Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication and Advertising

This course provides an overview of the different fields of communication, including print and electronic journalism, public relations and advertising, multimedia, and graphic design. It also illuminates the communication process and conditions for successful communication.

This course covers writing for various media fields: print, broadcast, and web journalism, as well as public relations and advertising. It also encompasses basic editing for AP style, editing for content, leads, accuracy, and legal issues. Students learn the basics of writing and editing for mass communication, including writing news leads, news stories, advertising copies, broadcast news, and public relations press releases.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

The course explores various functional and structural theories and covers the leading mass communication theoretical models. Students will learn about media effects theories and perspectives, the agenda-setting function, the two-step-flow hypothesis, bullet theory, selective exposure, and the diffusion of innovations.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

The course explores the ethical foundations of mass media laws and the main ethical issues in mass communication and public relations practices. It also covers media laws and professional codes of ethics in the Arab World and worldwide. Students will learn through case studies.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

The course introduces students to primary qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in mass communication, public relations, and advertising. Research methods such as surveys, interviews, content analysis, and focus groups will be explored. Students will practice collecting data using qualitative and quantitative methods and learn to analyze and interpret data collected for inferences.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

This course covers the fundamental concepts and strategies of strategic communication and advertising. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical frameworks, practical applications, and ethical considerations in crafting effective communication campaigns and advertisements.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

This course introduces students to key concepts, practices, and applications through which digital media and new communication technologies have transformed and reinvented strategic communication. The course provides theoretical insights as well as practical experience in the application and implementation of digital technologies and emerging media in the planning, design, and management of strategic communication campaigns and strategic public and community relations and engagement within government and corporate organizations. Through in-class lectures, discussions, case studies, guest speakers, group projects, and individual writing assignments, students in this course will be introduced to strategic decision-making and communications planning for social media, mobile, digital advertising, and interactive media (video, radio, podcasts). Students will also gain an in-depth understanding of how to integrate digital strategies and tactics with traditional communication efforts.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

The course deals with the concept of integrated marketing communications, its principles, objectives, dimensions, and obstacles, and the planning stages of integrated marketing communications programs. This course will give students the ability to research and evaluate the organization’s marketing and promotional position, employ marketing approaches, and study the target audience, in addition to how to employ various communication media, and promotional activities. The course covers various aspects (advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, public relations, etc.) to make integrated marketing communications programs successful in the traditional and digital environment. In addition, applied cases in integrated marketing communication for production and service organizations at the local and international levels.

Prerequisite: 0807243 Digital Strategies & Techniques

The course deals with the principles, theories, and practices of branding strategies, focusing on creating, developing, and managing strong brands in diverse industries. Students explore the strategic components of branding and their implications for marketing and business success theoretically and practically. The theoretical framework will be enhanced with practical applications and examples as well as case studies in all relevant areas.

Prerequisite: 0808102 Media Writing and Editing I

This course explores the relationship between audience, message structure, and medium through exercises in strategic writing and the development of a professional writing portfolio. Students develop skills in drafting, editing, and polishing strategic communication, including plans, news releases, speeches, social media, opinion pieces, short video treatments, and scripts. Students will learn how to research, organize, and present information, as well as how to write effectively, work in collaboration with other professionals, and use various technologies to support communication efforts. Students will explore the intersection of creativity and strategic communication, gaining practical insights that can be applied in professional settings.

Prerequisite: 0807241 Introduction to Strategic Communication & Advertising

This course provides an overview of strategic communication research, emphasizing its application to developing and evaluating strategic communication messages. The course introduces students to the most used research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, and critical approaches. The course offers new skills that assist students in developing conceptual thinking and progressing from knowledge consumption to knowledge production. Students learn to use research for planning and evaluating strategic communication initiatives and advertising campaigns. Audience and media research are studied, and primary and secondary information sources are employed. Procedures for conducting a research project are outlined, and students participate in the research planning process, the gathering of primary data, and the analysis and presentation of results.

