Master's in Public Relations & Corporate Communications
On-Campus Course Schedule for Spring 2025

Cause Consulting

Cause Consulting is a signature course in the PRCC program. It offers a cohort of students an applied learning experience by working collaboratively in small consulting teams to refine and implement communications plans for social impact clients, such as nonprofits or socially responsible businesses. It's also an opportunity to explore students’ leadership potential to create positive social impact throughout their careers, as they go through a semester-long journey to become consultants. Students who complete the course are recognized with the designation of Cause Consultants, which allows them to participate in exclusive opportunities through the Center for Social Impact Communication (CSIC).

Note: Students must successfully complete PR Ethics MPPR 500 / 5000, PR Writing MPPR 508 / 5001, Research for PR MPPR 502 / 5002, and Elements of Comm Planning MPPR 505 / 5003 before registering for this class.

Change Management Comms

Communications, as a management discipline, must not only be swift to react, but be forward thinking to anticipate and help solve future problems. Change Management Communications is increasingly where practitioners can demonstrate greatest value, as businesses, and their employees, navigate uncharted waters at a furious pace. This hands-on class will help prepare practitioners to identify and act on the communications implications of change. Using a mix of case studies, practical workshops, and group discussion, students will sharpen communications skills, from storytelling to consultative listening, by looking at them anew through the change “lens.” The forces driving change are not simply impacting individual companies but upending entire industries, and spawning entirely new ones. Such change compels companies to rethink their business strategy, reposition themselves in the marketplace, and redefine their value proposition to customers. Business leaders need to acquire new communications skills to help employees take actions to reach new goals. In-house communications teams must reimagine themselves to fulfill their new role. The class will address these, and other, aspects of change. Participants will be encouraged to explore communications, business and other readings – the point being that practitioners need to ‘connect the dots’ between information and issues beyond the traditional boundaries of communications be effective change partners.

Note: Students must complete PR Ethics MPPR 500 / 5000 and PR Writing MPPR 508 / 5001 before registering for this course.

Corporate Communications

Corporate communications is a subset of public relations that focuses on helping organizations develop compelling narratives that deepen stakeholder awareness and loyalty. Through corporate communications activities, internal and external audiences learn about what makes products and services unique through creative storytelling, reputation management, and relationship building. Designed to provide aspiring and seasoned communications professionals with skills to succeed in this field, this course will cover key areas of a practitioner’s day-to-day workflow. This includes practice in coordinating activities across departments, crafting persuasive communications that get key publics to act, and perpetuating positive sentiment. Further, through case studies, communication planning, projects, and presentations, students will demonstrate their acumen with crafting an organization's voice and image, and supporting recommendations with data and insights.

Note: Students must successfully complete PR Ethics MPPR 500 / 5000 and PR Writing MPPR 508 / 5001 before registering for this course.

Crisis Communications

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Warren Buffett In today’s world of increased access to information, social media, and global news, responding to a crisis or threat to an organization’s reputation has become more critical and immediate than ever before. Effective crisis communications can prevent or minimize the damage to an organization’s reputation as a result of a crisis. The stakes are high and a strong crisis communicator needs to be prepared, nimble, and responsive. This course is focused on the practical understanding and techniques of crisis communications learned and utilized over years of front-line experience. This class will equip students with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to prepare for and respond to incidents, issues, and crises that can threaten an organization’s valuable reputation. Comments: This change is specific to the online section -101 of Crisis Communications.

Note: Students must successfully complete MPPR 500/5000 and MPPR 508/5001 before registering for this course.

Elements of Comm Planning

Mastering communications planning is a building block for success in MPS PR/CC and in your career. Students learn the Georgetown way of step-by-step communications planning. The course focuses on each of the elements in-depth and provides opportunities for practice and ultimately mastery. Each element of the model builds on the next starting with the research to create a situational analysis to learning the difference between a goal and objective and strategies and tactics. Students learn how to identify key publics and to create targeted messaging. Evaluation and creating a budget and timeline are also examined. At the end of the course, students understand the planning model and know how to apply it a range of communications challenges. Students are prepared for their capstone experience and other coursework.

Note: Foundation course requirement for the PRCC program. Students must successfully complete MPPR 502/5002 and MPPR 508/5001 before registering for this course.

