Core Courses
Communication Theory (3 credits)
This course is designed to help broaden and deepen our understanding of contemporary communication theory through an examination of its methodological-interdisciplinary underpinnings. The course begins with an overview of the current status of communication inquiry. It then treats several philosophical, methodological, and theoretical ideas which contribute to the development of communication study.
Communication Research Methods (3 credits)
This course introduces students to a variety of communication research methodologies. The three general communication paradigms (i.e. social scientific, interpretive, rhetorical and critical) are linked in different ways to specific research methods. Students will learn to use these methods to study communication phenomena as well as to become familiarized with the process of communication research.
Globalization and Communication (3 credits)
The course relates to changes in communication taking place due to technological innovations, which enable free flow of messages across many parts of the world. The course introduces these changes and at the same time provides the foundation for discussion of key concepts addressed during the course, such as cultural imperialism, global public opinion, and hybridization.
Media and Cultural Studies (3 credits)
Using a critical lens in examining the rhetoric, this course will inspect and analyze diverse culturally mediated messages. Students will examine the relationships between media and cultural ideas such as race, gender, sexuality, and popular culture. Students will also be taught to use a rhetorical research approach to analyze these concepts and their relationships with our daily interactions. This course is designed to nurture students’ communication skills, and help them to become better communicators, with foundational knowledge of media and culture, critical thinking, and a critical understanding towards culture.
Creative Strategy and Implementation (3 credits)
This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive view of both the related concepts and theories of creative strategy, and its role in the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) process. Arising from the course, students will be asked to select a consumer product or service and determine its market positioning, target demographics and appropriate media utilization. They will be asked to prepare a strategy statement and creative brief. Through this process, students will learn the fundamentals of conceiving and implementing an effective and integrated campaign that utilizes traditional and emerging advertising media.
Brand Strategy and Communication (3 credits)
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a foundational understanding of how to establish, evaluate, and manage a brand. Specifically, appropriate theories, models and other tools to enable better branding decisions to be made will be provided in the class. The aim is to enable students to have a clearer and fuller understanding of significant issues in planning and evaluating sections in brand strategies. They will also have the opportunities to work on a brand project in which the theories and strategies that they have learned will be applied as appropriate.
Major Courses
Major: Integrated Marketing Communication
Integrated Marketing Communication (3 credits)
The course enables students to understand and experience IMC or the entire planning process of sales promotion, through a client project. In addition, students will learn to set up IMC/sales promotional plans with a thorough marketing/situational analysis. During the process, students and strengthen their critical thinking and analytical skills in marketing strategies, significantly supporting their roles as multi-functional managers.
Insights into Consumer Behavior (3 credits)
This course introduces theories and methods by students can better understand consumer behavior. The course will be based on three aspects: the evaluation of evidence relevant to consumer behavior (e.g., how to read journal articles, evaluate statistics and judge marketing research data); understand and apply existing theory and data relevant to consumer behavior (from the viewpoints of psychology, economics, and relevant social sciences); data gathering using principal consumer behavior research techniques (laddering, surveys, and experiments).
Major: Global Communication
Intercultural Communication (3 credits)
Intercultural communication focuses on the importance of culture in our everyday lives, and the ways in which culture interrelates with and affects communication processes. In an era of globalization in which dissemination of information is speedy, understanding message exchange mechanisms and processes in different cultures can provide students with deep appreciation of these in both daily and research activities. This course is designed to increase students’ awareness of their own cultural backgrounds and contexts (social, cultural and historical) and their sensitivity to other cultures.
Global Media: Politics, Economics and Ethics (3 credits)
The course focuses on an overview of, and introduction to current issues and recent developments in the media landscape worldwide. It discusses the balance of power in shifts from national to global contexts related to media players; it introduces critical political and economic perspectives, and considers how a nation maintains an important position in its global media policy and developments.
Major: Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication (3 credits)
Generating public support through effective communication is an essential element of success for profitable, non-profitable and social organizations. Concepts and skills learnt on the course will equip students with knowledge for merging communication into organizational missions and diverse activities. Students will gain familiarity with a variety of communication techniques and instruments, and set up a basic communication plan for an organization with which they are familiar.
Crisis Communication (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide students with crisis communication theories and application. Specifically, the course covers crisis communication theory, crisis management approaches, classical cases and the influence of culture on crisis communication. In addition to traditional methods, the class will engage in simulations, field trips and individual research to gain rich knowledge of the course contents.
Academic Year Paper (4 credits)
Students are required to complete an Academic Year Paper by the end of the first academic year. The paper should be an original analytic study on a topic related to their specific research areas. Generally, the length of the paper should be no fewer than 10,000 words, excluding footnotes, endnotes and references. Students should follow the University’s format requirements for Master’s thesis.
Academic Activities (1 credit)
Students are required to participate in at least ten academic activities that are recognized by the Faculty of Humanities and Arts, such as the famous scholars’ seminars held on campus. Students are required to complete and hand in a one-page report for each activity.
Thesis (12 credits)
Students are required to submit and defend a Master’s Thesis. Generally, the length should be no fewer than 20,000 words, excluding footnotes, endnotes and references. Students should follow the University’s format requirements for the thesis.