Prerequisite: 0807345 Creative Writing for Strategic Communication

This course explores how to use media technology in advertising, public relations, marketing, and strategic communication fields. The course allows students to develop “hands-on” media production skill sets. The media production course focuses on professional practice and developing a creative voice in multiple formats of production techniques. Students learn the basics of media production using the tools of photography, film, video, audio production, and interactive media. The course includes journalism, film production, and web development. Students will be encouraged to explore and experiment with sound and vision through the production and post-production processes and to identify and prioritize preferred areas of specialization for future practice. This course introduces concepts and practices central to print and video production work. Students learn the basics of graphic design, sound, image composition, editing, and story.

Prerequisite: Completed 111 Cr.s

Through this course, students apply the knowledge and skills they acquired during their study period over four academic years. The student(s) choose(s) one of the predetermined basic areas to complete his/her project in, namely: designing and completing a research to study the reality of strategic communication and/or advertising practice in one of the multinational organizations or government entities or private institutions in the United Arab Emirates, or organizing a symposium on a topic related to specialization, or organizing an exhibition to promote an idea, service or social product, or designing a media campaign to display or support an important issue in society. In preparing his\her project, the student shall abide by the rules and principles regulating the graduation project announced for strategic communication and advertising program’s students.

Prerequisite: Completed 96 Cr.s

This course prepares students for the transition from academic learning to professional fieldwork. It focuses on equipping students with essential soft skills and practical knowledge to succeed in a workplace environment. The course covers critical topics such as interpersonal communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and cultural context adaptability. Additionally, students will gain insights into professional ethics, workplace etiquette, and the expectations of their prospected work environment. Students will build the confidence and competence required to thrive during their internships and beyond through interactive classes, real-life case studies, group activities, and field visits.

Prerequisite: Completed 111 Cr.s

The course requires the student to spend 240 actual working hours at the training organization during the Fall/Spring Graduation Semester. This training experience is coordinated between professional and academic supervisors. The professional supervisor at the training organization is responsible for providing the student with field skills in his/her area of specialization and following up on the student’s level of development and commitment. The academic supervisor tracks the student's tasks and duties and monitors his/her daily, weekly, and quarterly performance. Based on the core specialization of the program, training includes strategic communication and advertising skills, planning media campaigns, organizing professional events, promoting products, creating media content, and strategic data analysis in private or government organizations in the United Arab Emirates or beyond.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

This course seeks to define the issues and crisis management, in addition to identifying the theoretical framework related to the role of communication in crisis management, such as Situation Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), Attribution Theory, Image Restoration Theory, and the role of ethics and legislation in crisis management, and also the role of communication strategies and tactics in crisis management. This course focuses on training the student on post-crisis management planning, how to deal with the target audience during the crisis, and how to employ media, new technology, and social media in crisis management.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

This course is designed to assist students in acquiring knowledge and skills necessary to develop and implement marketing plans and advertising strategies in global markets. Students learn about a range of issues, challenges, and opportunities that exist in international advertising as they study comparative cultural, economic, legal, political, and social conditions in various countries and regions around the world. Based on theoretical and practical understanding of the dynamic interplay between global and local forces, students will acquire theoretical as well as practical understandings of how to accomplish global marketing communication goals. Thus, the core objective of this class is to develop an ability to analyze and map out persuasive communication strategies that are effective in international markets.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles of social media advertising and explores social media advertising strategies and practices through a combination of theoretical concepts and practical applications. Students will gain the basics of developing an integrated advertising plan on social media with a focus on customers, building brand loyalty, expanding markets, and creating sales. Students will utilize a variety of social media, including blogs, wikis, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and more.

