Master of Science in Communication Management

Curriculum

The MS curriculum has a broad reach. Strategic communication has important ties to business, psychology, politics, and cultural studies, among other fields, so students increasingly need knowledge that spans disciplines. At the same time the MS, a professional degree, should enhance students’ understanding of specialized industries where they work.

To achieve this reach and depth, the MS curriculum follows a four-tier design: core, communication specialization, ancillary non-communication courses, and capstone case study.

Tier #1: Core.There are four core MS courses (12 s.h.):

A. Communications Institutions & Management (3 s.h.)
This course covers management theories and practices specifically from a communication perspective.

B. Team Building & Leadership (3 s.h.)
This course examines the communication dimension of leadership in a wide array of settings, including corporate, non-profit, political, and religious. It takes a multi-disciplinary and practical approach. Topics include theories of leadership, leadership and ethics, leadership in crises, the leader as motivator, team selection and team building, and leadership and persuasion.

C. Legal Issues in Communication Management (3 s.h.)
This course studies legal and ethical aspects of communication management.

D. Managerial Information Gathering (3 s.h.)
This course covers types and methods of applied research used in communication settings, including market research, surveys, in-depth interviews, content analysis, focus groups, audience analysis, campaign testing, and competitive analysis.

Tier #2: Specialized course-work. The MS will allow from 12-16 s.h. of course-work in one of two concentrations:

1. Media Management and Social Policy (including nonprofits, activism, media and social change).

2. Strategic and Corporate Communication Management (primarily public relations, integrated marketing communications, and advertising).

Tier #3:Ancillary Courses.

Since policy, business, and culture both shape and are shaped by communications, we encourage students to add to MS coursework other areas of expertise that may have a bearing on their career plans. Several of these areas are located in SCT—for example, mass media management or global communication management. Other areas of possible interest—such as health care communication, social policy, or political science—can be enriched with graduate courses outside of SCAT.
To help MS students better comprehend the integration of communication with other fields, they may also take up to12 s.h. of courses in other Temple collages, notably CLA and FSBM. Recommendations for ancillary coursework relevant to student interests are available through the MS faculty.

Tier #4:Completion Requirement. Capstone case study (3 s.h.; included in the 40 s.h. of coursework)

This course, which completes the degree, requires students to analyze in depth a professional issue, either at their current place of employment or derived from public sources such as the media. Students apply theories from their coursework to critique and make recommendations on behalf of their case study organization. This 25-50 page case study allows students to reflect on, and sum up, relevant concepts, practices, and readings from their entire course of study.

Note: Students who have little experience in the field will be asked to take field experience/internship before undertaking the case study: 2 s.h. maximum (included in the 40 s.h. of coursework). This course is required of students admitted without work experience, and is optional for all others. It offers students who have little experience in the field an opportunity to gain exposure before undertaking their capstone case study.