Courses

Open only to students appointed as MCM Fellows. Course is required of MCM fellows in the third term of their fellowship placement.  Includes formal assessment of the student by the fellowship supervisor.

Open only to students appointed as MCM Teaching Interns. Each selected student assists a faculty member with delivery and student evaluation of an undergraduate course.

Open only to students appointed as MCM Teaching Interns. Each selected student assists a faculty member with delivery and student evaluation of an undergraduate course.

Recommended for students without significant experience in complex organizations.  Requires 150 hours of supervised professional practice in an approved organizational setting, with supervisor assessment and student report required.

Recommended for students without significant experience in complex organizations. Requires 150 hours of supervised professional practice in an approved organizational setting, with supervisor assessment and student report required.

Recommended for students without significant experience in complex organizations. Requires 300 hours of supervised professional practice in an approved organizational setting, with supervisor assessment and student report required.

Open only to students appointed as MCM Fellows.  Course is required of MCM fellows in the fourth term of their fellowship placement.  Includes formal assessment of the student by the fellowship supervisor.

Open only to students appointed as MCM fellows. Elective course for MCM Fellows for summer placement.  Includes formal assessment of the student by the fellowship supervisor. 

Focused readings or research conducted independently by student.  Arranged with and approved by faculty sponsor and program director.

This course aims to provide deeper insight into the contested phenomenon of globalization, its implications for today’s organizations, and the role of communication in processes of global organizing.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand and critique organizational and social theory on globalization.
• Have increased awareness of the complexities of organizing across various boundaries and the role of communication in this process.
• Analyze the implications of globalization for today's organizations, including both corporations and non-profits, governmental and private.
• Apply the theory and research discussed to challenges faced (or caused) by real global organizations and teams.

This course explores a variety of approaches to conflict and the relevant contexts within which conflict management occurs. It covers three major areas of study: conflict theories, styles and approaches; mitigating and managing conflict; and conflict resolutions.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Describe theories and research related to conflict management.
2. Examine the role of communication in conflict and conflict management processes.
3. Analyze the components of conflict that lead to constructive or destructive communication patterns.
4. Evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of strategies, methods, and responses for a given conflict situation.
5 Critique strategies for effective conflict management or mitigation of a given situation.

Theory, concepts, methods, and analysis for understanding and applying social networks to organizational contexts.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Use networks as a theoretical framework for their own research.
• Use network analysis as a research technique (e.g., how to gather the data, identify relevant concepts, how to analyze and represent the data).
• Explain how network concepts apply to theories or topics of interest to the student.
• Analyze relationships in terms of social networks and organization theory.
• Synthesize organizational and networks theories and concepts.
• Use computer software to manage raw network data and then conduct various network analyses on it.

These courses involve assisting a faculty member with ongoing research projects.

Examination of group and organizational leadership from a communicative perspective, integrating both theory and current practice. Topics of focus include leadership roles relative to organizational culture, diversity, organizational assessment, support technology, organizational change, ethics, and leadership and organizational development. The course includes informational and experiential learning approaches.

This course focuses in how decision-making happens within and between organizations. The course focuses on how communicative action and communication networks shape decision-making processes and outcomes. The course addresses the design of effective decision-making systems. Topics in include individual & group decision-making, problem-solving, conflict management, decision and negotiation support systems, decision-making in virtual and networked organizations, and the role of technology in decision-making.

The key issues explored in this course concern the management of interorganizational relationships and projection of organizational reputation, image, and identity to external audiences. The course begins with identification and specification of the external environment(s) of organizations. Readings and discussion explore interorganizational relationships, boundary-spanning communication, and management of external stakeholder relationships.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify key concepts related to IORs; organizational environments; and stakeholder relationships. 
• Describe important established relationships among these concepts and to argue for the important roles of communication in maintaining, altering, and dissolving IORs and stakeholder relationships. 
• Describe important research findings that describe communication and organizational dynamics related to IORs and stakeholder relationships.
• Synthesize the literature on these subjects to support an original argument regarding these issues. 
• Translate the theory and research findings into practice and apply the general scholarship to a specific situation.

