Academic Catalog 2023-2024 
    
    Sep 24, 2023  
Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Strategic Communication Major


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The Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication prepares students with the professional skills they need for careers in public relations, strategic communication, marketing, and digital media. The Strategic Communication major is unique, offering a broad educational framework for professional and career roles in churches, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations wishing to communicate effectively in the new digital environment. A degree in Strategic Communication enables graduates to be digitally-savvy and able to think creatively and critically, with solid writing, visual, and technical skills, and the capacity to think strategically and biblically about the role of communication in society.

Graduates of the Strategic Communication major will be able to:

1. Identify the major theories within the field of strategic communication, and articulate the relationship between strategic communication and related fields.

2. Critically analyze strategic communication principles and practices, and conduct segmented audience analysis.

3. Produce and present innovative and responsive strategic communication campaigns.

4. Describe the history and structure of the field of strategic communication, its main actors, and future industry trends.

5. Demonstrate technical proficiency in the industry required software (Adobe Suite), audiovisual production, social media management, and graphic design.

6. Generate and present a robust portfolio of work samples, such as writing pieces, social media campaigns, strategic communication campaigns, and audiovisual materials.            

7. Demonstrate the integration of faith with communication knowledge and skills.

The Strategic Communication major has two specific emphases, Public Relations and Digital Media, as well as a general emphasis, each of which positions graduates to be on the leading edge of the changes occurring in the communication industry.

The Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication requires completion of the following 120 credits:
General Education Core (48 credit hours)
Strategic Communication Core (39 credit hours)
Electives (33 credit hours)

 

General Education Requirements (48 credit hours)


Arts and Humanities (9 credit hours)


Take one course from each of the following three academic disciplines:

Fine Arts (3 credit hours)


Choose one course from the following:

Philosophy (3 credit hours)


Biblical Studies (12 credit hours)


Take the following four courses (some courses are cross-listed and only one prefix needs to be taken):

Integrative Studies (3 credit hours)


Please see the First-Year Integration (FYI)  page for specific information about this required course.

Mathematics (3 credit hours)


Social Sciences (12 credit hours)


Take each of the following four courses:

Strategic Communication Major (39 credit hours)


Strategic Communication Emphases (12 credit hours)


Choose one of the three Strategic Communication Emphases below.

General Emphasis (12 credit hours)


Choose 12 credit hours from the following; may not be duplicated course chosen in the core, at least 6 upper-level credits (300-level or higher):

Digital Media Emphasis (12 credit hours)


Public Relations Emphasis (12 credit hours)


Choose 12 credit hours from the following; may not be duplicated course chosen in the core.

Graduation Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication


The faculty recommends students in the B.A. in Strategic Communication to the Board of Trustees as candidates for graduation when they have completed the following requirements.

  1. Completion of a total of 120 credits, including all general education, electives and Strategic Communication major program requirements.
  2. A letter grade of D or better and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in all CCU coursework, and a GPA of 2.0 or higher for all courses specified for the major.
  3. Completion of 180 hours of ministry/community service and 180 chapel credits. Transfer students are required to complete 45 hours of ministry/community service and 45 chapel credits each year of attendance at CCU. For further details on ministry/community service, see the Life Directions Center (LDC)  section of this catalog. For further details on chapel credits, see the Student Life  section of this catalog.
  4. Meet the CCU Residency requirements 
  5. Acceptable performance on exit exams, as required by the faculty.
  6. Formal and timely application for graduation by the date specified by the University Registrar.
  7. No outstanding financial obligation to the University.

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