The "M" Award is the most highly coveted recognition given to students, faculty, staff, and administrators for service.

Meadows School of the Arts

MEADOWS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Professor Rita Kirk, Chair

Associate Professor: Vanessa Beasley; Assistant Professors: Maria Dixon, Joe Downing, Owen Lynch; Senior Lecturers: Christian Anderson, Nina Flournoy, Kathy LaTour; Adjunct Lecturers: Arnold Jones, Joe McNamara, Cecilia Stubbs Norwood.

The Corporate Communications and Public Affairs (CCPA) program is accredited through the American Communication Association. The division is founded on the principle that business, government and nonprofit institutions must develop, plan, and implement strategic communications programs that establish and maintain mutually beneficial relations with the publics on whom their success depends. Corporate Communications and Public Affairs creates professionals skilled in research, critical thinking, writing, and advocacy who apply intellectual rigor and integrity to strategic communication.

Students seeking an undergraduate degree in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs receive a broad background in the liberal arts, followed by a major curriculum that prepares them to work in agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, cultural and educational institutions, associations, and government. The CCPA curriculum is designed to introduce students to the historical development of the communications field, educate students about the principles and theories behind corporate and public affairs activities, develop requisite communications skills, raise awareness of the ethical responsibilities of professional communicators, and help them develop the strategic communication and management capabilities required for success in a global environment. After developing a strong core of fundamental skills and knowledge in strategic communications, students learn how to research, plan, and execute corporate and public affairs programs. The CCPA program emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, research, and writing.

In addition to major coursework in the division, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs students must complete a liberal arts or fine arts minor, which excludes journalism and advertising. Determination of the minor should be considered carefully and should enhance and broaden the student's learning experience at SMU beyond the major. In keeping with the recommendations of the American Communication Association, the Public Relations Society of America's Task Force on Undergraduate Education, and the standards of the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, students should select minors that emphasize the liberal arts. No more than 36 percent of a student's total hours of study (SMU and transfer credit hours) may be in any combination of communications courses including CCPA-designated coursework. CCPA students must work closely with their academic adviser to ensure compliance with these standards. Students seeking to double major or minor in another communications-related field may need to complete more than the minimum 122 total hours required for graduation.

Majors may elect as part of their senior studies to pursue either a general CCPA curriculum or a specialized course of study or "track" within the division. The division currently offers three course tracks that emphasize specialized studies in Corporate Communications, Nonprofit Management, or Public Affairs.

Students are encouraged to participate in service-learning opportunities and make important career connections through supervised internships with Dallas-area businesses.

To find more information about the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs degree program, please visit the CCPA Web page at meadows.smu.edu/ccpa.

Admission

In addition to those requirements of the University and of the Meadows School of the Arts, undergraduate students planning to major or minor in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs must complete: ENGL 1301 and 1302 with a minimum grade of C and an average GPA of 2.75, a math fundamentals course (STAT 1301 is recommended), and nine hours of CCPA core coursework (CCPA 2300, CCPA 2327, and CCPA 2308). Students must earn a grade of C or better in each of these six core courses before a major or minor may be declared. A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required in these 18 hours of core coursework before a student will be accepted and classified a CCPA major or minor. A core course may be repeated no more than once in order to meet requirements to declare CCPA as a major or minor.

Special Requirements

Transfer hours for core course requirements may be considered on petition and approval of the faculty. Courses satisfying major requirements should be taken through the SMU program.

CCPA coursework may not be double-counted toward the requirements for another major or minor. Students must earn a grade of C- or better for coursework toward their major or minor CCPA degree requirements.

Students majoring in CCPA also must take 8 hours of a foreign language and an ethics course as part of their degree requirements. In addition, students must satisfactorily pass a mandatory grammar test before taking CCPA 2308, Strategic Writing I. Those who do not pass are allowed one additional attempt to successfully complete the test.

Scholarships

Communication Honors Scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding students who intend to major in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. The Douglas Bauer Incentive Scholarship is a competitive scholarship available to CCPA majors through an annual application process.

CCPA Honors Program

Students may apply for admission to the CCPA Honors track after completion of 45 hours with a 3.50 overall GPA or better. To graduate with honors, students must take six hours of honors-designated CCPA courses and the CCPA 4375 Honors Thesis in Communication Theory course. Students accepted to the CCPA Honors track must maintain a 3.50 or higher overall GPA in all SMU coursework to graduate with the Honors distinction. The top 10 percent of each class is eligible for faculty nomination into Kappa Tau Alpha, the national communication honorary society.

Programs of Study

Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs

(Note: No coursework may be double-counted for either a major or minor in CCPA.)

Credit Hours

General Education Curriculum: 41

Foreign Language: 8

Core Requirements: 9

Must be taken in order. CCPA 2327 and CCPA 2308 may be taken concurrently.

