Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Strategic Communication M.A.

School of Journalism & Mass Communication
College of Liberal Arts
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 111 Murphy Hall, 206 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-625-4054; fax: 612-626-8251)
Email: sjmcgrad@umn.edu
Website: http://sjmc.umn.edu/grad/
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Spring 2017
  • Length of program in credits: 33
  • This program requires summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Degree: Master of Arts
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The MA in strategic communication is designed to serve working communications professionals in advertising, public relations, corporate communications, nonprofit organizations, and government. The 33-credit program is conceptually and structurally distinct from the existing academic master's degree in mass communication in that it focuses on advanced professional study of communications strategy, media, planning, evaluation, and creative management. The University of Minnesota is one of only a handful of institutions to offer a professional master's program in strategic communication designed for the busy working professional. The MA in strategic communication curriculum is tailored to provide the best foundation for future communications leaders, recognizing that the communication industry is changing rapidly and is more volatile than ever. With Internet use moving well beyond its infancy, and massive organizational and global forces reshaping the U.S. economy, communications leaders face significant challenges and can prepare themselves through in-depth study of strategic process management.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
Special Application Requirements:
The minimum requirement for admission is a B.A. or equivalent. Professionals in strategic communication--currently employed in advertising, public relations, or marketing firms, or in a communications function within a corporation or nonprofit organization--must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution or its foreign equivalent and at least two years professional experience. This professional experience should be in any of the following areas: account planning, account management, advertising management, media planning or buying, media sales, promotion marketing, corporate communications, public affairs, public relations, investor relations, direct marketing, sales management, marketing management, brand management, broadcast or print journalism, market research, content creation, or event management.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 79
    • Internet Based - Writing Score: 21
    • Internet Based - Reading Score: 19
    • Paper Based - Total Score: 550
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 6.5
  • MELAB
    • Final score: 80
Key to test abbreviations (TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Plan C: Plan C requires 33 major credits and up to credits outside the major. There is no final exam.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses towards program requirements is not permitted.
The MA in strategic communication is designed to be completed within 24 calendar months. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 and achieve a grade of B or better on their final 6-credit individual project. The project is a sequence of two capstone courses (Jour 8206) designed to support completion of individual strategic communication campaign projects that demonstrate mastery of the MA curriculum. Student progress is evaluated by the academic director, program coordinator, and program faculty. Students must progress each semester to continue in the program, though a student who must temporarily leave the program unexpectedly can return to the program at a later date and resume their studies at the point of departure. All coursework must be taken A-F.
Required Courses
JOUR 8200 - Strategic Communication Research Methods (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8201 - Factors Affecting Communication Strategy (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8202 - Brand Thinking: Building Brands People Can Believe In (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8290 - Special Topics in Strategic Communication (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8203 - Integration of Communication Strategies Across Media (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8205 - Strategic Communication Cases & Campaigns (3.0 cr)
Electives
Take at least 6 credits outside the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The remaining 3 credits of the 9-credit elective requirement can be taken from the following list:
JOUR 5251 - Strategic Communication Theory (3.0 cr)
or JOUR 5xxx
or JOUR 8xxx
Individual Project
Take JOUR 8206 two times (May session and summer session).
Take 6 or more credit(s) from the following:
· JOUR 8206 - Directed Study: Development of an Integrated Strategic Communication Campaign (3.0 cr)
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Liberal Arts

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Fall 2020
· Fall 2019
· Fall 2018

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JOUR 8200 - Strategic Communication Research Methods
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Concepts, analytical techniques, and methods to analyze audiences, target markets, and social trends affecting communication strategy in context of complex and rapidly changing media environments. prereq: Strat Comm MA grad major
JOUR 8201 - Factors Affecting Communication Strategy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Literature/research concerning identification/analysis of the media and environmental, regulatory, competitive, and economic factors that affect the development of communication strategy. prereq: Strat Comm MA grad major
JOUR 8202 - Brand Thinking: Building Brands People Can Believe In
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Effective brand building can provide organizations of all kinds with the competitive advantage needed for success. From helping drive stakeholder engagement to building overall brand value, brand thinking plays a central role in the way today's most dynamic organizations build brands people can believe in. prereq: Strat Comm MA grad major
JOUR 8290 - Special Topics in Strategic Communication
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Summer
Topics specified in Class Schedule. prereq: Strat Comm MA grad major
JOUR 8203 - Integration of Communication Strategies Across Media
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Concepts, analytical techniques, and methodologies used to plan communication strategies and implement communication campaigns utilizing a diverse range of media. prereq: 8200, 8201, 8202, strat comm MA grad major
JOUR 8205 - Strategic Communication Cases & Campaigns
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Case study analysis concerning development, implementation, and evaluation of communication strategies. Cases cover broad range of organizations, focus on such issues as brand introduction, brand reinforcement, revitalizations, crisis communication, issues management, and legal/ethical considerations. prereq: 8203, strat comm MA grad major
JOUR 5251 - Strategic Communication Theory
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course is an introduction to psychologically-grounded concepts, theories and research and their applications for strategic communication. The course objectives involve comprehension and application of a range of psychological concepts and theories related to attitude development, susceptibility to message influence, and opinion formation and change. The course will provide opportunities to apply theoretical concepts to critically evaluate strategic communications (advertising, public relations, brand marketing, etc.) and to use psychological theory and research to inform the development of communication strategies. The course will examine how these theories help us understand communication processes in digital media environments, as well as how they inform relationship-building areas of strategic communication such as reputation and crisis management. The course will provide opportunities for students to apply concepts and theories to potential research for graduate degree capstone projects. Prereq: Strat Comm MA grad major
JOUR 8206 - Directed Study: Development of an Integrated Strategic Communication Campaign
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Project to develop a case study analysis concerning development, implementation, and evaluation of a strategic communication campaign. prereq: 8205, strat comm MA grad major