Media Relations

Effective media and influencer relations are key to relationship building in today's communications landscape. By intimately understanding the news cycle - and the stakeholders within it - a practitioner has the opportunity to educate the public and elevate their client's mission and message. In this course, students will become familiar with multimedia sources and evaluate their impact on public opinion. Further, students will acquire a sophisticated understanding of how information becomes news and break through the clutter to get their clients noticed. Additionally, students will develop techniques that yield success in writing and pitching, including research on beats/segments, headline/subject line writing, newsjacking, social media engagement, and best practices for follow up. Learning Outcomes Across Both Courses: · Analyze the current media landscape for headlines, sentiments, and opportunities to engage. · Demonstrate how to maximize positive coverage or change public opinion. · Apply principles of relationship building to engage with journalists, producers, and influencers. · Develop pitches for multimedia outlets that have the potential to create news. · Create a media relations portfolio of writing samples for resume building and career opportunities.

Note: Students must successfully complete MPPR 500/5000 and MPPR 508/5001 before registering for this course.

MPS PR/CC Internship I

This one-credit course is designed to give credit for students doing an internship with an organization that requires them to receive credit. The internships should be substantive and have the goal of providing relevant industry experience, portfolio items or other professional work for students to use when looking for jobs. This course is also meant as a way to help support students who are doing internships. Students are expected to check in every week with the instructor about their experience so that the instructor can give guidance for the internship and for working within a professional organization. Students must ask for permission to take this course.

MPS PR/CC Internship II

Note: Students must successfully complete MPPR 863/7951 before registering for this course.

MPS PR/CC Internship III

This one-credit course is designed to give credit for students doing an internship with an organization that requires them to receive credit. The internships should be substantive and have the goal of providing relevant industry experience, portfolio items or other professional work for students to use when looking for jobs. This course is also meant as a way to help support students who are doing internships. Students are expected to check in every week with the instructor about their experience so that the instructor can give guidance for the internship and for working within a professional organization.

Note: Students must successfully complete MPPR 863/7951 and MPPR 873/7952 before registering for this course.

Personal Branding

Thought leadership and personal branding are two essential, yet often ambiguous ingredients in a career strategy. This course will arm students with the resources to evaluate, improve, and employ personal branding strategies for themselves and for key members of their organizational team. The course will discuss personal branding strategies in both digital and event contexts – including social media platforms, presentations, and networking opportunities. Note: Students must have completed core/foundation courses MPPR 500 Ethics and MPPR 508 PR Writing to register for this course.

Note: Students must successfully complete MPPR 500/5000 and MPPR 508/5001 before registering for this course. This course is cross-listed as MPMC 7052-01.

Pitching and Public Speaking

The most important part of any successful communications career is the ability to present your business ideas clearly. Frankly, it doesn’t matter how smart or well prepared you are unless you’re able to communicate effectively with others. We know that presentations are not exclusively one person, standing alone at a podium. They are often impromptu, in groups, to various audiences and even in written form. Therefore, this course will explore all types of persuasive presentations and help you grow your skillset for many opportunities. Through lectures, class exercises, workshops and (of course) presentations of various lengths, this course will give you the tools to craft effective communications. The overall goal is for you to feel comfortable presenting yourself and your ideas with the right supporting materials.

Podcasting& Audio Storytelling

In this course, students will learn the principles of how to report and produce non-fiction audio stories that may be featured in a Georgetown SCS podcast about Washington, D.C. The course includes fundamentals of how to record and conduct effective interviews, record scenes on location, how to edit audio, write for the ear, and use a digital audio editor to assemble audio stories for the podcast series.

PR & Corp Comm Capstone

Capstone is the final academic opportunity to assess and apply your strategic communications skills and knowledge. The course focuses on the comprehensive skills you have built throughout your time in MPS PR/CC by evaluating your writing, strategic thinking, creativity, and ethical framework in a real-time context. During your final challenge, you will apply your strategic communications skills to an existing communications challenge identified by a company/organization of your choosing. Working individually, you will respond to a communication problem or opportunity for your client. At the close of the semester, you will be expected to write and present a well-researched, insightful, creative plan that illuminates how your strategic considerations will lead to positive outcomes for your client. Your plan will tell the story of the original research, implementation plan, timelines and budget necessary to meet the client’s communication goal. Although the primary focus for the semester is on creating a comprehensive plan, there will be in-class assignments to review and diagnose your mastery of specific concepts in strategic communications planning and responsible communication. The capstone experience is intended to ensure you have the strategic skills and confidence necessary to be a leader in responsible communication, and provide a unique networking and career-enhancing opportunity. In addition to the minimum, cumulative grade point average of 3.0 required for graduation from the MPS PR/CC program, you must receive a minimum grade of a B in the capstone course to graduate. Students with a 3.0 cumulative GPA, who receive a final grade of a B- or below may receive one opportunity to retake the course, if approved by the associate dean.