CCPA Course Requirements: 18

Skills/Production ­ Required:

CCPA 3352 Strategic Writing II

Research:

CCPA 3375 Strategic Communication Research (Prerequisite: Third-year standing)

Theory ­ Required:

CCPA 3365 Organizational Communication

Theory ­ Electives (choose two of the following):

CCPA 3321 International Communication

CCPA 3341 Intercultural Communication

CCPA 3345 Persuasion

CCPA 3350 Integrated Marketing Communication

CCPA 3360 Management Communication

CCPA 3380 Nonprofit Management

CCPA 4327 Argumentation and Advocacy

CCPA 4328 Media Convergence

CCPA 4386 Financial Communication

Application:

CCPA 4325 Internship* (Prerequisite: CCPA 3352, CCPA 3375, fourth-year standing and permission of adviser)

or

CCPA 4395 Strategic Communication Campaigns (Prerequisites: CCPA 3375 and fourth-year standing or approval of instructor)

CCPA Upper-Level Electives (choose three of the following): 9

CCPA 3310 Crisis Management

CCPA 3321 International Communication

CCPA 3341 Intercultural Communication

CCPA 3345 Persuasion

CCPA 3350 Integrated Marketing Communication

CCPA 3360 Management Communication

CCPA 3380 Nonprofit Management

CCPA 3382 Advanced Communication Skills

CCPA 3385 Strategic Writing for the Nonprofit

CCPA 4327 Argumentation and Advocacy

CCPA 4328 Media Convergence

CCPA 4345 Media and Politics

CCPA 4350 Public Opinion, The Press and Public Policy

CCPA 4375 Honors Thesis in Communication Theory

CCPA 4385 Technology and Strategic Communication

CCPA 4386 Financial Communication

CCPA 5301-4 Topics in Communication (contemporary issues)

CCPA XXXX Other approved CCPA course

Meadows Elective/Corequirement: 6

At least 3 of these hours must be in a non-Communications division.

Minor and Other Electives (minor to be determined with counsel of adviser): 28

Total: 122

CCPA EMPHASIS TRACKS (9 hours required from among the following)

(Topics courses may be approved by the faculty as appropriate to the emphasis)

3 hours Internship* in field as approved by faculty

Public Affairs

Plus 6 hours from the following:

3 hours Argumentation and Advocacy

3 hours Media and Politics

Six hours of the emphasis can be completed at the American University term program in Washington, D.C., with faculty approval.

Nonprofit Management

Six hours of the emphasis can be completed during the regular term or at the SMU-in-Taos Summer program, as offered.

Corporate Communications

Plus 6 hours from the following:

*To be eligible for an internship, students must have a 2.75 G.P.A. overall, a 3.00 in CCPA courses, 90+ hours of coursework, including CCPA 3352 and CCPA 3375, and instructor approval. May be taken earlier with adviser approval.

**Requires concurrent enrollment in an approved internship (CCPA 4325).

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Minor in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs

Minors are accepted through evaluation of the faculty. In addition to meeting the requirements for the major, students must submit an application and essay, and be accepted into the program prior to enrollment in upper division courses.

Credit Hours

Minor Requirements: 21

The Courses (CCPA)

2300. Free Speech and the First Amendment. This course examines the philosophy, cases, and issues relevant to the First Amendment right to free expression, with a focus on issues relevant to internal security, obscenity, pornography, slander, and the regulation of communication. Foundations of legal argumentation will also be discussed.

2308. Strategic Writing I. This course introduces basic media writing skills used in producing materials commonly used by communication professionals to communicate messages to the mass media. Students develop research, interviewing, writing, and speaking skills by writing and presenting news stories, feature articles, and press releases. Required for majors. Prerequisite: CCPA 2300. Prerequisite or Corequisite: CCPA 2327.

2327. Introduction to Communication Theory and Practice. This course introduces the foundational concepts, theories, and approaches to the study and practice of human communication. It includes a historical overview of communication theories as well as discussion of contemporary ethical questions. Prerequisite: CCPA 2300.

3310. Crisis Management. This course examines different strategies and tactics organizations use after a crisis to respond to internal and external audiences. Theoretical models including apologia, attribution theory, and organizational identification theory are applied to specific

3321. International Communication. This course provides an international perspective to the study of corporate communication and public affairs. Emphasis on experiential study allows types of organizational crises. Special emphasis is placed on the role emerging communication technologies play in the organization's crisis response. Prerequisites: CCPA 2308.

3341. Intercultural Communication. This course explores the impact of culture on our understanding and practice of human communication in interpersonal, organizational, and mass media contexts. Strong emphasis is placed on the role of globalization, gender, race and socio-economic dynamics as impediments and conduits of cross-cultural collaboration and interaction. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

3345. Persuasion. This course provides a survey of major theories that explain how to influence attitudes and behaviors. Applications to persuasion within a variety of contexts, including relationships, organizations, legal campaigns, and the mass culture. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

3350. Integrated Marketing Communication. This course explores the concept of planning that recognizes the value of coordinating the media mix within a communication campaign to create maximum clarity and impact. This course covers the ways that a firm or brand communicates with its publics. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

3352. Strategic Writing II. This experiential course combines intensive writing with practical application as students find a client, create a media plan to reach the client's goals, and then produce a final media kit that includes writing such as backgrounders, news releases, feature stories, fact sheets, newsletters, brochures, and biographies. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

3360. Management Communication. This course emphasizes the role that communication plays in recruiting and selecting project team members, motivating employees, and understanding how to make a project team productive. Prerequisites: CCPA 2308.

