Online Master's in Design Management & Communications
Online Course Schedule for Summer 2024

Capstone

MPDC Capstone

Note: Core course requirement for the DMC Program, A minimum grade of "B" is required to pass. Requires successful completion of MPDC 500/5000, 520/5042, 600/5041, 550/5043, and 620/5003.

Design Bootcamp

This course introduces students to a variety of digital tools used to create effective visual designs. Students will learn how to successfully communicate and evaluate design plans and strategies with internal and external stakeholders. Topics include visual design technologies, approaches and techniques, visual trends and design intelligence, and global and cultural impacts on visual design.

Ethical Design

Visual communications and design professionals face ethical challenges that impact both personal and organizational integrity. In recognition of the overarching importance of sound ethical judgment in these fields, Georgetown MPS students start their program with a required core course in applied ethics. Students will gain a solid foundation in ethics and relate what they learn to their own professional situation through class discussions, case studies, and guest lectures conducted by industry experts. Looking at ethics through a professional lens, students are asked to explore their own values and are challenged to codify and commit to their own code of ethics in relation to a broad range of professional codes of conduct and best practices. Foundational concepts in ethics are woven throughout the program’s other courses and revisited throughout a student’s tenure in the program.

Note: Core course requirement for the DMC program. A minimum grade of "B" is required to pass.

In Search of the Big Idea

Strategic Leadership in IMC

Why are some organizations innovative and forward-thinking while others continually struggle to find a competitive advantage? In one word, the answer is leadership. Leaders determine if an organization is able to be flexible, responsive and innovative in the face of change. Yet, the majority of leaders unknowingly reward behaviors that curtail strategic thinking rather than nurture it. They confuse innovation with the creation of new products and technologies. And they miss the opportunity to create a competitive advantage in areas from fundraising and programming to marketing and communications. In this course, we will learn which leadership practices create a culture that overcomes obstacles and promotes creative problem solving. Through hands on, interactive exercises, students will develop the creativity and critical thinking skills to develop high-performing teams, construct industry-leading ideas and, ultimately, generate an enduring competitive advantage.

The Creative Brief

Visual Communications

In today’s digital world, it has become necessary for communicators to use visual tools to communicate ideas effectively. In this course, students learn how to research, apply and critique typography, color strategies, digital imaging, design principles, and visual trends. Students should have working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suites and other relevant computer programs prior to taking this course.

Note: Foundation course requirement for the DMC program. A minimum grade of "B" is required to pass.

Visual Persuasion & Promotion

Visuals can be a persuasive and powerful tool in communications. This course discusses effective strategies, tactics, and tools that are used to create persuasive and compelling visual content, messages, and products.