School of Communication
Virtual Visit Request info Apply
MENUMENU
  • Degrees and programs
    • Undergraduate degrees and programs
      • Creative Media and Film, BS
      • Communication Studies, BA
      • Communication Studies, BS
      • Journalism, BS
      • Journalism and Political Science, BS
      • Photography, BS
      • Strategic Communication, BS
      • Visual Communication, BFA
    • Minors
      • Communication Studies, minor
      • Creative Media and Film, minor
      • Environmental Communication, minor
      • International Communication, minor
      • Journalism, minor
      • Organizational Communication, minor
      • Photography, minor
      • Photojournalism and Documentary Studies, minor
    • Graduate degrees and programs
      • Communication, MA
      • Communication Studies, certificate
      • Science Communication, certificate
  • School of Communication Experience
    • Media Innovation Center
      • The Lumberjack
      • KJACK
      • NAZ Today
      • MIC Sports
    • Public Speaking Lab
    • Advanced Media Lab
    • NAU Speech and Debate Team
    • Visual Design Lab
    • Summer Workshops
    • Clubs and organizations
    • Student work
  • Resources
    • Student resources
      • Scholarships
      • Internships
      • Advising
  • People
    • Alumni
    • Faculty and staff
  • About
    • Director’s welcome
    • News and events
    • Give now
  • NAU
  • School of Communication
  • Strategic Communication

Student Work

Check out our gallery and see the kind of work you'll do here.

Scholarships

Apply for School of Communication scholarships.


Strategic Communication, Bachelor of Science

  • Available Emphasis Areas:
  • Advertising - Emphasis
  • Public Relations - Emphasis

Prepare yourself for a career in communication - learn to craft effective advertising, nurture productive relationships between organizations and important publics. Research shows that many communication professionals commonly move between advertising and public relations throughout their careers. The Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication will engage you in a broad portfolio of courses to give you flexibility and increase your competitive edge in today's job market.

The 21-hour core presents a strong foundation that includes advertising, communication, and public relations classes. You will then specialize in one of two areas by choosing an emphasis from advertising or public relations. Throughout your coursework you will develop essential skills sought after in the workplace, including critical thinking, design, media (including online engagement), oral communication, and written communication.

A degree in strategic communication offers the flexibility of emphasizing in advertising or public relations (double emphases allowed). This will equip you with the strong communication skills, applied experience and in-depth understanding of consumer/audience behavior needed to achieve business communication goals and manage company reputations and retail purchases. Jobs related to your degree are available in nonprofit, for-profit and government organizations and entrepreneurial ventures.

This degree offers a strong core of advertising, public relations, and communication courses, to engage students in a variety of professional communication environments. Students may pursue one of two emphases to allow deeper skill mastery in advertising or public relations.

  • Degree Info Tab Open

  • Faculty Tab Closed

  • Requirements Tab Open

  • Overview Tab Closed

  • Details Tab Closed

  • Availability Tab Closed

Requirements Accordion Open

University Requirements

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's liberal studies, diversity, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.
    The full policy can be viewed here.

     

Overview Accordion Closed

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

  • At least 42 units of major requirements including at least 21 units of emphasis requirements
  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements
  • For this major the liberal studies prefixes include ADV, PR, or STR
  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units

Please note that students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion120
Major GPA2.5
Highest Mathematics RequiredMAT 114
Fieldwork Experience/InternshipOptional
University Honors ProgramOptional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-ARecommended
Progression Plan LinkView Progression Plan
Emphasis Required

An emphasis is required for this major.

Purpose Statement

Communication develop an understanding of communication theory and how messages are spread among groups of people. They apply analytical skills to the development and evaluation of communication plans. They also master practical skills needed for the implementation of those communication plans.

Upon graduation, students emphasizing one area of strategic communication will often find themselves working closely with other professionals focusing on skills in other areas of Strategic Communication. However, the emphasis areas tend to differentiate from each other in the following broad ways.

Advertising emphasizes the use of paid media in communication efforts and will often focus more on specific calls to action. These students focus on advertising campaigns for digital and heritage media. They will develop skills relevant to planning ad campaigns and important aesthetic concepts in advertising.

Public Relations focuses more on the use of earned and owned media for the development and maintenance of ongoing relationships with important publics. Courses tend to focus on understanding the dynamics of group communication and developing strategies for building strong relationships between organizations and important publics. Coursework tends to focus on writing and oral communication skills for digital and analog channels, as well as communication analysis skills necessary for planning and evaluating communication efforts.

Strategic Communication Program Values

  • Respect for the ideas and opinions of others
  • Active engagement in the classroom
  • Critical thinking in adapting to a rapidly changing media environment
  • Ethical behavior in the classroom and the profession

Student Learning Outcomes
Strategic Communication involves the development of planned communication efforts with target publics that focus on achieving a variety of communication outcomes. Program Level Student Learning Outcomes for the Strategic Communication BS can be broken into three broad categories: Conceptual, Practical, Analytical.

