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
Hubbard 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: https://hsjmc.umn.edu/
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2020
  • Length of program in credits: 30
  • 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 Strategic Communication MA is designed to serve working communications professionals in advertising, public relations, corporate communications, nonprofit organizations, and government. The 30-credit program, which can be completed in 24 calendar months, is conceptually and structurally distinct from the 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 MA in strategic communication curriculum is tailored to provide the best foundation for future communications leaders, recognizing that the communication industry is changing rapidly. With digital communication continuing to transform the industry, 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
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution or its foreign equivalent is required.
Special Application Requirements:
In addition to the baccalaureate degree, professionals in strategic communication -- currently employed in advertising, public relations, or marketing firms, or in a communications or related function within a corporation or nonprofit organization -- should have at least two years of professional experience. This professional experience can 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 27 to 30 major credits and 0 to 3 credits outside the major. There is no final exam. A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project: The project requires completion of the capstone course (Jour 8206), in consultation with the advisor and academic director, that supports completion of the student’s strategic communication campaign project.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses towards program requirements is not permitted.
A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for students to remain in good standing.
All coursework must be taken on the A-F grading basis.
Required Courses (21 credits)
Take the following courses:
JOUR 5251 - Strategic Communication Theory (3.0 cr)
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 8203 - Integration of Communication Strategies Across Media (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8205 - Strategic Communication Cases & Campaigns (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8208 - Digital Strategy, Planning and Analytics (3.0 cr)
Journalism Electives (3-6 credits)
Select 3 to 6 credits from the following in consultation with the advisor and/or academic director.
JOUR 5252 - Issue Management Communication and Brand Advocacy (3.0 cr)
JOUR 5253 - Content Strategy and Development (3.0 cr)
JOUR 5501 - Communication, Public Opinion, and Social Media (3.0 cr)
JOUR 5541 - Mass Communication and Public Health (3.0 cr)
JOUR 8290 - Special Topics in Strategic Communication (3.0 cr)
Outside Coursework (0-3 credits)
Select 0 to 3 credits from the following in consultation with the advisor and/or academic director.
COMM 5441 - Communication in Human Organizations (3.0 cr)
ENTR 6025 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship (2.0 cr)
ENTR 6041 - Initiating New Product Design and Business Development (4.0 cr)
EPSY 5261 - Introductory Statistical Methods (3.0 cr)
WRIT 5112 - Information Design: Theory and Practice (3.0 cr)
WRIT 5671 - Visual Rhetoric (3.0 cr)
Individual Project (3 credits)
Complete the following with a minimum grade of B:
JOUR 8206 - Directed Study: Development of an Integrated Strategic Communication Campaign (3.0 cr)
 