Note: Students must earn a grade of a "B" or better in this course to meet degree requirements.

PR & Corp Comm Capstone

Capstone is the final academic opportunity to assess and apply your strategic communications skills and knowledge. The course focuses on the comprehensive skills you have built throughout your time in MPS PR/CC by evaluating your writing, strategic thinking, creativity, and ethical framework in a real-time context. During your final challenge, you will apply your strategic communications skills to an existing communications challenge identified by a company/organization of your choosing. Working individually, you will respond to a communication problem or opportunity for your client. At the close of the semester, you will be expected to write and present a well-researched, insightful, creative plan that illuminates how your strategic considerations will lead to positive outcomes for your client. Your plan will tell the story of the original research, implementation plan, timelines and budget necessary to meet the client’s communication goal. Although the primary focus for the semester is on creating a comprehensive plan, there will be in-class assignments to review and diagnose your mastery of specific concepts in strategic communications planning and responsible communication. The capstone experience is intended to ensure you have the strategic skills and confidence necessary to be a leader in responsible communication, and provide a unique networking and career-enhancing opportunity. In addition to the minimum, cumulative grade point average of 3.0 required for graduation from the MPS PR/CC program, you must receive a minimum grade of a B in the capstone course to graduate. Students with a 3.0 cumulative GPA, who receive a final grade of a B- or below may receive one opportunity to retake the course, if approved by the associate dean.

Note: Students must earn a grade of a "B" or better in this course to meet degree requirements.

PR Ethics: Integrity and Care

Public Relations Ethics: Theory, Integrity, and Care for the Whole Person. In keeping with Georgetown University’s Jesuit values and commitment to justice and the common good, Public Relations Ethics is a core course in the Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications. The MPS program aims to educate and care for the whole person and believes that this process starts with the study of ethics. Valued public relations professionals are key advisors to their clients, serving as essential partners in creating strategic approaches to long-term success. The ability to anticipate challenges, deliberate between competing concerns, and present a persuasive case for recommended actions will marks a true leader. Public Relations Ethics explores what it means to practice public relations in a way that serves the public and clients, enhances the profession, and demonstrates personal integrity. This course is required for all MPS students and must be completed by the second semester in the program. Note: Core requirement for the MPS degree. Students must receive a grade of a "B" or better to pass the course.

Note: In-Person / Online course format. Some classes will meet in-person, and others via Zoom (SYNC modality). This format meets in-person requirements for international students. | Core requirement for degree. Students must earn "B" or better.

Public Media Campaigns

Governments and other institutions use persuasive campaigns to inform and influence behavior. In this course, students will learn about historic and current-day campaigns grounded in persuasion, misinformation, disinformation, diplomacy, psychological operations, and public affairs. From discerning AI and "fake news" to identifying trusted resources and the fracturing of media, this course will prepare you to level up your understanding of the power of persuasion and provide value for your employer and the public relations field as it adapts to and drives change.

Note: Students must successfully complete Ethics MPPR 500/5000 before registering for this class.

Public Relations Writing

Despite Internet-driven mass communications' impact on public relations strategies, a core strength of any successful communications professional is a solid understanding of what is newsworthy, coupled with strong writing skills. This course is designed to help students develop professional writing skills expected of PR practitioners, and covers many forms of public relations writing including press releases, statements, public service announcements, media correspondence, media advisories, newsletter articles, fact sheets, and talking points. Good writing takes practice, hard work, discipline, focus and persistence. Through in-class assignments and homework, students will learn to organize and plan their writing both with and without deadline pressure. Successful students will be able to continue in their PR career or pursue a job in public relations with the assurance that they have had professional exposure to a breadth of writing that will serve them well in their professional lives.

Note: Foundation course requirement for the PRCC program.

Research Methods for PR

The best ideas are only as good as the research behind them. This statement is top-of-mind for every PR practitioner, and is the key to success for every communications plan. Through this course, students will get in-depth training in executing secondary and primary research and will learn how to obtain actionable insights that can be used to support/guide/inform decision-making within the organization. Beginning with the foundations of audience targeting, as well as hypothesis and research question development, students will learn how to set the stage for meaningful inquiry. Then, students will learn about the different types of primary research and work to uncover key insights that help develop client recommendations. The course will conclude through simulations of real-world research activities, like mock focus groups, Qualtrics surveys, and interviews, as well exploring case studies from today's headlines. By the end of the semester, students will not only be prepared to conduct communications research, but create data-driven solutions that solve today's most pressing communication problems.

Note: Foundation course requirement for the PRCC program.