Our certificate of strategic communication program is designed so that students earn
the certificate in three semesters as a part-time student. The cost of completing
the certificate will vary, depending on how many hours the certificate-seeker enrolls
in each semester, but you can learn more about the LSU fee schedule.
To be considered, you must have the following:
- A cumulative 3.0 undergraduate GPA (transcripts from all undergraduate institutions
must be submitted)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
For 2024 international degree requirements, please visit https://www.lsu.edu/graduateschool/admissions/international_admissions.php.
There is not a word limit or requirement for the statement of purpose. However, statements
should go beyond what is available in a transcript and resume.
- What are your goals?
- Why and how do you think this MMC program is the best one to help you achieve those
goals?
- Are there any faculty members you would like to work more closely with?
The statement should help us learn more about you that we may not be able to learn
from your transcript or resume.
Sometimes, applicants will submit a supplemental statement if there is more they wish
us to know about their previous educational experiences, but this is not required.
Applicants should not share personal or private information in this statement, but
can generally contextualize previously earned grades or challenges they may have faced
in former programs of study.
There is not a word or page limit for writing samples. Prospective students have varied
backgrounds and goals. So, we remain open to the range of writing samples. Examples
include but are not limited to the following:
- portfolios
- journalistic stories
- honors theses
- class papers
- published works
You do not have to submit a sample of scholarly writing if you do not plan to pursue
the scholarly track. We recommend submitting the strongest samples you have that demonstrate
your written communication skills and/or the interests you intend to pursue while
a student in the program.
When you complete the online application:
- Make sure you choose Mass Communication as your degree program (NOT Communication
Studies)
- The LSU institution code for the GRE and TOEFL is 6373
- Encourage your recommenders to submit letters to the online system
- A writing sample and a statement of purpose are required as part of the online application
Domestic Students:
- Fall Admission: June 1
- Spring Admission: November 15
- No summer admission
- We accept applications on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.
International Students:
Fall Admission: April 15
Spring Admission: October 1
No summer admission
We accept applications on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.
start your online application today
I. Core Required Courses (9 hours)
- MC 7042: Foundations of Strategic Communication (3) Fall Only
- Overview of strategic communication, concentrating on theory, research, planning,
implementation and evaluation; how professionals use advertising, public relations,
social media and marketing to develop integrated messages for a variety of audiences.
- MC 7043: Strategic Communication Campaigns (3) Spring Only
- Pre-requisite: Credit in MC 7042
- Conceptualization and practice of strategic communication in a variety of settings;
students use principles and contemporary practices to implement campaigns aimed at
aligning and advancing organizational and stakeholder goals.
- MC 7019: Emerging Media: Theory, Application, and Effects (3)
- Policy and Technology (Emerging Media). Think of this class as your primer on all
things digital. We will focus on studying emerging media effects on culture, economics,
politics and the presentation of news. Taught in the newly constructed Social Media
Analysis & Creation (SMAC) Lab.
II. Two Mass Communication Electives (6 hours)
- Certificate students can take any graduate-level mass communication course. Elective
courses taken by previous certificate students include but are not limited to the
following:
- MC 7018: Legal Problems of the Mass Media
- MC 7032: Health & Science Communication
- MC 7033: Race & Gender in Political Communication
- MC 7040: Crisis Communication
- MC 7041: Political Communication Writing
- MC 7044: Visual Communication
- MC 7999: Special Topics in Mass Communication