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· College of Liberal Arts

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· Fall 2022

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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 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 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 8208 - Digital Strategy, Planning and Analytics
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Summer
This is a class that will feel more like a workshop; purpose-built to provide a hands-on learning experience while developing a digital presence for a real-world brand. Starting with the why (business problem or opportunity), students will collaborate on a strategy that informs the what throughout the remainder of the class, including the creation of a website, content and ads - as well as becoming Google Analytics certified. At the end of the semester, each student will play a key role in presenting the digital strategy and work that came from it directly to the client, along with an articulation of the impact it made on the client?s business.
JOUR 5252 - Issue Management Communication and Brand Advocacy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Advocacy and issue management communication provides organizations with a tool for promoting change, forming attitudes, and furthering dialogue about substantive issues. This course examines how advocacy and issue management communication creates dialogue that represents the goals of the organization and society, and the persuasive and media tactics used in advocacy and issue management communication. Typical class sessions will include a lecture and case discussion. Prerequisite: Strategic Communication MA student or instructor permission.
JOUR 5253 - Content Strategy and Development
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
In today?s disruptive world of digital and social communications, brands/organizations have found it necessary to become content publishers. This course will expose students to evolving, highly dynamic best practices in content strategy and brand journalism. The course will consider how editorial strategies, emerging technologies and digital delivery platforms can lead to more effective content creation, distribution, audience engagement and measurement. Students will learn the various stages of content development, from organizing the brand?s storyline and mapping it to the customer?s brand journey, to the processes of planning, implementing and auditing an organization?s content strategy. The course includes weekly readings and case studies for each topic; guest lecturers who are experts in their area of content strategy; as well as a semester-long class project that aligns with each stage of the content development process. prereq: Strategic Communication MA student or instructor permission
JOUR 5501 - Communication, Public Opinion, and Social Media
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Sharpen your understanding of public opinion and its role in political and civic life: What does it mean? Where does it come from? How is it measured? What impact does it have? How are the public's preferences shaped by the larger communications environment and the strategic messages of politicians, interest groups, and other actors in society? What are polls really measuring, and why do they seem so unreliable sometimes? How are social media technologies giving voice to new segments and dimensions of public opinion? But how are they vulnerable to manipulation from bots and other efforts designed to alter perceptions of collective opinions? Examine the theories of communication, psychology, political science, and sociology that underlie these dynamic questions. We?ll consider cutting edge approaches used by market researchers, political analysts, and data scientists to harness new forms of data about what the public thinks. We investigate theories that explain how people form their opinions, deliberate with others, change their minds, and reveal their preferences, and we apply these frameworks to understand contemporary public opinion issues and campaigns.
JOUR 5541 - Mass Communication and Public Health
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Jour 5541/PubH 6074
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course provides an overview of theory and research that lies at the intersection of mass communication and public health. We examine the potential for media exposure to influence public health outcomes, both as a product of people's everyday interactions with media and the strategic use of media messages to accomplish public health goals. To this end, we will explore large-scale public health campaigns in the context of tobacco, obesity, and cancer screening. We also will explore news media coverage of controversial health issues, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and health information in entertainment media, such as smoking in movies. This course seeks to understand whether media messages have had intended and/or unintended effects on public attitudes and behavior. Although our focus is on mass media, interpersonal, medical, and digital media sources will be considered as well. prereq: JOUR 3005 or JOUR 3757 or Mass Communication grad
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
COMM 5441 - Communication in Human Organizations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Communication in organizational settings. Organizational structure and dynamics and their effect upon the communication process. Individual projects.
ENTR 6025 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Credits: 2.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring & Summer
The course helps students develop insights on starting and sustaining a successful venture. The course focus is on opportunity identification and evaluation: Where do new venture ideas come from? How do you recognize a good business idea? How can a so-so idea be improved to be a good opportunity? Students will focus on five characteristics of a good entrepreneurial opportunity: Creating significant customer value, profit potential, profit durability, founder and team fit, and amenability to financing. prereq: MBA or Mgmt Sci MBA student
ENTR 6041 - Initiating New Product Design and Business Development
Credits: 4.0 [max 10.0]
Course Equivalencies: BMEn 8401/Entr 6041/PDes 8221
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
In this course students work on product development projects sponsored by client companies and/or entrepreneurs. Projects run all year, but students may enroll for either or both terms. Coursework includes a series of assignments concerned with identifying, researching, and specifying the market and technical parameters for a new product. Assignments feed into a series of deliverables that are presented to the client. Market research emphasizes interviews with prospective customers and experts as well as business model development. Technical solutions are developed through rapid prototyping and concept rendering. Project work iterates between attention to market and technical considerations. Fall & Spring terms offer similar content, although project scope narrows in the Spring term. prereq: MBA student or non-MBA with instructor + MBA program permission.
EPSY 5261 - Introductory Statistical Methods
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: EPsy 3264/5231/5261/5263
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
EPSY 5261 is designed to engage students in statistics as a principled approach to data collection, prediction, and scientific inference. Students first learn about data collection (e.g., random sampling, random assignment) and examine data descriptively using graphs and numerical summaries. Students build conceptual understanding of statistical inference through the use of simulation-based methods (bootstrapping and randomization) before going on to learn parametric methods, such as t-tests (one-sample and two-sample means), z-tests (one-sample and two-sample proportions), chi-square tests, and regression. This course uses pedagogical methods grounded in research, such as small group activities and discussion. Attention undergraduates: As this is a graduate level course, it does not fulfill the Mathematical Thinking Liberal Education requirement. If you would like to take a statistics course in our department that fulfills that requirement, please consider EPSY 3264.
WRIT 5112 - Information Design: Theory and Practice
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course examines how verbal, visual, and multimedia content can be designed and combined to create meaning, improve comprehension, and make information more usable. Emphasis is placed on the rhetorical roles of visual elements in print and digital communications, and how technical communicators can use visual means to reach audiences, convey information, and achieve rhetorical goals. Students read and discuss theory, practice information design skills, and apply both to real communications projects suitable for inclusion in a professional portfolio. Projects focus on print and web content design and development; the information design process (plan, design, develop, layout, testing); project planning toward deliverables (web sites, signage, wayfinding); and universal design (color, symbols, etc.)
WRIT 5671 - Visual Rhetoric
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
This course investigates current understandings of how visuals participate in and extend the rhetorical strategies long associated with speech and writing. Students explore developments in the discipline of visual rhetoric by engaging with an emerging canon of texts that survey the work of rhetoricians, graphic designers, graphic novelists, commercial artists, fine artists, and technical communicators. Emphasis is placed on the use of visuals in science and technology; identifying shared principles of persuasion through visual information; developing the vocabulary to comment on, critique, and create visuals; and assessing whether visuals meet the needs of intended audiences.
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