3365. Organizational Communication. This course explores the role of communication in key organizational processes in both corporate and nonprofit settings. Students will examine the multiple approaches to organizing and their implications for human communication. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

3375. Strategic Communication Research. This course teaches students how to conduct professional research. Students identify an organization or individual with an emerging communication need and then analyze secondary sources in order to create an original research project that addresses that need. Prerequisites: CCPA 2308 and junior standing.

3380. Nonprofit Communication. This course explores the unique discursive context of not-for-profit organizations. Students examine the role of communication in the various stages of nonprofit organizational life including founding and incorporation, recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers, and external funding and philanthropic development. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

3382. Advanced Communication Skills. This experiential course teaches students to strategize, develop, research, and write in-depth articles, newsletters, speeches, press releases, and position papers. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

3385. Strategic Writing for the Nonprofit. This course, which must be taken in conjunction with an internship at an approved nonprofit organization, combines classroom exploration with real world writing as students complete 150 hours in a service learning environment. Students identify the unique "publics" of the nonprofit and create materials directed at specific goals such as the media, donors, volunteers, client base, board, foundations, and corporations. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4300. Public Affairs Seminar. This course is offered only as appropriate occasions arise. It provides advanced study of the role of communication within specific public affairs settings such as political summits, party conventions, or other major venues. Instructor approval is required. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4302, 4303, 4304. Washington Term Studies. This course offers students an opportunity to study and work in Washington, D.C., as part of American University's Washington Semester. Instructor approval is required. Prerequisites: CCPA 2308 and junior standing.

4305. Washington Term Directed Studies. This is an independent study with the goal of producing original research while students are enrolled in American University's Washington Semester. Instructor approval is required. Prerequisites: CCPA 2308 and junior standing.

4325. Internship. Students in approved positions gain career-related experience and establish professional contacts. At the conclusion of the internship, students prepare a report that allows for academic reflection on that experience. Offered on a Pass/Fail basis only. Prerequisites: CCPA 3352, CCPA 3375, 90 or more hours of coursework, 2.75 overall GPA, 3.00 GPA in CCPA coursework, and permission of faculty adviser. May be taken earlier with adviser approval.

4326. Washington Term Internship. This course is offered in conjunction with courses taken in Washington, D.C. This internship provides students with experience working in public affairs in the nation's capital, supervised by a faculty member there.

4327. Argumentation & Advocacy. This course explores concepts characterizing rational discourse, with a concern for examining validity and fallacy. Students consider traditional and contemporary models for analyzing argument, including an examination of the philosophy of argument and a practical inquiry into the uses of debates on contemporary social issues. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4328. Media Convergence. This course explores the intersection of mass communication technologies. Students examine the digital future of media and the impact of media convergence on business, politics, and society. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4345. Media and Politics. This course examines the dynamic and interpersonal relationship between the news media and politics. The media's influence on the political process, the relationship between reporters and public officials, the impact of media-based campaigns and the ethical impact of media manipulation by political strategists are examined. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4350. Public Opinion, the Press, and Public Policy. This course examines the interdependent relationships among media coverage, public opinion, and public policy. Students consider the influence of press coverage on electoral and policy-making processes in which the public voice is presumed to impact democratic outcomes. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4375. Honors Thesis in Communication Theory. This course provides advanced students with the opportunity to do original research on a topic related to communication. Students learn how to write research questions, conduct a literature review, engage in qualitative or quantitative methodologies, and present findings. Prerequisite: Honors standing.

4385. Technology and Strategic Communication. This course examines how various communication technologies are used within a strategic communication context. Historical, ethical, and legal issues surrounding the use of these technologies are addressed. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4386. Financial Communication. This course familiarizes students with terms, principles, theories, and practices in financial communication. Students examine techniques used in investor relations and consider the legal and ethical responsibilities. Prerequisite: CCPA 2308.

4395. Strategic Communication Campaigns. This course demonstrates how strategic communication contributes to problem-solving in corporate and nonprofit settings. Students apply their skills toward practical challenges as they prepare and present complete plans for a corporate client. Prerequisites: CCPA 3375 and fourth-year standing.

5110, 5210, 5310. Directed Study. A directed study is a close collaboration between the professor and an advanced student who conducts a rigorous project that goes beyond the experience available in course offerings. The student must secure written permission from the instructor and return a completed form to the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs office before the start of the term. Prerequisites: Junior standing and permission of instructor.

5301, 5302, 5303, 5304. Topics in Communication. These courses encourage students to examine the role of communication within contemporary issues and social problems. Topics vary by instructor.