Graduate Program: Professional Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication Applications are being accepted for the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (UO SOJC) master’s program in Portland, Oregon. The master's degree will provide working professionals in public relations, advertising, and allied communication fields such as marketing, corporate communication, and organizational communication with management-level credentials needed to lead campaign teams, to manage communication programs, and to advance in their careers.

The program is designed as a part-time program with students taking a maximum of nine credits per term.  Classes meet evenings and weekends in downtown Portland at the UO SOJC Turnbull Center at 70 NW Couch St. (in the UO White Stag Building located at First and Couch).  Students can complete the 46-credit program in two academic years (six terms) by taking seven to nine course credits for each of six terms; final credits are obtained through a final project/portfolio course.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Journalism: Strategic Communication master’s coursework encompasses four programmatic cores:
-- A strategic communication graduate core
-- A business core with an emphasis on marketing and management
-- A mass communication core
-- A professional specialization elective core

This approach provides communications graduate students with business school coursework that is currently not available in many journalism graduate programs.  The general course framework for the master’s program is as follows:

• Strategic Communication Core (12 credits)
• Strategic Communication Research and Planning – 4 credits
• Creativity in Strategic Communication – 4 credits
• + One of the following:
• Advertising Media Planning – 4 credits
• Advanced Public Relations Writing – 4 credits
• Agency Account Management — 4 credits

• Business Core (11 credits)
• Intro to Marketing – 3 credits
• Intro to Management – 3 credits
• Marketing Communication – 3 credits
• Topics in Finance for Communication Professionals – 2 credits

• Journalism/Mass Communication Core (18 credits)
• Mass Communication and Society – 4 credits
• Foundations of Strategic Communication (program overview, relevant persuasion, social influence and communication theory) – 4 credits
• Communication Research Methods – 4 credits
• Terminal Project – 6 credits (capstone course requiring applied research to develop a strategic communication plan).

• Professional Specialization Elective Core - Select three, two-credit workshops (6 credits total; Corporate Social Responsibility is required; two others may be elected)
• Strategic Communication Workshops:
• Corporate Social Responsibility is strongly recommended
• Advanced Issues in Advertising and Marketing
• Crisis Communication
• Creativity in Business
• Global Communication Operations
• Financial and Investor Relations
• Managing Political Communication
• Marketing Communication in Health Care
• Marketing for Technology Companies
• Media Relations
• Professional Presentations
• Online Communities and Consumer Generated Media (CGM)

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The Professional Master's in Strategic Communication is designed for full-time Portland area professionals  who work in communication fields such as corporate communication, marketing, advertising, and public relations. Our most successful students have an academic background and/or several years of professional experience in communications. It is crucial to have a BA degree from an accredited university. As this is a program for mid-career professionals, evidence of current involvement in the design and/or implementation of strategic communication plans is desirable. We encourage students to consider how elements of our program will meet individual career goals. Students will work hard during their studies and complete a capstone project near the end of the degree; self-directed, motivated and organized students will excel in the program.

Application requirements are on the SOJC website and are essentially the same for all of our graduate programs: statement of intent; undergraduate transcripts; letters of reference; GRE (or comparable test) scores; resume; professional work samples (such as: writing samples from your current job that focus on persuasive communication that could include advertisements, press releases, brochures, sales letters, presentations, and strategic recommendations.) The selection committee for the program will place the greatest emphasis on professional work experience, statement of intent, and undergraduate grades/achievement.

Cost for the Professional Master's in Strategic Communication is the same as for Eugene-based graduate programs. The calendar is the same as for Eugene-based programs. See the UO Graduate School for information.

APPLICATION MATERIALS
We welcome inquiries about our program or the application process. Screening of applicants for the 2010/2011 academic year will begin February 1, 2010. Information about applying to the UO SOJC graduate program is available at jcomm.uoregon.edu/graduate/how-to-apply

Applications to the program can be accepted for review without current GRE (or comparable test) scores as long as the test is scheduled and that information is included in the application.  The UO no longer accepts hard copies of the Graduate Admission Application.  All applications must be submitted online.

ADDITIONAL UO GRADUATE INFORMATION
UO bulletin and course catalog:
creativepubs.uoregon.edu/bulletin

Tuition and fee information:
financialaid.uoregon.edu/Cost

UO graduate information:
gradschool.uoregon.edu

Typical course of study sequence:
PDX_StratCommMA.pdf

Tuition Estimator:
registrar.uoregon.edu/common/tuition/tuition_estimator

QUESTIONS AND MAILING LIST
For more information about the graduate program, please contact Yvonne Lewis, Executive Assistant, at (503) 412-3662 or ylewis@uoregon.edu.

  To receive ongoing information about the program, please sign up for the mailing list!