Communicate with purpose. Plan, develop, and deliver messages to your audiences in an informative and persuasive manner which advances group and organizational goals.

The B.A. in Strategic Communication enables students to demonstrate knowledge of how various entities such as businesses, non-profits, government agencies, and grassroots movements, as well prominent individuals and leaders, create targeted, research-based, trustworthy, and creative communication to accomplish their goals within their organizations and communities as well as external audiences. Students learn and practice various communication skills, and achieve an understanding of the work of communication strategists. Students gain knowledge regarding ethics in communication, collaboration, futuristic thinking, the media’s role in society, the influence process through messages, and how communication flows between leaders and followers in group and organizational settings. 

• Multidisciplinary Program: The program brings together Communication and Organizational Leadership to provide students with the skills and competency to understand their audience, the purpose and creation of their message, and how to strategically communicate their message in support of the organizational mission. 
• Holistic Approach to Communication: The program serves as an overarching umbrella for communication studies in the areas of public relations, advertising, and management communication. It emphasizes the strategy rather than specific tactics of communication to achieve internal and external goals of organizations, government agencies, and grassroots entities.
• Practical and Achievement Focused: The program enables students to learn how groups and entities may engage in meaningful and advance planning for long- and short-term goal achievements. Those goals and achievement strategies are purposefully communicated through transactional processes with internal stakeholders and external audiences to achieve practical results.
• Action-Oriented: Strategic communication fosters action-oriented behavior through messaging and influential messages in groups, society, government, and organizations to make strategic and informed decisions.
• Fosters Self-Efficacy: The program builds students’ self-esteem and self-confidence to become self-reliant. Through the advancement of communication skills and approaches in the areas of writing, listening, speaking, performing, presenting, persuading, and attracting that includes strategic planning, organizing, evaluating, revising, editing, and collaborating, students build their communication self-systems composed of attitudes and cognitive and affective abilities. 

Degree Requirements and Courses

View Printable Course Sheet View Guided Course Plan

RMU CORE COURSES - 39 CREDITS REQUIRED

• CSEN; or CSCM1010; or 2050    Reading & Writing Strategies; OR
• Intercultural Communications (Honors section: CSHR2050)    3
• CSEN1020    Argument & Research (Honors section: CSHR1020)    3
• CSCM1030    Public Speaking & Persuasion (Honors section: CSHR1030)    3
• CSCM2040    Professional Communication in Workplace (Honors section: CSHR2040)    3
• ECON1010    Survey of Economics (Honors section: 1015)    3
• HUMA1010    Humanities: Art and Music (Honors section: 1015)    3
• INFS1020    Fundamentals of Information Technology (Honors section: 1025)    3
• MATH; or STAT    1050; or
• 2110    Math Reasoning with Applications; or Statistics    3
• PSYC1010    General Psychology    3
• SOCI; or SOCI1010; or 1020    Principles of Sociology; or Contemporary American Social Problems (Honors section: 1025)    3
• HIST; or   POLS    ____; or 1020    History Elective    Choose from:  1100 (Honors section: 1105), 1200, 1500, 1600, 1700, or 1800; 04
• American National Government    3
• ENGL    ____    Literature Elective     Choose from 1040, 1050, 1060, 2030, 2040, 2055 (Honors section: 2065), or 2080    3
• ____    ____    Natural Science Elective    Choose from BIOL1040, BIOL1050, BIOL1060, BIOL1250, BIOL1320, CHEM1220, ENVS1140, ENVS1160, ENVS1170, GEOL1090 (HNRS: GEOL1095), GEOL1100, GEOL1130, PHYS1060, or SCIE1020    3

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION MAJOR - 51 CREDITS REQUIRED

Minimum grade of “C” required for each course

Core Courses - 9 Credits Required 

• COMM1500    Ethics, Technology and Culture    3
• COMM2030    Communication Theory    3
• COMM2900    Research Methods in Communication    3

Required Courses - 15 Credits Required

• COMM2100    Foundations in Strategic Communication    3
• COMM2800    Strategic Writing    3
• ORGL1100    Introduction to Leadership & Followership    3
• ORGL2200    Applying Personal & Interpersonal Leadership Skills    3
• SCCM4800    Strategic Communication Capstone    3

Communication Elective Courses - 15 Credits Required

Select five (5) from the following

• COMM2020    Interpersonal Communication    3
• COMM3020    Organizational Communication    3
• COMM3030    Writing For Global Marketplace    3
• COMM3120    Environmental Communication    3
• COMM3140    Health Communication Campaign    3
• COMM3150    Reputation Management    3
• COMM3160    Communication and Gender    3
• COMM3180    Risk and Crisis Communication    3
• COMM3220    Developing Coord & Executing Events    3
• COMM4800    Media Management    3

