2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Corporate Communication and Public Affairs
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Return to: Meadows School of the Arts
Professor Sandra Duhé, Division Chair
Professors: Rita Kirk, Zannie Giraud Voss
Associate Professors: Maria Dixon, Sandra Duhé, Owen Lynch
Assistant Professor: Piyawan Charoensap-Kelly
Senior Lecturer: Christopher Salinas
Professors of Practice: Zoë Hess Carney, Christina Coats, Doric Earle, Jim Hart, Megan Heber, Kim Commerato Lance, Steve Lee
Adjunct Professors: Daniel Fonner, Dustin Grabsch, Rosanne Hart, Matthew Jacob, James Jillson, Maureen Mixtacki, Liz Navarro, Andrea Perez
The Division of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs offers a B.A. and a minor in corporate communication and public affairs, a B.A. in public relations and strategic communication, and minors corporate communication and public affairs and in nonprofit and arts leadership.
The majors and minors educate students to apply intellectual rigor and integrity to communication theory and practice in research, strategy, consulting, and advocacy. Students may pursue a double major in corporate communication and public affairs and in public relations and strategic communication; certain restrictions apply.
The B.A. in corporate communication and public affairs program offers four specializations for students to choose from, including nonprofit and arts leadership, organizational communication, public affairs and political communication, and social innovation, creative, and arts entrepreneurship. The nonprofit and arts leadership specialization is designed for students interested in leading existing nonprofit and/or artistic organizations. The organizational communication specialization focuses on the effective operation and internal workings of organizations. The public affairs and political communication specialization is ideal for students interested in public policy initiatives. And the social innovation, creative, and arts entrepreneurship specialization is for students interested in founding for-profit, nonprofit, or hybrid organizations.
The B.A. in public relations and strategic communication prepares students for leading external corporate and public affairs initiatives with a variety of stakeholders, including investors, customers, communities, activists, and media, with an emphasis on data analytics, business objectives, and crisis response.
Students seeking an undergraduate degree in corporate communication and public affairs and/or public relations and strategic communication receive a broad background in the liberal arts, followed by a major curriculum that prepares them for graduate study or professional work in agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, government and associations, as well as cultural, legal and political institutions.
Students develop requisite communication and professional skills, gain awareness of the ethical responsibilities of communication leaders, and develop the communication and management capabilities required for success in a global environment.
In addition to major coursework in the division, students must complete a minor or an additional major. Students seeking to double major or minor in another communication-related field may need to complete more than the minimum 120 total hours required for graduation.
In addition to those requirements of the University and Meadows School of the Arts, undergraduate students wishing to major or minor in corporate communication and public affairs or major in public relations and strategic communication must meet minimum GPA requirements and meet the specific admission requirements for their area of study outlined below.
Admission to Corporate Communication and Public Affairs. To declare a major (or minor) in corporate communication and public affairs, students must complete the following courses with a cumulative minimum 3.000 GPA and no grade lower than a C among them.
Admission to Public Relations and Strategic Communication. To declare a major (or minor) in public relations and strategic communication, students must complete the following courses with a cumulative minimum 3.000 GPA and no grade lower than a C among them.
CCPA coursework may not be repeated without faculty consent and approval from the chair of corporate communication and public affairs. STAT may be repeated without CCPA consent.
Grade Requirements
Students must earn a grade of C (not C-) or better for coursework toward their program’s major or minor requirements.
Special Requirements
- Transfer hours for major credit may be considered on petition and with approval of the chair. Courses satisfying major requirements are expected to be taken at SMU.
- Students majoring in corporate communication and public affairs must select and complete a focused specialization in nonprofit and arts leadership; organizational communication; public affairs and political communication; or social innovation, creative and arts entrepreneurship per course requirements outlined in the description of the major.
- Students majoring in corporate communication and public affairs with a specialization in nonprofit and arts leadership may not declare a minor in nonprofit and arts leadership.
- Public relations and strategic communication majors may choose to double major in advertising, journalism or corporate communication and public affairs; restrictions apply to which courses may be double counted.
- Public relations and strategic communication majors may use credits in CCPA 3300 and/or CCPA 4386 , toward a double major in corporate communication and public affairs.
- Public relations and strategic communication majors may not use credits in CCPA 3300 , CCPA 3310 , CCPA 3335 , CCPA 3355 , CCPA 3360 , CCPA 3382 , CCPA 4125 , CCPA 4130 , CCPA 4225 , CCPA 4320 , CCPA 4325 , CCPA 4335 , CCPA 4338 , CCPA 4340 , CCPA 4386 , CCPA 4394 , CCPA 4395 , CCPA 4396 , CCPA 4397 , or CCPA 5306 toward elective credit for a minor in corporate communication and public affairs.
- Attendance is required on the first day of class in CCPA courses to prevent being dropped from the course.
- Students who do not meet GPA requirements to declare a major or minor in the division will not be permitted to enroll in major or minor coursework without a petition approved by the chair.
Scholarships. Communication honors scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding majors in the division. The Charles Douglas Bauer Scholarship Fund and Advisory Board funds provide competitive scholarships available to division majors through an annual application process.
Pre-Law Scholars Program. The Division of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs offers a one credit hour elective course exclusively for students in SMU’s Pre-Law Scholars Program. Enrollment in the program provides preferred access for admission to the highly rated Dedman School of Law at SMU. Additional information is available from SMU’s Division of Enrollment Services.
Students may apply for admission to the honors track after completion of 45 hours with a 3.500 overall GPA or better. To graduate with distinction, students must take six hours of honors-designated corporate communication and public affairs courses and CCPA 4375 . Students accepted to the honors track must maintain a 3.500 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 to Kappa Tau Alpha, the national communication honorary society.
