CM 650 - Strategic Communication: Policy, Principles & Practices

This graduate-level, two-credit course for the M.A. Program in Public Policy is meant to ground students in the theory and practice of public policy from development to adoption to implementation through various modes of communication on diverse platforms. Case study analysis will be a key method of uncovering the principles and practices required to interest and gain the support of relevant constituencies and stakeholders. From introductory letters and memoranda to analysis and evaluation of particular elements of a policy to public opinion and commentary to critical assessment of journalistic coverage to constituent reaction to the final crafting of a public policy white paper, the course will engage relevant research strategies and textual composition, as well as the visual and audio texts that are now part of the process of engagement with the public square. The ethical implications of public policy production, grounded in Catholic social teaching, will be discussed throughout the various stages of the course. As part of this process, students will create a portfolio of their work including a policy statement or white paper.

Two credits.