In addition to University Requirements:

• 42 units of major requirements which includes 21 units of emphasis requirements.

• Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

• For this major the General studies prefixes include ADV, PR, or STR.

• Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Purpose Statement

Strategic Communication involves the development of planned communication efforts with target publics that focus on achieving a variety of communication outcomes. Students studying Strategic Communication develop an understanding of communication theory and how messages are spread among groups of people. They apply analytical skills to the development and evaluation of communication plans. They also master practical skills needed for the implementation of those communication plans.

Upon graduation, students emphasizing one area of strategic communication will often find themselves working closely with other professionals focusing on skills in other areas of Strategic Communication. However, the emphasis areas tend to differentiate in the following broad ways.

Advertising emphasizes the use of paid media in communication efforts and will often focus more on specific calls to action. These students focus on advertising campaigns for digital and heritage media. They will develop skills relevant to planning ad campaigns and important aesthetic concepts in advertising.

Public Relations focuses more on the use of earned and owned media for the development and maintenance of ongoing relationships with important publics. Courses tend to focus on understanding the dynamics of group communication and developing strategies for building strong relationships between organizations and important publics. Coursework tends to focus on writing and oral communication skills for digital and analog channels, as well as communication analysis skills necessary for planning and evaluating communication efforts.

Strategic Communication Program Values

• Respect for the ideas and opinions of others
• Active engagement in the classroom
• Critical thinking in adapting to a rapidly changing media environment
• Ethical behavior in the classroom and the profession

Student Learning Outcomes
Strategic Communication involves the development of planned communication efforts with the targeted public that focus on achieving a variety of communication outcomes. Program Level Student Learning Outcomes for the Strategic Communication BS can be broken into three broad categories: Conceptual, Practical, and Analytical.

Conceptual

• Students completing the Strategic Communication BS will recognize key theoretical concepts related to communication among various communities in various commercial, political, and media contexts.
• Students will learn and apply ethical standards to communicate appropriately in various media with all audiences.
• Students will summarize typical organizational strategies to communicate to target communities to achieve political, commercial, and humanitarian outcomes.

Practical

• Students will implement communication plans by mastering industry-standard communication tools and strategies.
• Students will produce communication material that conforms to industry standards in style, design, and display.

Analytical

• Students will develop skills in contemporary qualitative and quantitative research methods and apply their findings to developing effective communication plans.
• Students will develop skills in contemporary qualitative and quantitative research methods and use those skills to evaluate the impact of communication plans.

Emphasis Level Learning Outcomes - Advertising

• Emphasis Level Learning Outcomes in Advertising focus on the display of tightly controlled messages using paid media.
• Students will learn and apply ethical standards to communicate appropriately with audiences in various media, focusing on consumers.
• In the conceptual sphere, students will describe typical strategies for segmenting audiences and delivering targeted messages through paid media.
• In the practical sphere, students will master communication software and apply design standards to comprehensive communication efforts.
• In the analytical sphere, students will use industry-standard research tools to identify target audiences and appropriate media channels for reaching them. They will formulate paid communications and measure the effectiveness and efficiency of those plans by applying best industry practices.

Emphasis Level Learning Outcomes - Public Relations

• Emphasis-level learning outcomes in Public Relations focus on the use of earned and owned media for the development and maintenance of relationships between organizations and the publics that can affect their success.
• Students will learn and apply ethical standards to communicate appropriately in various media with all audiences.
• In the conceptual sphere, students will identify strategies for developing and maintaining productive relationships with the targeted public using owned and earned media.
• In the practical sphere, students will apply writing skills that apply industry standards to various media channels. Students will master the software to create and deliver messages over media channels.
• In the analytical sphere, students will implement quantitative and qualitative research methods by formulating and evaluating ongoing communication efforts.