MCM Course Descriptions

 

GRAD 703
Effectively Communicating & Collaborating (2 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Admittance to the Graduate School.
More than ever before, the ability to understand and be understood is critical for success in the corporate world. But communication is no longer limited by the narrow definitions of the past. Achieving a business leadership position today means not only being adept at both oral and written communication, but also understanding communication from a strategic point of view and knowing how to effectively organize and present information to audiences of all sizes. In this course, you will develop and refine these capabilities. In addition, you will focus on development of the interpersonal skills required for working collaboratively within the team structure so prevalent in today's enterprises. What you gain from this course will be of value throughout your graduate studies, as well as in your current job.

MCM 704
Framing the Persuasive Message (4 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Effectively Communicating & Collaborating (GRAD 703).
Communication skills are ranked as among the most important attributes of an individual. The student will develop writing skills at the business and research level, critical analysis and synthesis, rhetorical conventions, group communications and professional presentations of the quality expected of graduate students and communication professionals in the field. Additionally, effective communication framing techniques will be addressed in multiple contexts including persuasion, motivation, internal audiences and global/multicultural communication.

MCM 705
Ethics, Regulation and Society (4 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Framing the Persuasive Message (MCM 704).
Students will analyze the ethical underpinnings of how organizations are approaching current issues in marketing and communication. Students will also review key legal principles and compliance topics that affect marketing and communication. The last section of the course requires students to explore the social and economic role of marketing to sensitive target markets.

MCM 720
Behavioral Research (4 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Ethics, Regulation and Society (MCM 705).
Understanding consumer motives and actions are essential to the success of any organization. Students will explore consumer behavior, specifically analyzing consumer wants and needs and researching solutions to consumer problems. Students will learn to determine which measurements and analyses are most suited for specific situations. Areas addressed include archival research, content analysis, focus groups, surveys, and observational techniques with an emphasis on quantitative versus qualitative results.

MCM 740
Design Concepts in Marketing and Communication (4 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Framing the Persuasive Message (MCM 704).
Marketing and communication professionals are often called upon to produce brochures, web pages, and other print or electronic media, and to know design concepts used to improve these activities. The student will focus on layout, color, texture, and copy as applied to specific media and will determine how design concepts apply in order to attract a specific target audience.

MCM 771
Communication Theory and Application (4 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Framing the Persuasive Message (MCM 704).
The role of communication within organizations has expanded to meet a variety of new challenges and responsibilities. Fragmented audiences and emerging technologies require that the traditional communication model be reexamined. The communication professional must analyze audiences, understand the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of communication media and activities. Students will explore communication theories and the application of those theories to media relations, crisis management, reputation management, and special events planning from a managerial perspective.

MCM 772
Marketing Management (4 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Framing the Persuasive Message (MCM 704). Not open to students with credit for MCM 770.
Marketing has emerged as a key function within successful organizations. It is expected that the marketing professional be able to analyze their market, craft the right message, and develop and execute a plan that effectively reaches the target audience. Students will explore how to manage the marketing function within an organization, including market analysis, target marketing, branding, advertising, and marketing mix manipulation.

MCM 773
Applied Marketing and Communication Capstone (4 cr. hrs.)

Prerequisite(s): Framing the Persuasive Message (MCM 704).
Successful marketing and communication professionals are able to identify a problem or opportunity, draw on a theoretical base, and propose a creative and practical solution for implementation in a business setting. This course, the culmination of your graduate experience, provides the opportunity to apply what you have learned. Students will create a scholarly work that applies marketing and communication theory and concepts to a business or organizational setting while working under the guidance of a faculty advisor.