ProgramsMajor(s)- Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, B.A., with a Specialization in Nonprofit and Arts Leadership
- Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, B.A., with a Specialization in Organizational Communication
- Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, B.A., with a Specialization in Public Affairs and Political Communication
- Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, B.A., with a Specialization in Social Innovation, Creative, and Arts Entrepreneurship
- Public Relations and Strategic Communication, B.A.
Minor(s)CoursesArts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Corporate Communication and Public Affairs
- CCPA 1301 - Survey of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs
- CCPA 1313 - Writing and Critical Reasoning
- CCPA 2300 - Public Speaking in Context
- CCPA 2301 - Special Topics: Communication, International Studies Abroad
- CCPA 2302 - Special Topics: Communication, International Studies Abroad
- CCPA 2303 - Special Topics: Communication, International Studies Abroad
- CCPA 2308 - Introduction to Newswriting for Public Relations
- CCPA 2310 - Rhetoric, Community, and Public Deliberation
- CCPA 2327 - Communication Theory
- CCPA 2328 - Communication Ethics
- CCPA 2375 - Communication Research and Data Analytics
- CCPA 3101 - SMU Pre-Law Scholars Seminar
- CCPA 3300 - Free Speech and the First Amendment
- CCPA 3309 - History and Philosophy of Free Speech
- CCPA 3310 - Crisis Management
- CCPA 3320 - Culture, Capitalism, Communication, and You: Mabel Dodge Luhan and the Life Design Experience
- CCPA 3321 - Communication in Global Context
- CCPA 3327 - Argumentation and Advocacy
- CCPA 3328 - Political Persuasion
- CCPA 3335 - Principles of Digital Communication and Social Media
- CCPA 3341 - Identity and Communication: Race and Gender
- CCPA 3342 - Identity, Ethnicity, and Empire
- CCPA 3345 - Persuasion Theory and Practice
- CCPA 3347 - Principles of Political Communication
- CCPA 3350 - Integrated Marketing Communication
- CCPA 3355 - Principles of Public Relations
- CCPA 3360 - Business and Professional Communication
- CCPA 3365 - Principles of Organizational Communication
- CCPA 3368 - Group and Team Communication and Leadership
- CCPA 3370 - Principles of Social Innovation: Creating World Changers
- CCPA 3380 - Principles of Nonprofit Organizing
- CCPA 3382 - Advanced Writing for Public Relations
- CCPA 3387 - Donor Communication
- CCPA 3390 - Applied Organizational Communication
- CCPA 3392 - Applied Qualitative Research for Organizations
- CCPA 3393 - Politics and the Public Sphere
- CCPA 3395 - Public Opinion, the Press, and Public Policy
- CCPA 4025 - Organizational Internship
- CCPA 4125 - Public Relations in Local Contexts
- CCPA 4130 - Professional Seminar
- CCPA 4198 - CCPA Fellow: Internship
- CCPA 4225 - Public Relations in Local Context
- CCPA 4298 - CCPA Fellow: Internship
- CCPA 4300 - Seminar in Political Communication
- CCPA 4302 - Washington Term Studies
- CCPA 4303 - Washington Term Studies
- CCPA 4304 - Washington Term Studies
- CCPA 4305 - Washington Term Directed Studies
- CCPA 4312 - Seminar in Social Innovation, Creative, and Arts Entrepreneurship
- CCPA 4314 - Seminar in Nonprofit and Arts Leadership
- CCPA 4320 - Public Relations in Local Context
- CCPA 4323 - Forensics Workshop
- CCPA 4325 - Organizations in Local Context
- CCPA 4326 - Washington Term Internship
- CCPA 4335 - Advanced Digital Communication
- CCPA 4338 - Creative Production for Communicators
- CCPA 4340 - Business for Communicators
- CCPA 4345 - Seminar in Organizational Communication
- CCPA 4375 - Honors Thesis in Communication
- CCPA 4376 - Social Entrepreneurship: Creating a Movement and Innovating Through the Social Good
- CCPA 4378 - Social Entrepreneurship and Stewardship in the Faith-Based Organization
- CCPA 4380 - Social Entrepreneurship, Capitalism, and the Wesleyan Tradition
- CCPA 4385 - Communication, Technology, and Globalization
- CCPA 4386 - Financial Communication
- CCPA 4390 - Globalization, Economics, and Communication
- CCPA 4392 - Mustang Consulting I: Introduction to Communication Consulting
- CCPA 4393 - Mustang Consulting II: Advanced Communication Consulting
- CCPA 4394 - Mustang Consulting III: Leadership Practicum
- CCPA 4395 - Boulevard Consulting Practicum
- CCPA 4396 - Mustang Consulting Internship
- CCPA 4397 - Fashion Industry Public Relations Strategy
- CCPA 4398 - CCPA Fellow: Internship
- CCPA 5110 - Directed Study
- CCPA 5210 - Directed Study
- CCPA 5300 - Special Topics in Corporate Communication and Public Affairs
- CCPA 5301 - Topics in Communications
- CCPA 5302 - Topics in Communications
- CCPA 5303 - Topics in Social Innovation, Creative, and Arts Entrepreneurship
- CCPA 5304 - Topics in Organizational Communication
- CCPA 5305 - Topics in Political Communication
- CCPA 5306 - Topics in Public Relations and Strategic Communication
- CCPA 5307 - Topics in Nonprofit and Arts Leadership
- CCPA 5310 - Directed Study
- CCPA 5315 - Directed Study in Engaged Learning
- CCPA 5320 - Directed Study in Big Ideas
- CCPA 5325 - Directed Study in Caswell Fellowship
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