Communication Degrees Online

Imagine sitting down with the company CEO and planning how to communicate the corporate vision. Then see yourself consulting with the marketing department to develop the roll out of the next strategic initiative or envision yourself crafting a message about a possible merger that must reach all company employees. If these communication challenges get you excited, a career in corporate communication is for you. This major prepares you to address the full range of communication that occurs within the corporate world. You will learn to be flexible and adaptable in response to current and future trends in corporate life.

THE MARQUETTE ADVANTAGE

ON THE LEADING EDGE. More corporations are expanding their communication efforts to better position themselves in an ever-changing marketplace. Marquette University is one of the few universities to offer a major in Corporate Communication.

BE STRATEGIC. Courses in this major focus on critically evaluating organizational needs and framing strategic responses that work in a variety of settings.

BE AN ADVOCATE. Drawing on Marquette’s Jesuit tradition, you will develop the tools to become a voice for more socially responsible corporations.

CROSSING BOUNDARIES. The communication issues that face corporations are not contained in a single department. As a result, the interdisciplinary focus of Corporate Communication draws from multiple areas in communication as well as business.

DEVELOP A VISION.Learn how you can be central to helping a corporation establish a distinct identity in a global environment.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. In addition to internships, several classes put you in an organizational context that requires you to apply communication theories, principles and practices.

BE HEARD. One of the greatest challenges facing organizations today is being heard in an information-saturated environment. A background in Corporate Communication gives you a seat at the table when decisions are being made about how to strengthen a corporation’s voice.

The Master of Arts in Corporate and Organizational Communication presents the principles and practice of corporate and organizational communication through an innovative and integrated study of communication theory, policy and practice, all grounded in a liberal arts foundation. The program gives students the opportunity to study communication processes as they occur in the corporate and organizational context.

Offered by the Department of Communication Studies of the Becton College of Arts and Sciences, the program offers communication professionals an academically-based curriculum incorporating communication issues, skills and technology as they relate to public relations, marketing, media, professional writing and communication management. The program emphasizes development of skills in critical thinking, problem solving, oral presentation and writing.

The MA in Corporate and Organizational Communication balances the long and venerable tradition of communication research and scholarship with practical skills development allowing students to derive insights to the corporate and organizational world.

Students enrolled in the MA in Corporate and Organizational Communication will:
Study the nature of communication in the corporate context, and the nature of the corporation in the cultural context.
Learn how corporations use communication to create and establish brands, reputations and favorable public relations.
Explore strategies used by corporations to communicate with key publics, including consumers, investors, media and employees.
Develop and enrich personal strengths in strategic and critical thinking, ethics, writing and speaking.

By balancing the study of theory and practice, the program is excellent preparation for students:
Looking to enhance their careers with knowledge that will apply directly to their working lives, or
Interested in pursuing advanced degrees at the doctoral level in corporate and organizational communications

Department

Department of Communication

College

Office of Research and Graduate Studies and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Overview of the program

The Master of Arts in Organizational Communication is designed to give communication students insights into communication problems and issues as they exist in organizational settings and provide the knowledge, skills and tools to allow such to be addressed. The purposes of the M.A. in Organizational Communication are to:

Prepare students for the modern workplace or doctoral study,
Provide training in communication theory and skills,
Acquaint students with the latest communication technologies,
Provide students with training in interpersonal communication skills,
Provide students with knowledge about how communication works within an organizational context.

The Master of Organizational Communication is a non-thesis degree, requiring a total of 36 semester hours of graduate credit. A minimum of twenty-seven hours must be taken in the Department of Communication, and nine hours may be taken from the prescribed courses in other departments. The selected courses examine the processes and technologies used to communicate information among businesses, schools, hospitals, and non-profit organizations, and will allow students to focus on their areas of interest.

Concentrations

Health communication
Public relations
News media
Sociology
Marketing