Prerequisite: 0807241 Introduction to Strategic Communication & Advertising

This course covers theoretical and practical knowledge and skills related to campaign management including defining campaign management, how the campaign can make an impact, the use of the Theory of Human Motivation, campaign strategies and tactics, planning the campaign, segmentation of the target audience (sociodemographic characteristics), selection of media and social media, writing a campaign message and advertising spot. This course also includes discussions of case studies related to local and international campaign management.

Prerequisite: 0807241 Introduction to Strategic Communication & Advertising

This course covers an ethical framework for the practice of strategic communication and advertising, given the importance of ethics in various professional practices in the fields of media, public relations, and communication management. It also focuses on contemporary topics such as ethical issues in cyberspaces and social media, ethical issues in advertising, and philosophical and critical perspectives on communication ethics. This course includes case studies related to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Prerequisite: 0807345 Creative Writing for Strategic Communication

This course serves as an introductory exploration into the advertising industry and production with a focus on the role of creativity in them. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the advertising industry, encompassing both creative and strategic components. The curriculum explores the dynamic relationships among advertisers, advertising agencies, and media entities. Students will be introduced to the processes of planning and setting objectives, along with research techniques aimed at understanding target audiences. Students will also be introduced to the art and science of crafting advertising campaigns across various media channels. Through interactive workshops, students will concentrate on effectively managing text and visuals while refining essential copywriting skills. The course concludes with the development of a comprehensive, multi-channel integrated advertising campaign.

Prerequisite: 0807341 Integrated Marketing Communications

This course explores the function and practice of design in advertising by dealing with two fundamental advertising skills: copywriting and art design. It provides a basic overview of various forms of visual communication in advertising, and background on the design and print production processes so that the student knows the basics of creating advertising design. The course gives students the principles and elements of design and helps them how to create and analyze designs. The course gives students the concept of creative briefs, headlines (copywriting) typography, color, layout, design, commercial campaigns, digital branding, social media, logos, and promotional events.

Prerequisite: 0807345 Creative Writing for Strategic Communication

This course explores the facets of content creation from a strategic perspective, drawing on the theories of organizational storytelling. Students will learn how to create written and visual content for various platforms, including organizational websites, social media platforms, and more ‘traditional’ media, including radio, print, and television. Students will engage with and research social, print, and broadcast media as part of the course. Students will take away an understanding of the nature of different platforms and their algorithms. They will practice content writing through its different forms and learn to select the right content strategy for different platforms. Students will build skills in the creation of multimedia content, learn how to set up a content management system and modify it to current user experience and design guidelines.

Prerequisite: 0807343 Branding Strategies

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to build, maintain, and enhance an organization's reputation in today's dynamic and interconnected business and media environment. It examines reputation and stakeholder management and the use of complex communication planning, monitoring, and evaluation communications in private and public organizations. Students will learn how to use various tools and insights needed to navigate the complex landscape of reputation management, and to ensure the resilience and positive perception of their organizations in an ever-evolving business landscape. The course combines traditional lectures and classroom discussions with flipped classrooms, and real-world case studies in addition to virtual learning environments.

This course introduces students to the basic concepts, institutions, processes, and theories of political science. Concepts such as state, society, government, the political system, political behavior, power, and authority will be discussed thoroughly to provide students with a solid foundation necessary for preparing them for future course work in the field.

This course studies diplomacy in theory and practice. It deals with the essential ingredients and key debates about the concepts and practices of diplomacy. It starts with an overview of what actors, sites, and goals are traditionally understood to be the focal point of diplomatic study and practice. It will then analyze how these conceptions can be contested, both within and without the state system. It concludes with some case studies that demonstrate the span and intensity of diplomacy in international affairs.

This course presents the current management practices as they apply in the modern business world. The course discusses the four cornerstones of the management function: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. It addresses the function of management from classical, behavioral, contingency and system perspectives.

