Integrated Strategic Communication Certificate (Online)

This fully online, interdisciplinary graduate certificate in Integrated Strategic Communication confers essential skills in the use of data for designing, implementing, and managing brand communication programs on digital platforms. Its curriculum is designed for practitioners in every discipline and at every stage of their career, from recent graduates to seasoned corporate, agency, nonprofit, or small business workers. Ideal for busy professionals who want to advance their careers by deploying content marketing, advertising, public relations, data analytics, and social media and digital strategies, the Online Graduate Certificate in Integrated Strategic Communication is offered in collaboration with the Information Communication Technology (ICT) program in the UK College of Communication and Information. 

After completing this graduate certificate, students’ core competencies will include:

• Developing high-performing integrated strategic communication plans using well-executed digital strategies;
• Consulting on the best practices of search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising, social media/mobile and email marketing;
• Transforming data into meaningful insights through Google Analytics, social media sentiment analysis, and social network analysis;
• Building an integrated digital media campaign through real-world simulations;
• Applying social media core concepts as they pertain to public relations and advertising to consult with organizations;
• Creating social and digital messages for organizations based on a set strategy and specified targeted audiences; and
• Evaluating the effectiveness of digital and social messages for brands and organizations.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the online Graduate Certificate in Integrated Strategic Communication requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher or an international credential deemed equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree. GRE/GMAT is not required for admission. Applicants for whom English is not the native language must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores in accordance with the minimums established by the graduate school.

Degree Requirements

To earn the ISC graduate certificate, students must successfully complete 12 hours of coursework selected from the courses below. You may choose any combination of the following courses to tailor the certificate to your specific professional needs:

• ISC 561 : Digital Strategies in ISC/ 3
• ISC 571 : Integrated Strategic Communication in Corportate Social Responsibility/ 3
• ISC 562 : User Experience Research and Design/ 3
• ISC 563 : Social Media Strategy/ 3
• ISC 564 : Search Engine Campaign (SEO and Online Display Advertising)/ 3
• ISC 597 : Advanced Special Topics in ISC. Subtitle Required/ 3
• ICT 661  Introduction to Data Science. (Same as LIS 661)/ 3
• ICT 662 : Data Analysis and Visualization/ 3