM 66211) 

Strategic Sports Media Relations explores how to navigate a media landscape that is evolving at light-speed both in collegiate and professional sports. This course offers students the tools to engage productively with media members and places particular emphasis on the communicator/media relationship, how media prefer to receive content and the role of the communications leader. Strategic Sports Media Relations also delves into media interaction during crisis events and the rise of AI.

Required Courses: 

SEMINAR IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION (COM 60111) 

This course surveys the theories and processes of strategic communication and its practice by business, government, politicians and nonprofits — in domestic and international arenas. It also emphasizes the application of theory to provide an in-depth understanding of planning, executing and evaluating strategic communication plans. 

COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP (COM 65000)  

Communication is the essence of leadership, and this course aims to identify how communication can fuel productivity, drive consensus and push the organization to a leadership position within a market. 

Elective Courses (choose two): 

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND INTERNAL COMMUNICATION (COM 65100) 

The modern workplace had transformed well before a global pandemic magnified the paradigm shift already under way. In the United States, both consumers and the first five-generation workforce began to demand more from brand statements and value propositions. Those demands include genuine commitment to inclusion and diversity internally and corporate social responsibility externally. This course highlights the vital role professional communicators have in conveying brand and value statements that emanate from the organization’s cultural core and carry forward to the consumer universe. 

COMMUNICATION EDUCATION AND TRAINING (COM 65200) 

This course is designed to introduce fundamental concepts related to learning theory and learning design as applied to training and educational settings. The course will examine best practices and strategies with a focus on assessing and enhancing communication-related skills. 

STRATEGIC PERSONAL BRANDING (COM 64400) 

This graduate course will examine the theories and processes of personal brand development and self-marketing. An emphasis will be placed on experiential learning, self-awareness, image and perceptual management, career development, self-promotion, brainstorming and effective communication. 

FUNDAMENTALS OF COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP AND AGILE STRATEGY FOR ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY (ENGT 50700) 

This course will provide students with a foundation in collaborative leadership and agile strategy. The course brings together theories and insights from a variety of disciplines including engineering, management, psychology and social science. Increasingly, manufacturing managers are being called upon to apply their technical skills in collaborative environments that cut across organizational units and inter-organizational boundaries. Understanding how to design and guide collaborations and apply agile approaches for meeting strategic objectives is an important skill set and knowledge base in the 21st-century economy, defined more by open networks than the ridged hierarchies of the past.   

Shared Course Opportunities (Possible elective courses. See your academic advisor to confirm availability.) 

PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (PUBH 60400) 

An introduction to the principles of management as applied to public health organizations, particularly local health departments. Topics include the organization of the U.S. public health system, legal and ethical obligations of public health administrators, the public health workforce and human resource issues, public health budgeting and finance, and leadership in the public health agency. The course is designed to introduce master’s level students in public health to the management skills necessary to successfully implement a public health program. 

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR (PUBH 60200) 

Coursework examines the theoretical foundations of health behavior. Students explore the development of a conceptual framework for understanding and facilitating behavior enhancement, elimination and/or maintenance in health promotion and education. Topics include current theories regarding health-related behaviors. 

DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS (PUBH 60600) 

Professional competencies in design, implementation, evaluation and diffusion of health interventions in community settings. Program planning paradigms, determinants of health behavior and behavior change strategies serve as a basis for analyzing health interventions. 

FUNDAMENTALS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY (PUBH 53500) 

This course is an introduction to epidemiology, which is the study of the patterns, causes and impact of disease in populations. Epidemiology is increasingly important for public health and clinical medicine research and policy. This course will discuss the basic principles and methods of epidemiology, including measurements of disease occurrence and association, study designs and determination of causality. Contemporary examples will be used to illustrate the application of these concepts, with an emphasis on environmental causes of disease. 

Required Courses: 

HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATION (COM 64500)  

The healthcare environment is increasingly complex and poses many challenges for communication professionals seeking to improve communication with key health industry stakeholders, including patients, providers, payers, government agencies and others. 

SEMINAR IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION (COM 60111) 

This course surveys the theories and processes of strategic communication and its practice by business, government, politicians and nonprofits — in domestic and international arenas. It also emphasizes the application of theory to provide an in-depth understanding of planning, executing and evaluating strategic communication plans. 

HEALTH ADVOCACY (COM 65500) 

This course considers how federal, state and local policy influence health status and health improvement. Through this course, students gain an understanding of the role of health communication campaigns in health advocacy efforts. To engage their understanding, students will apply an advocacy campaign model to address a relevant health issue. 

Degree Required Courses: 

SEMINAR IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION  

This course surveys the theories and processes of strategic communication and its practice by business, government, politicians and nonprofits — in domestic and international arenas. It also emphasizes the application of theory to provide an in-depth understanding of planning, executing and evaluating strategic communication plans. 

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA (COM 62111) 

This course provides an overview of social media and its relationship to strategic communication. Students will learn about the available forms of social media (e.g., Blogs, Social Networks and Wikis) and how they can help build and manage relationships with stakeholders. Students also analyze social media metrics as a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of social media strategies as tools for developing corporate, nonprofit and governmental images and brands. 

Artificial Intelligence and Social Media (COM 62300)  

This course provides an overview of the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in contemporary social media campaign development and management. Students will learn about the technologies, AI tools, theories, issues, challenges, ethical considerations and best practices that inform the planning and implementation of successful social media communication and audience engagement. Throughout the course, students may engage in experiential learning, case studies, and group projects to apply their knowledge and gain hands-on experience in using AI for social media management.