Organizational Leadership - 12 Credits Required

• ORGL1200    Diversity/Multiculturalism In Org.    3
• ORGL2000    Leadership & Popular Culture    3
• ORGL3100    Collaboration and Teams    3
• ORGL3200    Applied Group/Org. Leadership Skills    3
• ORGL3300    Power and Influence in Leadership    3
• ORGL3500    Leading Virtual Teams & Organizations    3
• ORGL3700    Leadership and Communication    3
• ORGL3900    Leadership and Sustainability    3

ELECTIVE COURSES - 30 CREDITS REQUIRED

Recommended (3-9 Credits) 

• SCCM Internship  (max of 9 credits) Minimum grade of “C” required    3-9

Open Electives (21-27 Credits) (transfer credits, minor)

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of B.A. in Strategic Communication program, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate the ways in which individuals in for-profit and nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and grassroots entities use strategic communication to achieve goals internally and externally.
• Identify the unique features of audiences and the effects of communication as a transactional process on those audiences.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the influence of messages and messaging on groups, society, government, and organizations in the environments in which they act.  
• Showcase a professional portfolio in which students applied strategic communication principles to examples, case studies, and practice activities and assignments.
• Demonstrate enhanced skills in writing, listening, speaking, and problem solving, including planning, organizing, evaluating, revising, editing, and collaborating.

Demand for Strategic Communication Professionals

Graduates of the B.A. in Strategic Communication program are prepared for careers within various types of organizations as communication specialists in roles such as

• Client Communications Manager
• Government Affairs Manager
• Communication Specialist
• Communication Coordinator
• Corporate Communications Lead
• Corporate Communications Lead
• Consumer Communications
• Integrated Systems of Communication
• Internal and External Communications
• Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Manager
• Product Communications Manager
• Social Media Director
• Strategic Communicator
• Strategic Communication Coordinator, Manger, Consultant, Director
• Strategic Communication Analyst
• Strategic Communications Lead
• Strategic Communication and Marketing
• Strategic Communication Specialist
• Strategic/Corporate Writing
• Strategic Enrollment Communications
• Technology and Communications

Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% growth in U.S. employment for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations.

The May 2020 median annual wages 

• for advertising, promotions, and market managers $141,490
  • for advertising and promotions managers $133,460
  • in the top industries for advertising and promotions managers
    • advertising, public relations, and related services $150,930
    • management of companies and enterprises $126,420
    • information $119,090
    • wholesale trade  $96,380    
  • for marketing managers $142,170
  • in the top industries for marketing managers 
    • professional, scientific, and technical services $150,840
    • finance and insurance $150,280
    • management of companies and enterprises $149,480
    • manufacturing $143,800
    • wholesale trade $134,630    

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing… (visited April 14, 2021).

Public Relations Specialists

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 7% growth in U.S. employment for public relations specialists from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations.

The May 2020 median annual wages 

• For public relations specialists $62,810
  • In the top industries for public relations specialists
    • business, professional, labor, political & similar organizations $68,610
    • government $67,590
    • advertising, public relations, and related services $64,880
    • educational services: state, local, and private $59,360

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Public Relations Specialists, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specia… (visited April 19, 2021).

Admissions and Tuition Information

• The minimum GPA is 2.75 
• Applicants with a GPA of 2.74-2.50 are considered for admission on a case by case basis.
• SAT and ACT testing scores are now optional for freshman applicants.
• Estimated Tuition
• View costs and tuition information

Scholarships, Professional Opportunities & Student Organizations

• Scholarships
• Media Association of Pittsburgh Scholarships
• Study abroad: Students may select to study a semester abroad program through the university or complete a shorter study abroad program with other RMU students through a faculty-led education abroad program.
• Internships at The Washington Center
• RMU Sentry Media, RMU Radio and RMU-TV offer opportunities for paid managerial positions.
• Work-study and scholarship opportunities
  • Academic Media Center
  • Sentry Media
• The University Honors Program

Contact Us

The School of Informatics, Humanities and Social Sciences faculty is a team of dedicated teacher-scholars, award-winning artists, practitioners, and academics who are committed to your long-term success.

Meet the Faculty

Michele Edwards, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication
Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership
Email: edwards@rmu.edu

Anthony J. Moretti, Ph.D.    
Interim Department Head
moretti@rmu.edu
412-397-6467