Program Overview

Program Overview

The Certificate in Strategic Communication provides essential skills for designing, implementing, and managing business communications programs for a range of corporate, agency, and nonprofit organizations. Students in the program learn to coordinate internal and external communications. Program components help students implement programs personally, manage in-house resources, or direct external teams of communications professionals.

Program Description

This program provides in-depth instruction in writing, editing, and presentation along with analysis of critical concepts in communications research, management, marketing, advertising, public relations, technology, and media (traditional and new) and how these functions relate to each other in the creation of effective organizational communications.

Program Requirements

• Required courses: 9 units
  • CAPS-COMM 2000: Foundations of Communications (3 units)
  • CAPS-COMM 2230: Integrated Strategic Communications (3 units)
  • CAPS-COMM 3010: Market Research and Communications Strategies (3 units)
• Electives: 6 units, chosen from the following:
  • CAPS-COMM 3440: Public Relations Principles and Practices (3 units)
  • CAPS-COMM 3630: Crisis Communications (3 units)
  • CAPS-COMM 3710: Digital Communications Analytics (3 units)

Program Details

• The program is offered either mostly or fully online.
• Students entering the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 Visa must enroll in a program full time.
• F-1 students are only permitted to enroll in one online course per semester, and J-1 students may only enroll in non-credit online courses that do not count toward their degree program.
• WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) cannot guarantee face-to-face enrollment options each semester of full-time enrollment, therefore cannot issue an I-20 or DS 2019 to F-1 and J-1 students for this program.

Additional Courses

A variety of additional courses are available, including but not limited to:

• CAPS-COMM 1120: Protect Yourself: Personal Digital Security
• CAPS-COMM 1996: Communications Elective - 100 Level
• CAPS-COMM 2010: Writing for Business Communication
• CAPS-COMM 2016: Search Engine Optimization Strategies
• CAPS-COMM 2017: Oral Communication
• CAPS-COMM 2050: Introduction to Public Speaking
• CAPS-COMM 2051: Introduction to Public Speaking
• CAPS-COMM 2080: Professional Writing, Speaking, and Presentation
• CAPS-COMM 2090: Website Design and Development
• CAPS-COMM 2100: Introduction to Journalism
• CAPS-COMM 2210: Marketing Communications
• CAPS-COMM 2250: Fundamentals of Public Affairs: Messaging Strategies, Public Policy and Advocacy
• CAPS-COMM 2260: Black Voices and Crusading Journalists: Frederick Douglass to Oprah
• CAPS-COMM 2996: Communications Elective - 200 Level
• CAPS-COMM 3008: Website Design: Principles and Practice
• CAPS-COMM 3020: Digital Paid Media
• CAPS-COMM 3031: Organizational Communication
• CAPS-COMM 3050: Social Media for Public Relations
• CAPS-COMM 3060: Making the Cut: Editing Digital Video
• CAPS-COMM 3080: Sports Reporting and Writing
• CAPS-COMM 3110: Advanced Web Site Design and Development
• CAPS-COMM 3330: Technology for Managers: Tools and Strategies
• CAPS-COMM 3440: Public Relations Principles and Practices
• CAPS-COMM 3452: Effective Editing
• CAPS-COMM 3630: Crisis Communications
• CAPS-COMM 3650: Communications Technology and New Media
• CAPS-COMM 3680: The Business of Communications
• CAPS-COMM 3700: Politics of Encryption: Snowden, Surveillance, and the Fourth Amendment
• CAPS-COMM 3710: Digital Communications Analytics
• CAPS-COMM 3999: Independent Study in Communications
• CAPS-COMM 4050: Topics in Public Relations
• CAPS-COMM 4161: Communications Ethics and the Law
• CAPS-COMM 4600: Topics in Communications and Journalism
• CAPS-COMM 4994: Internship in Public Relations and Advertising
• CAPS-COMM 4999: Independent Study

Program Policies

• For information on academic policies, tuition, and financial information, please refer to the School of Continuing & Professional Studies' policies and guidelines.