Program Overview

Professional Communication Program

The Professional Communication program at DePaul University is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the field of professional communication. The program offers a range of courses that cover various aspects of professional communication, including communication roles, organizational environments, and changing workforce dynamics.

Course Descriptions

The program includes the following courses:

• PROCMN 500: Professional Communication Orientation and Residency I - This multiple-day immersive residency orients new incoming students to university, college, and program resources, faculty, and staff.
• PROCMN 501: The Future of Professional Communication - This course provides an introduction to the field of professional communication, examining communication roles, organizational environments, and changing workforce dynamics.
• PROCMN 510: Digital Media Skills for Professional Communication - This course introduces techniques and tools for communication professionals to effectively communicate creative ideas, organize and facilitate online meetings, create digital and multimedia products, and devise strategies suitable for social media engagement and event planning.
• PROCMN 520: Writing for Professional Communication Careers - This course aligns with the demands on communications professionals to produce clear, clean, concise copy quickly and efficiently.
• PROCMN 530: Professional Communication Law, Policy, and Ethics - This course provides an overview of key areas of law and policy relevant to Professional Communication, including analysis of the ethical issues that permeate those legal issues.
• PROCMN 540: Research Methods and Insights for Professional Communication - This course covers applied quantitative and qualitative methods for internal and external research.
• PROCMN 550: Effective Communication in Teams - This course offers communication practitioners the skills they need to build, manage, and evaluate team projects within an organizational context.
• PROCMN 560: Topics in Professional Communication - This course examines a broad range of topics related to professional communication.
• PROCMN 570: Effective Communication with Employees - This course offers communication practitioners critical insights and skills for effective communication with employees.
• PROCMN 580: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Professional Communication - This course is designed to equip professionals with a comprehensive foundation and applied skill set for fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the contemporary workplace.
• PROCMN 590: Chief Communications Officer: Advising and Counseling Leadership - This course examines the roles, responsibilities, and competencies of the Chief Communications Officer and other senior communications professionals.
• PROCMN 599: Professional Communication Final Project and Residency II - In this capstone course, students will exhibit their learnings through producing a professionally oriented final project plan that addresses a professional communication challenge or opportunity and helps advance their career goals.

Program Details

• The program is designed for graduate students.
• Status as a Professional Communication student or department consent is a prerequisite for most classes.
• The program includes a combination of immersive residencies, coursework, and a final project.
• The final project allows students to apply their knowledge and skills to a real-world communication challenge or opportunity.
• The program covers a range of topics, including digital media skills, writing, law and policy, research methods, team communication, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.