General Approach

The M.A. in Strategic Communication and Leadership program provides a unique and powerful curriculum of leadership development combined with communication expertise that enables professionals to achieve business success.  

Coursework

The online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership degree is a dynamic Internet-based program that provides a highly interactive, team-based learning environment encompassing the following five modules and a cross-modular skills component:

Module I
COMM 8520    Strategic Communication and Leadership

Module II
COMM 8521    Organizational Leadership, Management and Communication

Module III
COMM 8522    Leadership Communication Strategies

Module IV
COMM 8523    Diversity and Globalization

Module V
COMM 8524    Strategic Planning

Three 2-credit Residencies
COMM 8525-8527    Communication Excellence - Individual Skills Coaching Through All Modules

Residencies
The program includes 3 on-campus weekend residencies for students to apply what they have learned online and present their speeches and strategic communication plans.  The final residency weekend concludes with commencement exercises.     

Course Descriptions

Module I
COMM 8520: Strategic Communication and Leadership focuses on the practical and theoretical applications of dynamic and transformational and ethical leadership: creating and communicating vision and values; inspiring others to act, risk  management, empowerment, building trust and teamwork,mentoring, managing change, and converting crisis into opportunity. (6 credits)

Module II
COMM 8521: Organizational Culture, Leadership and Change evaluates the impact of organizational culture to enable the successful leader to be the architect of organizational change. It examines organizational culture, introducing new strategies, aligning vision and goals, establishing organizational values, enabling open communication for empowerment, implementing change, creating an ethical organizational culture, and succession planning. (6 credits)

Module III
COMM 8522: Leadership Communication Strategies emphasizes the communication process with particular focus on negotiating, inspiring others, presentation skills, speech writing, interviews, working with the media, and crisis communication.  These skills are key to the success of any executive. (6 credits)

Module IV
COMM 8523: Opportunities of Diversity and Globalization examines diversity in all of its forms as well as globalization with its many workplace, leadership, ethical, and communication issues.  Communication challenges in the diverse workplace and global marketplace are identified as opportunities for organizational enrichment. (6 credits)

Module V
COMM 8524: Strategic Communication Planning is the capstone module that presents the culmination of lessons learned in the prior modules. It focuses on leadership, organizational analysis and the development of strategic communication plans and effective strategies to communicate those plans. (6 credits)

Three 2-credit residencies
COMM 8525, COMM 8526 and COMM 8527
Communications Excellence: Individual Skills Coaching aids learning team members in developing personal communications skills through individual coaches who assist with interpersonal, speech presentation and writing skills through all modules and at the three on campus residencies. (6 credits, 2 credits each)