This course is designed to acquaint students with the scope and nature of the marketing function, the way business organizations build and maintain profitable relationships with customers, and create value to optimize their positions in today’s dynamic competitive environment. The course will help students understand and develop a marketing plan by integrating the components of the marketing mix and by making valid, sustainable, and ethical decisions. Subjects covered include marketing definition and function, marketing plan process, the marketing environment, key customer-driven marketing strategy decisions (i.e., segmentation, targeting, positioning), and the tactical marketing tools or marketing mix (product, price, Promotion, and Place).

Prerequisite: 0202112 English for Academic Purposes

This course introduces students to the essentials of business communication to enable them to achieve better organizational effectiveness and conduct better business transactions. It emphasizes verbal, written, and non-verbal communication skills that are required in any business environment. This course also examines issues related to international and cross-cultural communication.

Prerequisite: 0302160 Principles of Management

This course aims to enhance the critical and creative thinking of students and to sharpen their problem-solving skills. This, in turn, prepares them to face the challenges of making good decisions in the face of complexity, uncertainty, and change; helping them to become better managers and leaders in their future career.

Prerequisite: 0302170 Principles of Marketing

This course aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the major theories and research findings in the field of consumer behavior and help them to relate this knowledge to marketing practices. Using principles from several disciplines (i.e., economics, psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology), the course answer question such as: How and why consumers make specific decisions or behave in certain ways? What motivates them? How to capture their attention? What makes them loyal to a particular brand or firm? Topics covered include attitude formation, motivation, perception, persuasive communication, decision-making process, learning, and memory. The course also discusses the influence of UAE/ Gulf region cultural values on consumer behavior.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

The course provides a survey of contemporary approaches to graphic design and explores the process from concept to finished artwork. Students learn about graphic design applications in print, television, and interactive media and digital design software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and others.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

The course provides a historical development of radio and television. It also provides a detailed description of the broadcasting industry, broadcasting technical features, programming formats, and broadcast systems. The course explores radio and television studio practical operations, television cameras, sound, and editing systems.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

The course introduces students to the fundamentals, practices, and applications of public relations in the digital age. Students will explore concepts and current trends relevant to the uses and applications of the Internet in public relations in various organizations. They will learn how to manage the websites of different organizations and how to utilize these websites to achieve the objectives of organizations. The course draws on lectures, hands-on learning, and lab-based tutoring to enable students to develop conceptual knowledge and practical skills that will allow them to develop PR plans and programs and produce appropriate content for various online platforms and media.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

Media entrepreneurship empowers students to envision new ways of doing things and provides the strategic skills to do the job. This course is for future media professionals who aspire to control their careers. The students will learn techniques to develop projects and businesses that take advantage of the evolutionary environment in digital media. They will find a community to serve and find ways to deliver while making at least enough money to keep the project going. The students will be a lynchpin in the success of a media company, the entrepreneur who starts the next fantastic company, or the independent media professional who provides unique insights to help others grow their businesses.

Prerequisite: 0808221 Principles of Media Production

This course addresses the development, production, and applications of digital stories. Students will learn the techniques of story production through a range of digital media platforms. The course covers the theories of narrative form and has a practical component that initiates students in the production of new forms of narrative through hands-on exercises.

Prerequisite: 0808100 Introduction to Communication

This course provides an introduction to the principles and applications of integrated communication, including the use of integrated communication methods in media campaigns, planning, executing, and implementing integrated communication campaigns, and case studies.

Prerequisite: 0808102 Media Writing and Editing I

This course covers gathering information and writing articles for print media, including using conventional and online news sources. It also covers basic reporting and writing of news stories, such as accidents, reviews, profiles, sports, and crimes. News reports may be published in community or student newspapers. Prerequisite: Introduction to journalism.

Prerequisite: 1501100 Introduction to IT(English)

In this introductory course, students will be exploring the basic elements of a Multimedia System. This includes the ability to identify, manipulate, edit, and generate different media assets (Text, Images, Audio, Video, and Animations). Students will also develop skills to create a simple interactive multimedia experience.