University Senate                                                                     

Proposed: April 3, 2009

Adopted: by voice vote without dissent

RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A NEW PROGRAM LEADING TO
THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE
(SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION)

WHEREAS,                 Columbia University provides a part-time Master of Science program in Strategic Communications directed at industry professionals with three to five years of experience, and

WHEREAS,                 Columbia is the only elite institution in the U.S. that offers a graduate degree in strategic communications, and

WHEREAS,                 there is a demand for a similar but full-time program to serve entry-level communications professionals who need training in critical thinking, evaluating information, and logic, and

WHEREAS,                 the proposed degree builds on the intellectual strength and faculty resources of the current M.S. in Strategic Communications,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED       that the Senate establish the program leading to the degree of Master of Science in Communications Practice in the School of Continuing Education, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED            that the Senate forward this resolution to the Trustees for appropriate action.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED            that the Education Committee will review the program in five years.

                                                                        Proponent:

                                                                        Committee on Education

SUMMARY

PROPOSAL FOR MS DEGREE IN COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE   (SCE)

New York City is the communications capital of the world. In addition to the advertising and public relations agencies that are headquartered here, media companies make their home in NYC, creating enormous opportunities for communications professionals at every level.

Research indicates that employers in the industry demand two, essential skills, namely the ability to think critically and the capacity to write in a concise, clear, and persuasive manner. 

Columbia’s existing MS in Strategic Communications develops these skills in students with 3-5 years of industry experience and instruction incorporates that experience into the classroom.  Columbia is the only elite institution in the US that offers a graduate degree in strategic communications.  In its seventh year, the program is highly regarded, having graduated and placed more than 170 students.

The proposed MS builds on the intellectual strength and faculty resources of the MS in Strategic Communications. The School presently receives inquiries from a less experienced group of prospective students, almost all of whom are recently out of college or new to the communications industry.  These students are looking for an advanced degree program in order “to jump-start” their career.  The MS in Strategic Communications cannot serve these students for a range of reasons:  the prospective students need to hone their analytical and expository skills; the prospective students are not yet equipped to engage in a discussion of strategic issues at the same level as the more experienced group, given their lack of professional experience; and while the existing program is part-time, prospective students are, in fact, looking for and/or in need of a full-time program of study.

The proposed MS program targets recent graduates who aspire to entry level positions in the communications industry. The curriculum grounds students in the principles of critical thinking, evaluating information, and logic. Students also study elements of human behavior in business, focusing on persuasion and motivation.  Through an engagement with current events, students become media literate and develop a sharper as well as more nuanced understanding of the world of mass communications. 

The 42 pt. program is a four-semester full-time program with 11 required courses, a required 3-credit industry internship, and two 3-credit courses which enable students to specialize in one of four areas of practice.

• Sample Program Scheduling

Using the appropriate table on this or the following page, show the sequencing and scheduling of courses and credits in the program, by semester or quarter/trimester, for the first full cycle of the program (for example, four semesters for a traditionally-structured associate degree).  Include additional semesters if offered on a part- time basis. These pages may be duplicated as needed.

Table for semester programs

*Program Elective