This course is an advanced masters-level course focused on the diverse array of topics studies in organizational communication research. We will examine the role of communication in issues of socialization and identification; power, conflict and control; decision making and leadership; ethics, performance, and feedback; turnover, burnout, and exit; culture; structure and networks; as well as image and reputation. It is based on theory and research, but will also address application.

Development of familiarity with the major theoretical and research orientations to the study of organizational culture. How the construction and management of "culture" is related to power, the representation of interests, decision making, productivity, personnel development, and social well-being. Investigate cross-cultural relations and cultural change related to global organizational developments.

Analysis and preparation of case studies in industry, labor, education, government, and trade organizations, and the application of public relations techniques.

This course will provide a theoretical orientation to communication processes in social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wikis, and virtual worlds such as Second Life). Readings will be selected from a variety of disciplines, with a major emphasis on mediated communication theory and phenomena. Topics discussed include issues of self-presentation, identity, privacy, youth and social media, political participation, social networks, social capital, virtual worlds, collective action, uses of social media in the workplace. Methodological and ethical approaches to studying social media data will also be discussed.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand and engage with communication theory and empirical research relevant to understanding the emerging field of social media.
• Analyze the implications of social media for interpersonal relationships, organizations, and society more broadly, by drawing on theory, case studies, and real-world examples.
• Contribute to knowledge of social media through original research.
• Learn to use online tools to more effectively manage online self-presentation and social networks.

The focus of this course is on being able to clearly communicate the "why" behind each of the four steps in the Public Relations process - Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. The course will focus on three essential components of PR strategy: informed campaign design, clear messaging, and efficient measurement and evaluation. In addition, the course will address the changing nature of the industry and the challenges and opportunities presented that require PR practitioners to be proactive and flexible regarding strategy.  The course is designed to teach advanced public relations skills and features readings, discussion, research, and practice in public relations. It builds on the public relations knowledge and techniques studied in previous courses, therefore requires higher-level/ critical thinking and evaluation and clear application of concepts.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand, identify, and discuss how PR strategy drives and is implemented in the public relations process.
• Examine ethical, legal, and management issues that can affect strategy decisions.
• Create elements of PR campaigns, both tactical and strategic.
• Demonstrate PR best practice principles through proposals and presentations.

This course explores various approaches to ethical behaviors and decision-making and applies them to diverse aspects of strategic communication in professional settings. Students will learn to discern a wide variety of ethical issues concerning communication behavior, apply systematic ethical analysis to various organizational situations, and clearly explain their analyses. The course applies abstract principles to specific cases in applied ethics (deductive approach) as well as using a bottom-up (inductive approach) in developing students’ ethical decision-making skills. Students will use the learned knowledge of moral decision-making and begin exploring contemporary topics in strategic communication ethics, such as political communication, public relations, advertising, marketing and health communication.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Discuss individual and organizational ethics principles and decision-making.
• Identify ethical communication practices.
• Discuss U.S. laws impacting organizational communication.
• Examine ethical and legal issues in organizational communication.
• Identify and recognize their own ethical and moral foundation. 
• Affirm or modify their personal foundation in the light of the class work and discussions.
• Apply their personal framework to a series of ethical decisions made by individuals, leaders, and managers in the contemporary United States.

Principles and practices in organizational communication and quality assessment in industry, health care, government, and education. Topics include: surveys (communication audits and inventories), Baldrige-based assessment (criteria and application), interpretive approaches (historical analysis, participant observation, and in-depth and focus-group interviewing), and message analysis (content and interaction).

Applications and policy implications of innovative communication and information-processing technology in business, government, and education; emphasis on political, economic, and legal aspects.

(Below are some topics courses that have been offered in the last few years)

Work and Technology
This class examines key issues at the intersection of communication technology use and organizational worksites, including privacy/surveillance, collaboration, virtual work, and work-life balance. Special emphasis is given to organizational and technology policies in these areas.

Understanding, Designing, and Building Social Media
Now offered as 17:194:546