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Undergraduate Studies

Strategic Communication Track:
Professional Course Profiles

The professional strategic communication track prepares students for careers in the fields of advertising and public relations. The program offers a number of courses at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. The strategic communication curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of their fields of interest; unlike many courses in the journalism track, strategic communication courses are not designed as training for specific positions within the industry.

Students typically choose either an advertising or public relations focus in their programs, but all strategic communication programs involve major exposure to theories, practices, and issues in both advertising and public relations to prepare for today's increasingly integrated professional world.

StratComm students begin their programs with an introductory course in principles of strategic communication, focusing on their area of interest: JOUR 3201 (Principles of Strategic Communication: Advertising) or JOUR 3202 (Principles of Strategic Communication: Public Relations). All StratComm students take three required courses involving both advertising and public relations: JOUR 3251 (Strategic Communication Research), JOUR 4259 (Cases in Strategic Planning and Thinking) and JOUR 4263 (Capstone in Strategic Communication Campaigns). In the remaining two or three professional courses taken by StratComm students, they typically select courses focusing primarily on their interest area.

For example, students interested in creative positions in advertising, such as copywriting or art direction, often choose JOUR 3241 (Creative Strategy and Copywriting) and JOUR 3321 (Basic Media Graphics). Those interested in account-related postions, such as account planning, account executive, or media planning, may choose JOUR 4261 (Advertising Media Strategy) and either JOUR 3241 or 3321. Or to increase their understanding of the role of public relations in integrated marketing communication, these students may take the introductory PR class, JOUR 3202.

Students interested in careers in public relations agencies or corporate communication often chose JOUR 3279W (Public Relations Writing and Campaign Tactics) and the media graphics course, JOUR 3321. Students particularly interested in media relations may chose the introductory course in journalism, JOUR 3101 (Newswriting and Reporting). And some public relations students will select JOUR 3201 to develop a better understanding of the fundamentals of advertising.

Periodically, the SJMC also offers professionally-oriented topics courses (JOUR 4990) and field-based courses (JOUR 4992) in strategic communication. For example, JOUR 4990: Portfolio Development has been taught regularly in the past few years. StratComm students should watch for courses like these in the yearly Class Schedule; such a course can be easily added to the student's major program plan.


Strategic Communication Track:
Professional Course Profiles

 

Sample Program Plans:
Advertising: Business Sample Program Plan
Advertising: Creative Sample Program Plan
Public Relations Sample Program Plan