Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications

Lead Faculty: Dr. Joan-Marie Van Tassel

The Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications consists of courses that prepare the student for leadership positions is public relations, advertising, and marketing and corporate communication. Graduates can use the strategic thinking and message creation skills they acquire to work in any industry, helping organizations create messages for presentations and print, broadcast, and Internet media. The program covers the theory and practice of integrated marketing, disseminated in interpersonal, intercultural, organizational and public settings. Students learn through academic work, case studies, and hands-on experience creating messages across media platforms. Successful completion of the program will enable graduates to compete for employment in executive positions that require strategic expertise in such communication-related areas as corporate communication, advertising, and public relations management.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should be able to:

• Design and use research to develop broad, integrated communication strategies.
• Apply relevant strategies in the development of messages.
• Design and create messages to implement communication strategies.
• Develop and use high-level writing skills.
• Manage message creation and production projects.
• Create and produce messages in interpersonal, group, intercultural, organizational, and public settings.
• Create and produce messages for print, video, and the Web.
• Recognize the legal, ethical, and regulatory concepts of the media industries.
• Prepare communcation program budgets, including message creation, production, and dissemination.

Requirements

To receive a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications, students must complete at least 180 quarter units as articulated below, 45 of which must be completed in residence at National University, and 76 of which must be completed at the upper-division level. The following courses are specific degree requirements. In the absence of transfer credit, students may need to take additional general electives to satisfy the total units for the degree.

Prerequisites (3 courses; 10.5 quarter units)
ENG 100 - Effective College English I (3 quarter units)*
  (Prerequisite: Placement Exam)
ENG 101 - Effective College English II (3 quarter units)*
  (Prerequisite: ENG 100)
COM 100 - Introduction to Mass Communication*
or
COM 103 - Oral Communication*
or
COM 220 - Media Literacy*
*May be used to fulfill a general education requirement
 
Requirements for the Major (20 courses; 10.5 quarter units)
COM 300 - Interpersonal Communication
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 305 - Intercultural Communication
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 310 - Communication Theory
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 315 - Communication Research Methods
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 324 -- Critical Thinking and Ethics
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 334 - Persuasion
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 344 - Organizational Communication
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 354 - Professional Presentations
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 364 - Communication Technologies
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 385 - Tale, Text, and Hypertext
  (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
COM 394 - Strategic Writing
  (Prerequisites: ENG 101 and COM 100, 103, or 220)
COM 400 - Mediated Messaging
  (Prerequisites: COM 354, 385,394)
COM 410A - Advanced Strategies
  (Prerequisites: COM 334 AND COM 394)
COM 411A - Advanced Campaigns
  (Prerequisites: COM 400 AND COM 410A)
COM 420A - Public Relations Strategies
  (Prerequisites: COM 334 and COM 394)
COM 421A - Public Relations Campaigns
  (Prerequisites: COM 400 and COM 420A)
COM 430A - Interactive Strategies
  (Prerequisites: COM 334 and COM 394)
COM 431A - Interactive Campaigns
COM 444 - Current Communication Issues
  (Prerequisites: Completion of seven 300 level core courses)
COM 499 - Communication Program Capstone
  (Prerequisites: Completion of 16 core courses)

Program Information

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