Conceptual
  • Students completing the Strategic Communication BS will recognize key theoretical concepts related to communication among various communities in various commercial, political, and media contexts.
  • Students will summarize typical strategies used by organizations to communicate to target communities in order to achieve political, commercial, and humanitarian outcomes.
Practical
  • Students will implement communication plans through the mastery of industry-standard communication tools and strategies.
  • Students will produce communication material that conforms to industry standards in style, design, and display.
Analytical
  • Students will develop skills in contemporary qualitative and quantitative research methods and apply their research findings to the development of effective communication plans.
  • Students will develop skills in contemporary qualitative and quantitative research methods and use those skills to evaluate the impact of communication plans.
Emphasis Level Learning Outcomes – Advertising
  • Emphasis Level Learning Outcomes in Advertising focus on the display of tightly controlled messages through the use of paid media.
  • In the conceptual sphere, students will describe typical strategies for segmenting audiences and delivering targeted messages through paid media.
  • In the practical sphere, students will master communication software and apply design standards to comprehensive communication efforts.
  • In the analytical sphere, students will use industry standard research tools to identify target audiences and appropriate media channels for reaching them. They will formulate paid communications and measure the effectiveness and efficiency of those plans through the application of best industry practices.
Emphasis Level Learning Outcomes – Public Relations
  • Emphasis-level learning outcomes in Public Relations focus on the use of earned and owned media for the development and maintenance of relationships between organizations and the publics that can affect their success.
  • In the conceptual sphere, students will identify strategies for developing and maintaining productive relationships with target publics through the use of owned and earned media.
  • In the practical sphere, students will apply writing skills that apply industry standards to various media channels. Students will master software used to create and deliver messages over various media channels.
  • In the analytical sphere students will implement quantitative and qualitative research methods in the formulation and evaluation of ongoing communication efforts.

Details Accordion Closed

Details

Major Requirements
  • This major requires 42 units distributed as follows:

    • Strategic Communication Core Requirements: 21 units
    • Select an emphasis: 21 units
      • Advertising: 21 units
      • Public Relations: 21 units


    Take the following 42 units with a minimum GPA of 2.5:

    Core Requirements (21 units):

    • COM 101, COM 200 with grades of "C" or better (6 units)
    • CST 111 (3 units)
    • STR 207, STR 272, STR 307 STR 373 (12 units)

    Emphasis Requirements (Select One):

    • Advertising Emphasis (21 units)

      • ADV 309, ADV 310, ADV 311W, ADV 411C (12 units)
      • COM 400 or COM 425 (3 units)
      • STR 446 (3 units)
      • Select from (3 units):
        • ADV 208, ADV 408, ADV 485
        • CMF 251, CMF 252
        • COM 330, COM 402
        • CST 116, CST 217, CST 311, CST 316
        • JLS 124, JLS 205, JLS 251 
        • PHO 100

    • Public Relations Emphasis (21 units)

      • COM 400 or COM 425 (3 units)
      • PR 371, PR 372W, PR 460, PR 471C (12 units) 
      • STR 446 (3 units)
      • Select from (3 units):
        • CMF 251, CMF 252
        • COM 330, COM 402
        • CST 116, CST 217, CST 311, CST 316 
        • JLS 124, JLS 205, JLS 251
        • PHO 100
        • PR 208, PR 408, PR 485
General Electives
  • Additional coursework is required, if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit. 

    You may take these remaining courses from any academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you. (Please note that you may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.)

Additional Information
  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information click on the course or see your advisor.
     

Availability Accordion Closed

Campus Availability

  • Flagstaff

directory photo
Amy Dryden
Senior Lecturer
School of Communication
Amy.Dryden@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0132
Communication , room 305
directory photo
Amy Hitt
Associate Professor of Practice
School of Communication
Amy.Hitt@nau.edu
+1 928 523-7649
directory photo
Richard M Lei
Professor
School of Communication
Richard.Lei@nau.edu
+1 928 523-2490
directory photo
Janice M Sweeter
Associate Professor of Practice
School of Communication
Janice.Sweeter@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0685
, room 301-F
directory photo
Jerry Thull
Principal Lecturer
School of Communication
Jerry.Thull@nau.edu
+1 928 523-2234
Communication , room 301F
directory photo
Jiun-Yi Tsai
Assistant Professor
School of Communication
Jiun-Yi.Tsai@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0125
Communication , room 335
directory photo
Zhan Xu
Assistant Professor
School of Communication
Zhan.Xu@nau.edu
Communication , room 319

Additional Information

For more information, contact a professor in your emphasis area:
  • Advertising – Rich Lei, 928-523-2490, Richard.Lei@nau.edu
  • Merchandising – Currently no merchandising faculty.
  • Public Relations – Jerry Thull, 928-523-2234, Jerry.Thull@nau.edu
Welcome
Location
Building 16
School of Communication
700 S. Knoles Dr. PO Box: 5619
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Contact Form
Email
School.Communication@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-2232
Fax
928-523-1505