Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027
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Strategic Communication, Certificate (1767)


Program Coordinator

Cliff P. Shaluta, cliff.shaluta@wku.edu, (270) 745-5833

Strategic Communication focuses on the critical thinking, analytical, and practical skills essential to developing and implementing  strategies that advance an organization’s goals and missions. Strategic Communication is about communicating purposefully within the context of an organization. This strategic approach includes generating impactful and relatable messages, selecting the best communication channels for proper message distribution, and evaluating communication efforts against established organizational goals and benchmarks. The undergraduate certificate is a 16 credit-hour program designed to equip students with practical and meaningful skills for strategic communication success. A "C" or higher is required in all courses.

Program Requirements (16 hours)

A "C" or higher is required in all courses.

Required Courses (10 hours)
JOUR 202Introduction to News Writing3
or BCOM 265 Basic Broadcast News
or BCOM 325 Survey of Electronic Media Writing
ADPR 200Introduction to Integrated Advertising & Public Relations3
ADPR 321Analytics in Advertising & Public Relations3
or COMM 300 Introduction to Applied Communication Research
SMC 401Strategic Communication Portfolio1
Electives (Choose 2)6
Persuasion
Crisis Communication
Public Relations Writing and Production
Total Hours16