Competencies
The goal of the executive master’s degree in communications innovation is to educate leaders who can imagine, propose, defend, promote, and successfully implement communications innovations that will promote global understanding, economic and educational development, and sustainable communities. Upon completion of the Executive Master’s degree in Communications Innovations, graduates will be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
| Creation of Innovation and Collaborative Environments | |
| Related courses | |
| Apply theories and best practices of creativity and innovation to actual market needs and organizational settings | Innovation & Collaboration; R&D Projects |
| Select and use appropriate technologies and techniques for collaboration, research, and information-sharing | Innovation and Collaboration; Emerging Media: Principles and Theories |
| Discuss systems design and design thinking approaches and compare and contrast these to other approaches of management and R&D | Innovation and Collaboration |
| Demonstrate effective teamwork, collaboration, persuasive presentation, conflict management, and project/ discussion leadership both in online and face to face environments and in various cultural contexts | Communication Theory for Global Leadership and Product Development; R&D Projects |
| Information / Story Design | |
| Discuss and apply psychological and sociological theories that inform the design of communication products and messages | Interaction and Interface Design; Consumer Behavior Theory and Application; R&D Projects |
| Critique existing and proposed communications and media projects and platforms based on principles of perception, motivation, learning, and persuasion | Interaction and Interface Design; Consumer Behavior Theory and Application |
| Apply principles of interaction and interface design to the prototyping and creation of communication products | Interaction and Interface Design |
| Create and apply methods for testing interaction and interfaces for human/computer interaction and other modes of communication | Interaction and Interface Design |
| Identify principles of storytelling as they apply to historical, traditional, and emerging media | Transmedia Storytelling |
| Create new models for storytelling based on social, technological, economic trends | Transmedia Storytelling |
| Regulation and Ethics | |
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Discuss the responsibility of communications professionals and organizations to the larger society in the context of a variety of ethical principles and apply these consistently to one’s decision-making and behaviors |
Ethics of the Media; R&D Projects |
| Use knowledge of varying ethical perspectives and government / industry regulations to evaluate current and potential communications projects | Ethics of the Media; Government Regulation of Communications; R&D Projects |
| Identify important sources of information , consultation, and advocacy regarding regulatory and ethical issues in communications | Government Regulation of Communications; Ethics of the Media |
| Discuss contemporary regulations and issues surrounding intellectual property, including copyright, licensing, trademarks, privacy, libel, etc, that impact communications and media industries around the globe and apply these in the development and assessment of communications projects | Intellectual Property and Business Contracts |
| Find and use appropriate templates and professional resources to develop valid and ethical contracts, agreements, licenses, etc | Intellectual Property and Business Contracts |
| Global Communications Entrepreneurship | |
| Compare and contrast various global economic theories and models and apply them to communications business models and the changes that are occurring in communications industries | Communication Economics and Entrepreneurship |
| Identify and implement important characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ventures | Communication Economics and Entrepreneurship; R&D Projects |
| Analyze communications projects and businesses through an understanding of budgets, annual reports, stock analyses, cash flow projections, etc. | Communication Economics and Entrepreneurship |
| Apply theories of communications and leadership to developing one’s own leadership and management style | Communication Theory for Global Leadership and Product Development |
| Discuss the impact of globalization of media industries, cultures, and workforces using appropriate research and theory | Communication Theory for Global Leadership and Product Development |
| Apply theories of sense-making, learning, communication, and behavior change in the development and critique of communications products | Communication Theory for Global Leadership and Product Development |
| Identify emerging trends and best practices in communication products , platforms, genres, and business models | Communication Theory for Global Leadership and Product Development; Emerging Media Principles and Theories |
| Develop one’s own professional network and sources of continuing learning | Selected Topics Courses; entire curriculum |
| Data-based Decision-Making | |
| Identify and use appropriate audience research tools and sources and apply these to making relevant decisions about current and potential communications projects or products | Audience Research Tools and Sources |
| Select and apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques to business decision-making | Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis and Decision-Making |
| Apply theories and research on consumer behavior to marketing plans | Audience Research Tools; Consumer Behavior Theory and Application; R&D Project |