Organizations of all types (for-profit corporations, government agencies and not-for-profits) need to build and maintain symbiotic relationships with their key stakeholders (publics). These stakeholders are both internal to an organization (such as employees and suppliers) and external (such as the mass media, government regulators, consumers, citizens and activist groups). The Master of Arts in Corporate Communication (MACC) provides students with the knowledge and skills to use communication in order to build and maintain relationships with these strategic stakeholders (publics). In addition, students will also learn to measure the quality of these relationships and its effect on the reputation of their organizations.
The MACC program is especially designed for:
- Early and mid-career practitioners of corporate communication with a desire to increase their knowledge potentially for career advancement.
- Mid-career professionals from allied disciplines such as journalism, advertising and marketing who might want to switch to corporate communication given the increased demand in this sector.
This program equips students with the conceptual knowledge and practical skills to be effective communicators whether they work for for-profit corporations or not-for-profit organizations.
Key program highlights:
- Corporate communication is fundamentally a practice, but scholarship built over the past fifty years has demonstrated that in order to be effective, this practice needs to be based on sound strategic knowledge. This program emphasizes that purposeful and effective corporate communication blends sound strategies with techniques.
- The program emphasizes the need for corporate communication to take place in a global environment because ethnocentricity in communication results in ineffectiveness in communication. Cultural sensitivity also equips graduates of the program to navigate the ethical challenges that arise in their life as communicators no matter where they practice—in Colorado, within the U.S. or internationally.
- Practicing strategic corporate communication is not possible without basing such practice on empirical evidence—whether the evidence is culled through qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. The MACC program seeks to train students on sound methodological principles thereby preparing them to be thoughtful communicators. Evidence reveals that organizational leaders appreciate, and value, communicators who bring theory and evidence-based value to organizational activities.
For more information, visit the Master of Arts in Corporate Communication website.
Requirements
Admission Requirements
The evaluation of applications is based on a set of criteria that seek to value several key qualities in students, such as professional background and experience, academic record, professional achievements, and career goals (based on a statement of purpose). The evaluation will also be guided by standards set by the Graduate School. The desired qualifications of successful applicants include:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or its equivalent.
- Professional experience in corporate communication or an allied field such as journalism, advertising or communication.
- An aptitude for corporate communication and potential to pursue academic and research-based work in the field.
- An undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75.
To apply for admission, applicants should submit:
- All academic transcripts.
- A resume or Curriculum Vitae that establishes at least 3–5 years of relevant work experience.
- A statement of purpose describing their preparation for the proposed study as well as future career path relevant to the study.
- Two letters of recommendation, including at least one professional reference.
- Evidence of proficiency in English (international students only).
- Optional: GRE or GMAT scores (even if they are older than 5 years).
Program Requirements
The Master of Arts in Corporate Communication requires 30 credits of coursework. The program consists of accelerated courses, allowing students to take only one course at a time while still completing two courses during the span of a regular semester.
CU Boulder’s Master of Arts in Corporate Communication curriculum was strategically crafted not only to be flexible and serve working professionals around the world, but also to provide the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to practice corporate communication in a globalizing environment. The program offers a focused 10-course, 30-credit curriculum consisting of: five core courses (3 credits each) and five specialty courses (3 credits each).
The courses are designed to provide students with a blend of conceptual and practical knowledge and skills that can be immediately applied in your day-to-day work.
All of the courses are required of all students because they cover the conceptual foundations of sound corporate communication. These courses orient students to theories and frameworks in public relations and corporate communication.
The specialty courses are designed to expose students to the variety of work handled by corporate communication practitioners. Corporate communication is a diverse practice with many skillset areas often divided based on the stakeholders involved: employees (internal publics who are key to an organization’s success), investors (that often invest in for-profit corporations or donors to not-for-profit organizations), media, etc.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| CCOM 5101 | Strategic Corporate Communication Management | 3 |
| CCOM 5103 | Corporate Communication and Ethics | 3 |
| CCOM 5104 | Research Methods for Corporate Communication | 3 |
| CCOM 5102 | Strategic Global Corporate Communication | 3 |
| CCOM 5105 | Measurement for Corporate Communication | 3 |
| Specialty Courses | ||
| CCOM 5106 | Internal Communication | 3 |
| CCOM 5109 | Issues Management and Public Affairs | 3 |
| CCOM 5110 | Corporate Communication and Digital and Social Media | 3 |
| CCOM 5108 | Corporate Communication Techniques and Media Relations | 3 |
| CCOM 5107 | Risk and Crisis Communication | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Learning Outcomes
Some of the learning objectives of this program are:
- To help increase students’ ability to draw abstractions of reality and assess their professional activities with critical thinking.
- To use conceptual and critical skills to develop effective oral and written communication skills.
- To negotiate cultural diversity and operate effectively in a globalized environment.
- To base one’s global communication practice on sound ethical principles and analysis thereby working for social good.
- To appreciate that effective communication is based on formative research, sound program planning, effective implementation of planned program, and sound program evaluation.
- To integrate multiple media for communication, including digital and social media.
- To develop collaboration skills and ability to work in groups.