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 maintaining 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, not-for-profit organizations including Inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), or governments and their agencies.

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 efficacious 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 induces 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.
  • Another area of ethnocentricity that is evident in the communication field is the over-emphasis on communication by for-profit corporations. This program seeks to orient students to the diversity in values, stakeholders and communication needs of the two other types of organizations—governments and non-profits (including IGOs).
  • Practicing strategic corporate communication is not possible without basing such practice on empirical evidence—whether the evidence is culled through qualitative or quantitative methods. The MACC program seeks to train students on sound methodological principles thereby preparing them to be thoughtful communicators. Evidence also reveals that organizational leaders appreciate, and value, such communicators and so graduates are seen as adding 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.
  • Three 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 elective 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.

The five core 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 electives are designed to expose students to the variety of work handled by corporate communication practitioners. Corporate communication is a diverse practice with many specialties 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. The electives included in the list below will be offered at the outset and others will be added in the future.

Core Courses
CCOM 5101Strategic Corporate Communication Management3
CCOM 5103Corporate Communication and Ethics3
CCOM 5104Research Methods for Corporate Communication3
CCOM 5102Strategic Global Corporate Communication3
CCOM 5105Measurement for Corporate Communication3
Electives
CCOM 5106Internal Communication3
CCOM 5109Issues Management and Public Affairs3
CCOM 5110Corporate Communication and Digital and Social Media3
CCOM 5108Corporate Communication Techniques and Media Relations3
CCOM 5107Risk and Crisis Communication3
Total Credit Hours30

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.