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What is the Global Strategic Communications Program?
By: Annapurna Ghosh
Strategic Communications means infusing communications efforts with an agenda and a master plan. Typically, that master plan involves promoting the brand of an organization, urging people to do specific actions, or advocating particular legislation. It can refer to both a process and to a specific job title. The term “strategic communications” has become popular over the last two decades. Due to this reason, a few forward-looking universities in the US came up with this unique, one of a kind and integral program called the Global Strategic Communications Program.
The Universities providing this professionally focussed program are:
- The Florida International University
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Georgetown University
- University of Florida
- Loyola University Chicago
The Florida International University: The FIU’s Department of Communications has:
Global Strategic Communications
This program gives students a global perspective in strategic communications to help them prepare for advancement in advertising, public relations, and integrated communications careers. The management track provides knowledge and understanding for addressing global, national, and local audiences and communication issues. Its curriculum reflects the evolving global climate, with international and global elements in branding, copywriting, social media, management, crisis, among others. Each track culminates with a professional project.
Global Strategic Communications – Creative (FIU + MAS)
The Global Strategic Communication Program creative track is a 39-credit program leading to a Master of Science in Mass Communication degree. This interdisciplinary program combines FIU’s Global Strategic Communication graduate curriculum in communication theory, research and strategy, with Miami Ad School’s (MAS) advanced skills curriculum in Copywriting and Art Direction.
The program’s overall objective is to train the best creative minds with the skills and knowledge necessary to analyze a business issue and recommend the best creative marketing communication solution.
Requirements for the course:
Ideal applicants must have completed a 4-year Bachelor degree from an accredited academic institution and want to further develop their creative skills. When you successfully complete the program, you will graduate with a Master of Science degree in Mass Communication granted by a top-ranked academic institution and a portfolio, real-world experience and huge network of industry contacts through a highly awarded and recognized creative school (i.e. Miami Ad School).
FIU also has an online GSC Program.
Global Strategic Communications – Online
Advance your communications career in the international marketplace with FIU’s fully online Mass Communication: Global Strategic Communications (GSC) Track master’s program. The GSC track prepares graduates to be globally-minded and socially responsible communication leaders and innovators at the highest levels of corporate, government and non-profit organizations. Our professionally focused master’s program can be completed in one year, preparing students for expanded opportunities in advertising, public relations and integrated communications, while enhancing performance in their current communication roles.
The FIU’s Department of Journalism and Media has the
GSC Management Track
This program gives students a global perspective in strategic communications to help them prepare for advancement in advertising, public relations, and integrated communications careers. The management track provides knowledge and understanding for addressing global, national, and local audiences and communication issues. Its curriculum reflects the evolving global climate, with international and global elements in branding, copywriting, social media, management, crisis, among others. Each track culminates with a professional project.
This program is a 30-credit course of study leading to a Master of Science in Mass Communication. The program teaches communications theory and strategy, not necessarily technical skills. You will learn to analyze organizations’ business problems and recommend communications solutions using an array of communications strategies. You will learn an audience-focused, data-driven approach to communicating with publics. It is an interdisciplinary program that emphasizes strategic planning and the integration of marketing communications and all communications tools.
The program is a good fit for:
Someone with an undergraduate degree in communications who wants to expand his/her knowledge for career advancement;
Managers who have received communication responsibilities and want to enhance their practical experience with strategic and theoretical knowledge as well as research skills, and;
People who want to prepare to enter the communications field from another career. For those individuals, additional preparation before entering the program is recommended.
Florida Institute of Technology: Train for varied careers in corporate communications.
A global strategic communication degree from Florida Tech stresses research-based papers, academic articles, formal reports and proposals; revising and editing technical, scientific and managerial documents; designing and publishing professional quality documents; and problem-solving and communication-oriented decision making in collaborative team environments.
Georgetown University:
Georgetown’s Executive Master of Professional Studies (EMPS) in Global Strategic Communications (GSC) is designed for communications executives and leaders across a wide range of industries. Participants are immersed in a dynamic learning environment, where they have the opportunity to engage with other senior-level communicators, enhance their leadership and business competencies, and gain additional insights into global communications—all without interrupting their careers.
Integrating online learning with collaborative on-site residencies, this yearlong program takes participants around the world to explore diverse communications challenges. The GSC executive master’s degree prepares communicators to address challenges, seize opportunities, and lead with confidence in an ever-changing market.
University of Florida:
The college of Journalism and Communications of the University of Florida provides the GSC program.
The global strategic communication graduate certificate is a tremendous opportunity for working professionals to learn skills and gain insight to assist in their careers.
Loyola University Chicago:
The master’s program in Global Strategic Communication is a professionally focused, non‑thesis, two-year program culminating in a Master of Science degree (MS). It is designed for communication professionals or recent graduates who want to gain a competitive professional edge by enhancing their digital fluency, honing their writing and analytical skills, increasing their business literacy and leadership abilities, and developing a global perspective. The program is expected to be especially useful for communicators who want to move into leadership positions or to build or advance their careers on the global stage.
Why Strategic Communication?
Communication professionals increasingly work across, rather than in, the traditional silos of public relations, advertising, and digital and social media—a trend likely to grow in strength and importance in the future. Strategic communication synthesizes digital and social media, public relations and advertising to communicate the best messages through the most effective channels to the right audiences to meet communication objectives tied to organizational goals. Strategic communication can thus be a potent tool for change: connecting, educating, motivating and advocating.
Why Global?
As more corporations become multinational, and as issues become worldwide in focus, communication professionals work in an increasingly interconnected world. Communicators need to know how to navigate this environment by understanding the range of stakeholders and creating culturally relevant and sensitive messages and campaigns to engage them.
The Global Strategic Communications Program is no less than a commitment. By the end of the program, students will have all the necessary tools required by them in today’s World of Communication. It is a combination of many things like the Masters in Mass Communication, Strategic Communications (keeping in mind the Global aspect) plus the Creativity and tools required to accomplish the desired result or getting across the message to the Global audience.
