Master of Arts in Strategic Communications

Lead Faculty: Dr. Joan-Marie Van Tassel

The goal of the Master of Arts in Strategic Communications is to prepare students to assume high-level professional positions in organizations that must meet the challenges of operating in an increasingly complex and interdependent global environment. It will arm graduates with both theoretical and practical approaches to developing strategic communications programs that enable organizations to meet their goals and objectives. Each course supplies an essential stepping-stone on the way to planning, executing, and evaluating effective strategic communications efforts.

The objective of the program is to develop effective, strategically-sophisticated communications professionals who have the full complement of analytical and practical tools for leadership. It will foster strategic thinking, logical analysis, and solution generation. Upon completion of the degree, graduates will be able to lead and implement communications initiatives using both traditional mass media and newer cutting-edge channels, such as social networking sites, blog sites, pod and vodcasting, Instant Messenger, and texting and other mobile media.

This degree requires that students be able to write in English at an advanced level. If the student's writing skills need improvement, it is possible the student will be required to enroll in a remedial writing course before continuing in the program. Applicants for whom English is a second language are encouraged to take the Accuplacer, English as a Second Language Placement Test.

Graduates will acquire an array of intellectual, managerial, and communication skills:

• An understanding of communications opportunities
• The ability to carry out analyses of organizational communications needs
• The knowledge to conduct needed research and audience analysis
• The training to develop, implement, and evaluate appropriate strategies and tactics to reach the multiple publics
• Professional-level writing and presentation skills.

Program Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the Master of Arts in Strategic Communications, graduates will emerge with a deep understanding of the theories of communications and persuasion, an ability to lead and participate in the team development of organizational communication strategies, and the practical skills to plan, produce, and evaluate a strategic communications program.

By the end of this program, students will be able to:

• Lead and participate in the planning, production, and execution of strategic communications programs
• Apply team management theory and skills to facilitate collaboration
• Gather appropriate data to guide the development of a strategic communications program
• Develop communications program planning documents that support the adoption of the program by higher level decision-makers
• Develop messaging strategy
• Produce professional-level content that fulfills the vision and goals of the organization and the objectives of the specific communications program, using formative evaluation
• Create a multi-platform, multi-public message dissemination plan
• Gather appropriate data to evaluate the effectiveness of a strategic communications program
• Deliver professional-level presentations that explain and support program plans, creative messaging strategy, produced content, and dissemination and evaluation plans.

Requirements

To receive a Master of Arts in Strategic Communications, students must complete at least 54 quarter units of graduate work, of which a minimum of 40.5 quarter units must be taken in residence at National University. Students can transfer up to 13.5 quarter units at the graduate level from a regionally accredited institution in the areas of communication or business, provided the units have not been used to satisfy the requirements of an awarded degree. Students wishing to transfer credits into the program should contact the program faculty advisor. Refer to the section in the graduate admission requirements for additional specific information regarding application and evaluation.

Core Requirements (11 courses; 49.5 quarter units):
COM 600 - Comm in Global Environment
COM 605 - Content Distribution
COM 610 - Integrated Marketing Comm
COM 615 - Research Methods
COM 620 - Crisis Communications
COM 625 - Campaign & Program Management
COM 630 - Campaign & Program Evaluation
COM 635 - Management of Creativity
COM 640 - Persuasion
COM 650 - Legal and Ethical Issues
COM 660 - Capstone Project

Elective (1 course; 4.5 quarter units):
Students may take any graduate level course with the approval of the program lead faculty, provided that they have completed all prerequisites for that course.

Program Information

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Online Education

This program is available online.