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M.S. IMC Curriculum

We're always evolving course content to meet the needs of professionals in our dynamic industry. You will gain practical and experiential knowledge of every aspect of IMC from advertising to social media to PR to creative strategy and beyond. The curriculum consists of 1 introduction course, 3 core courses, 2 specialty courses, 3 elective courses, and 1 capstone.

REQUIRED COURSES

As an IMC graduate student, you'll take five required courses.

Introduction to IMC

This is the required intro course for the IMC program. Learn and apply the IMC planning process and examine the role of integration to ensure consistency of creative strategy and complementary use of traditional and digital media.

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Audience Insight

Take an in-depth look at consumer behavior and its role in IMC. Examine consumer behavior in terms of internal influences, external influences, the consumer decision-making process and consumers and culture.

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Brand Equity Management

Explore strategic and creative decisions in managing, building and measuring the equity of brands. Students will demonstrate mastery by conducting a comprehensive brand audit.

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Marketing Research and Analysis

Students learn to identify research problems, craft research objectives, and select appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies to develop an effective research strategy and analysis.

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IMC Campaigns

This is the capstone experience for the integrated marketing communications master's degree program. Students produce a comprehensive campaign plan for a real-world client. This course must be completed in a student's final academic term.

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SPECIALTY COURSES

Choose two of the following Specialty Courses.

Creative Strategy and Execution

This course explores the creative process and how it influences integrated marketing communications strategy. Students employ techniques to refine their own creativity to empower them to actively participate in the design aspects of IMC campaign planning.

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Direct and Digital Marketing

Explore database marketing, direct and digital message strategies across multiple media, direct and digital marketing metrics, and the role of direct and digital marketing in IMC campaigns.

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Emerging Media and the Market

Explore how modern industry uses novel technologies to enhance the integrated marketing communications process and examine the creative and ethical issues unique to emerging media.

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Public Relations Concepts and Strategy

Learn about leveraging earned media, determination of key publics, the legal and ethical responsibilities of PR practitioners, and emerging trends in the industry.

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Elective Courses

Choose three from more than 25 elective course choices. Elective course scheduling and offerings are subject to change.

Advanced Creative Concepts

Focus on the creative aspects of executing an IMC strategy, including visual branding, verbal branding, creative direction, and art direction. Students conceive, develop, express and execute a coherent visual identity using a comprehensive strategy.

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Applied Public Relations

Utilize public relations theories and strategies within an IMC framework. Examine topics relevant to public relations management such as business literacy, organizational culture, reputation management and ethics.

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Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in IMC

Examine how brands are using transformational AR and VR platforms to expand customer interaction and build brand affinity. Explore how brands have effectively combined these technologies as part of a larger marketing communications approach.

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B2B Direct Marketing

Learn to incorporate a business-to-business approach into an IMC framework. Explore the differences between a B2B and a business-to-consumer (B2C) approach and learn what factors are required to be successful in B2B.

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Brand Evolution Strategy

Explore strategies and tactics that help brands compete within the marketplace including disruption and disruptive technologies, changing consumer demands, internal and external pressures from startups, talent erosion and changing market dynamics.

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Cause Marketing

Examine the mutually-beneficial partnership of a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization. Students review case studies to explore the potential of incorporating cause marketing in an integrated marketing communications approach and framework.

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Consumer Sales Promotion

Examine how sales promotion can be effectively incorporated into the IMC mix, as well as the legal regulations and ethical implications when utilizing sales promotion techniques.

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Content Marketing

Explore the role of content in the evolving modern integrated marketing communications landscape and learn how to establish a content marketing plan and the steps necessary to achieve implementation.

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Crisis Communication

Examine how IMC professionals address crises, both proactively and reactively. Explore case studies and current events to prepare to respond to the myriad of potential crisis situations that today's organizations and individuals encounter.

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Current Topics in IMC

This on-site and online course examines significant current issues and trends in integrated marketing communication. Students participate in this hybrid course during the Integrate conference. Topics explored vary by term.

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Digital Storytelling

Explore advanced thinking and strategies for concepting, developing and promoting digital content used in product marketing and anchored in brand storytelling. Create visual content that reaches targeted audiences across various channels.

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Digital Video Production

Learn the technical, conceptual and creative skills needed to create and add videos into IMC campaigns. Gain hands-on experience shooting and producing their own engaging video.

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Diversity and Inclusion in IMC

Examine the practical application of DEI and belonging in IMC. Explore the impact of brand strategy focused to the diverse consumer, as well as the ethics and corporate social responsibility of marketing communicators when engaging diverse audiences.

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Entrepreneurship in IMC

Explore what it takes to be a successful integrated marketing communications entrepreneur. Students learn how to assess risk, raise capital, position a new entity, organize, and generate and maintain sales.

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Executive Communications and Leadership

Explore implications for executive messaging in terms of an organization's media relations, crisis communication strategy and social media.

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Global Brand Communication

Examine key strategies needed to develop strong global brands. Students address the importance of understanding local culture in communication and positioning, and explore emerging issues in brand globalization.

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Healthcare Marketing

Learn the types of health communication initiatives, theories of health behavior change, issues in design and evaluation of healthcare marketing campaigns.

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Higher Ed Marketing

Explore the role of market analysis, audience segmentation, value messaging, marketing mix, budget and ROI assessment on higher education marketing initiatives.

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IMC Media Analysis

Explore the role of media analysis and planning in IMC. Students review basic terminology, media math and how to allocate resources during media planning.

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Influencer Marketing

Explore the role of influencer marketing and how to leverage individual tastemakers to fulfill marketing objectives. Identify, qualify and amplify the efforts of various influencer types available to marketers, and set accurate key performance indicators.

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Internal Brand Communication

Examine internal communication strategies and implementation, the use of consistent messaging, and company-to-employee crisis communication.

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Mobile Marketing

Create real-life mobile campaigns in the ever-changing wireless industry, discuss keys to establishing a competitive advantage, and examine emerging trends that impact strategic marketing communications planning.

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Multicultural Marketing

Explore culture and the diverse marketplace in the United States and globally. Focus on understanding racial and ethnic groups, and how brands must engage different groups in appropriate and authentic ways through IMC.

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Podcast Production & Promotion

This course will focus on the essential skills for podcast production and promotion. Students will learn how to record, edit, and publish a professional podcast.

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Political Marketing

Students strategize and apply a political marketing plan within the context of today's elections and political climate.

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Public Affairs

Explore ways to leverage public policy relationships and strategic partners to enhance an organization's brand and marketing strategy. Examine case studies and industry trends to understand how government entities utilize PR strategies and tactics.

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Research Methods

This course examines data analysis in marketing research. Students learn core statistical techniques, the application of statistical software, and the interpretation of statistical outputs.

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Social Media and Marketing

Examine the latest strategies for monitoring and engaging consumers in social media from a marketing perspective. Explore popular platforms that brands use to connect with, engage and analyze target audiences. (Includes two Meltwater certifications)

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Sports Marketing

Analyze the sports industry's key differentiators, including consumers (fans and participants), endorsements, sponsorships, and consumption and usage patterns.

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Visual Information Design

Explore the power of imagery and how visual perception drives our memory. Analyze images, deconstruct layouts and apply color, design and typography to create effective verbo-visual messages for both print and digital channels.

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Web Metrics and SEO

Examine how marketers strategically gather online information to measure traffic, engagement and potential impact on ROI. Explore search engine optimization (SEO) and social media optimization (SMO) strategies used to build a presence for clients.

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