Strategic Communication Certificate

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Strategic Communication Graduate Certificate

Do you aspire to lead through strategic communication? Do you want to improve your communication skills and learn effective communication strategies? The Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communication, launched in Fall 2021, is explicitly designed for those aiming to effectively lead people, teams, organizations, and communities through strategic communication.

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5 Courses Earn Certificate

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Face-to-Face Instruction

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Cohort Based Program

Build Essential Communication Skills to Advance Your Goals

  • The Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communication is a stackable graduate certificate designed to help students build in-demand skills and succeed in an increasingly complex communication world.
  • Open to students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in any field, this stackable graduate certificate, completed in just one year, offers students a curriculum designed to prepare them for an ever-changing communication landscape. Taught by renowned faculty from top-ranked Moody College of Communication, students will be enriched, challenged, and inspired.

Key Skills and Competencies You Will Learn

  • principles for communication across careers
  • advocacy
  • communicating with diverse audiences
  • media management
  • professional use of social media
  • team building

How It Works

The program consists of courses taken in two long semesters - one fall and one spring. No summer classes are offered. Students will take 3 classes one semester and 2 classes the other semester with the options of starting either in the fall or the spring and of choosing whether to take 3 classes in their first or second semester.

  • Take five total courses in strategic communication in a one-year period. Course topics are:
    • Persuasion, Advocacy, and Social Influence
    • The Art and Science of Social Media
    • Communicating for Careers
    • Team Building
    • Resisting Stereotyping and Prejudice
  • Engage with peers in your cohort for team collaboration and networking
  • Interact Face-to-face with award-winning faculty

You can read the full student handbook for 2022-2023 here. 

How to Apply

Students must apply through the GoApplyTexas website. After completing the data entry sections and paying the application fee, applicants must upload supporting documents on their MyStatus page.

All applicants must meet the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School admission requirements. Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, or be on track to graduate before enrolling in the certificate.

  • Bachelor’s degree in any field
  • GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale, though conditional admission may be possible for GPAs under 3.0 in extenuating circumstances
  • For international applicants only, TOEFL score of at least 79 or IELTS score of at least 6.5
  • Please note, the Communication Studies Stackable Graduate Certificate programs do not meet the U.S. government requirements for students to be eligible for an F-1 or J-1 student visa. However, international applicants on an eligible non-student VISA are welcome to apply.

 

Applications are accepted through the GoApplyTexas website. After completing the data entry sections and paying the application fee, applicants must upload supporting documents on their MyStatus page. 

Additional documents required:

  • Official transcripts, dated one year or less, from all four-year institutions attended
  • Resume
  • Personal Statement of no more than 1000 words
  • Letter of Recommendation: 1 required / 1 maximum
  • Official TOEFL scores taken within the past two years (for International Applicants only)

All required documents must be submitted electronically to the MyStatus Check. This page will become available to you approximately two days after you complete your online application at GoApplyTexas.

  • The Admissions Committee for the Strategic Communication stackable graduate certificate will review complete applications after the deadline. All additional documents must have been uploaded in order for the committee to consider the application. Partial applications will not be reviewed.
  • Admitted applicants will be notified by email from the Department of Communication Studies. They will also receive official e-letters from the Graduate and International Admissions Center with instructions on how to check your application Status Check page for your admission decision from the Office of Graduate Studies.
  • Both the Department of Communication Studies and the Office of Graduate Studies must accept applicants before they can enroll.
  • Please note, the Communication Studies Stackable Graduate Certificate programs do not meet the U.S. government requirements for students to be eligible for an F-1 or J-1 student visa. However, international applicants on an eligible non-student VISA are welcome to apply.

Program Costs and Financial Aid

Students in the program pay a flat program fee for the entire certificate of $22,500.

For students starting the program in August 2022 or January 2023:

Three courses   $13,500
Two courses      $  9,000

Total:                 $ 22,500

A non-refundable $1,000 deposit is required when applicants accept an offer of admission. This amount is credited toward your first semester’s program costs. Each semester's tuition and fees are due approximately 4-6 weeks before the semester starts. Students will receive an exact due date when they are billed. After that date, a $100 late fee will be charged each week for non-payment

 

Non-degree-seeking students in an Option III program are not eligible for federal financial aid. They may be eligible for some private sector loans. Questions about financial aid should be directed to Texas One Stop.

Application Deadlines

3/1/23

International Application Due (for Fall 2023 Admission)

4/15/23

Domestic Application Due (for Fall 2023 admission)

9/1/23

International Application Due (for Spring 2024 Admission)

10/15/23

Domestic Application Due (for Spring 2024 Admission)

Contact Us

Option III Program Coordinator Christie Hodge
MoodyCollegeOption3@austin.utexas.edu
512-232-2825