Course Descriptions
First Term
- COPR K4002. The Critical Mind. 3 pts.
- COPR K4004. Winning Teams. 3 pts.
- COPR K4006. Dynamics of Persuasion. 3 pts.
- COPR K4008. The Evolving Industry. 3 pts.
Second Term
- COPR K4012. Influencing Decisions. 3 pts.
- COPR K4014. From Information to Insight. 3 pts.
- COPR K4016. The Active Audience. 3 pts.
- COPR K4018. Navigating the Digital Frontier. 3 pts.
- COPR K4020. The Strategic Storyteller. 3 pts.
Third Term (summer)
Final Term
- COPR K4030. Running Projects and Delivering Results. 3 pts.
- COPR K4035. Developing a Moral Compass. 3 pts.
- COPR K4040. Practice Seminar. 3 pts.
- COPR K4045. Portfolio Project. 3 pts.
COPR K4002. The Critical Mind. 3 pts.
Description
This course teaches the basic principles of critical thinking, information evaluation, and logic through an engagement with current events. Through thoughtful examination of the news of the day, students identify key elements, issues, and trends in communications practice. Students will also develop good media consumption habits, improve their media literacy, and come to appreciate how world events affect their profession.
COPR K4004. Winning Teams. 3 pts.
Description
This course helps students learn how to become productive contributors to, and leaders of, teams in the workplace. After establishing fundamentals for interpersonal interaction and etiquette, the course looks at how a diverse collection of talents can mesh to produce effective results. Students practice techniques for getting the most from every member of a team and from the group as a whole. Students learn about problem-solving methods, and investigate how to troubleshoot team dysfunction. The course also examines the supervisor/supervisee relationship from both sides and considers ways to optimize it.
COPR K4006. Dynamics of Persuasion. 3 pts.
Description
This course covers theories of persuasion and rhetorical approaches to building a rational case. Leveraging the knowledge gained in COPR K4002 The Critical Mind, students deconstruct and construct compelling arguments based on relevant evidence. Through clear, concise, and imaginative writing and presentation assignments, students develop effective persuasion skills.
COPR K4008. The Evolving Industry. 3 pts.
Description
This course exposes students to the variety of business contexts in which communication plays a part, and examines how well-conceived strategic communication can help organizations achieve success. The course looks at the different channels organizations use to communicate with their audiences, both internal and external; the advantages and disadvantages each channel offers; and how clients, agencies, and the media work together.
COPR K4012. Influencing Decisions. 3 pts.
Description
In this workshop-intensive course, students go beyond the reasoning and organizational principles learned in the COPR K4006 Dynamics of Persuasion to consider the importance of audience and the persuasive power of emotional factors. Through substantial practice—workshops in which their letters, memos and other work are critiqued and revised—students learn to tailor message delivery for particular audiences, and develop into sophisticated, effective persuaders.
COPR K4014. From Information to Insight. 3 pts.
Description
This course examines the crucial role research plays in making sound business decisions. Students learn how to find and evaluate information, conduct basic interviews, and understand and use numerical data without fear. The differences between qualitative and quantitative research are discussed. Students discover how research findings can lead to important, actionable insights.
COPR K4016. The Active Audience. 3 pts.
Description
This course tackles in detail the central communications concept of audience: how an organization’s interactions with various stakeholder groups can affect organizational performance; how organizations seek to influence the thinking, feeling, and behavior of stakeholders, especially with communications. Basic planning concepts such as vision, mission, objectives, strategies, tactics, and strategic choices are covered. Students learn reasons for targeting certain audiences; how to identify, define, and understand target audiences; how to formulate objectives for change; and how to measure changes in audience attitudes.
COPR K4018. Navigating the Digital Frontier. 3 pts.
Description
This course gives students a broad-based understanding of the scope of the digital world, which will enable them to spot trends and dynamics in the digital media landscape. It trains students to view their use of digital media in a more critical way, and gives students the conceptual understanding necessary for applying crucial digital media skills in communications practice.
COPR K4020. The Strategic Storyteller. 3 pts.
Description
This course teaches students how to craft and deliver presentations that engage audiences and inspire action. Students will learn how to find a theme that resonates with their audience and create "sticky" content through image, metaphor, emotion, and story. Particular attention will be paid to the elements of story, how to find good stories, and how to tell them for greatest effect. Presentation skills will be sharpened through on-camera practice and storytelling exercises.
COPR K4500. Summer Internships. 3 pts.
Description
The internship is a cornerstone of the program. Students are placed in New York City communications firms for a full summer to gain valuable, relevant job experience as a fully functioning member of a communications team. The internship can be an important part of students’ post-graduation job hunt, providing demonstrable, resume-expanding experiences as well as a valuable network of contacts in the field.
COPR K4030. Running Projects and Delivering Results. 3 pts.
Description
This course covers how to assess and quantify the needs and expectations of internal and external clients as well as approaches for relating to and satisfying these expectations. The course also examines the project planning and management tactics—critical path planning, budgeting basics, roles and responsibilities of team members, accountability, and troubleshooting—that deliver the results clients want.
COPR K4035. Developing a Moral Compass. 3 pts.
Description
Through a series of case studies, guest speakers, discussions, and lectures, students learn about ethics in communication and how to use moral reasoning in a variety of contexts. They learn how to defend their ethical decisions and how to deal with a variety of ethical situations in their professional lives.
COPR K4040. Practice Seminar. 3 pts.
Description
Students choose one of four specializations:
- Digital in Detail
- Communicating for Good: The Savvy Non-Profit
- Current-Edge Corporate Communications
- Nurturing a Sustainable Brand
Each course provides the tools students need to understand the larger context of each area and gives students a foundation on which to base their portfolio projects.
COPR K4045. Portfolio Project. 3 pts.
Description
The portfolio project is designed to give students practical experience in their areas of specialization, and results in professional work samples that showcase students’ skills to potential employers. Working individually or in groups, and with the guidance of the instructor, students tackle a variety of tasks through projects involving real-world clients facing real-world challenges. The course calls on all the program’s teachings, from critical thinking and teamwork through audience analysis and persuasion to project management and specialized area knowledge.
