Postgraduate

COMS420
Public Diplomacy
Description
Public diplomacy relates to efforts by state and non-state actors to influence public opinion in other countries. With the growth of soft power and new media and information technologies, public diplomacy is of growing importance in international relations. This course reviews the emerging theoretical literature on public diplomacy and a number of case studies on how different states and multilateral organisations have used public diplomacy in recent years to improve their international image. This is not a distance course. This course includes group work and has a strongly practical focus -- cooperation with diplomats and international relations practitioners -- that requires active in-class engagement. This course teaches a number of the core skills that communicators working in the international context at home and abroad will need. It features diplomats and internationally-recognised leading experts of public diplomacy as our guest speakers.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
DIPL430, POLS430
COMS421
Foundations of Strategic Communication
Description
This course covers foundational theories and research about different aspects in the practices of strategic communication, including the groups/organizations, targets of the messages, the media outlet for the messages. How the theories can be applied in real-life situations will be explored, including professional strategies in advertising and public relations. Ethical practices in the professional environment will be discussed. You will develop a proposal for extended research on communication strategies that can prepare for the Masters of Strategic Communication dissertation. This is not a distance course. This course teaches skills in analysis and research and requires students to develop and share research and analysis with others, in order to learn from and support each other.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Head of Department.
Restrictions
COMS430, COMS431
COMS430
Building Influence: Strategic Communication, Organisational Identity and Change
Description
Strategic communication refers to the practice and study of the deliberate and purposive communication that organizations engage in to reach their goals. Organizations communicate strategically to change public opinion, promote public health, advance human rights, attract new volunteers, convince employees to embrace a change initiative, manage crises, and promote their "brand", among many other things. This course will explore strategic communication scholarship about key issues that organizations must tackle (e.g., transparency, accountability, and identity). The course connects theories to real-life case studies and puts particular emphasis on ethical strategic communication practice.
Occurrences
Special non-calendar-based Three 2026 (UC Online)
Special non-calendar-based Nine 2026 (UC Online)
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
COMS421
COMS431
The Dynamics of Publics: Partnership, Participation and Power
Description
To achieve strategic communication goals, organizations must engage with their publics. This course problematizes what "publics", "audiences", "partners" and "stakeholders" are. It focuses on research on audience engagement and response to strategic communication efforts, and it considers how organizations can move from unidirectional to two-way and dialogic models of communication. The course connects theories to real-life case studies and puts particular emphasis on ethical issues pertaining to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Occurrences
Special non-calendar-based Two 2026 (UC Online)
Special non-calendar-based Four 2026 (UC Online)
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
COMS421
COMS432
Building Impactful Campaigns: Research, Strategy and Ethical Practice
Description
This is a course about planning media campaigns that focuses on how data analysis underpins decisions about goals, objectives, publics, and campaign strategies. The course will discuss campaigns’ purposes and effects and document the key processes involved in developing a campaign plan. Students will develop practical skills as they create an in-progress report about a campaign that they are preparing for a client.
Occurrences
Special non-calendar-based Three 2026 (UC Online)
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
COMS430 and COMS431. Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
COMS425
COMS433
Campaign Success: Messaging, Tactics and Pitching with Impact
Description
This is a course about planning media campaigns that focuses on the development of campaign messages, the selection of appropriate tactics, and ethical issues involved in campaign development. Students will apply knowledge and skills developed through the course to present a campaign pitch to a client. The course will also introduce students to various debates about and methods for evaluating campaigns.
Occurrences
Special non-calendar-based Four 2026 (UC Online)
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
COMS430 and COMS431. Approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
COMS425
COMS435
Good Data and How to Use It: Measuring Impact in Strategic Communication
Description
Strategic communication often relies on analysis of quantitative data. Public communication, your Netflix movie recommendations, or targeted advertisements on social media all rely on making sense of data. This course introduces you to basic skills in survey development and statistical analysis. This course aims to provide students with practical experience analysing, interpreting and communicating quantitative data. The course requires no programming or coding experience.
Occurrences
Special non-calendar-based Four 2026 (UC Online)
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
COMS430 and COMS431. Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
COMS441
Strategic Leadership Communication
Description
This course builds knowledge and skills in the theory and practice of strategic leadership communication. With a focus on internal strategic communication issues such as change management, workplace polarization, and lack of employee voice, students learn to analyse and foster authentic, collaborative forms of leadership communication. The course compares research on leadership communication with selected leadership theories and applies them to case studies. It also provides opportunities to develop and practice practical leadership skills that foster collaboration, widen participation, and create a culture of care in internal communication contexts. Students use their theoretical toolkit to evaluate how collaborative methods shape communication dynamics and to reflect on their own development as leaders.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Subject to the approval of the Programme Coordinator
COMS443
Policy Issues in Science and Technology
Description
This course focuses on the analysis and evaluation of comparative national policies for science, technology and the environment. Scientific innovation and investment are crucial to both economic and environmental sustainability, but the dynamics of policy-making in this domain often lead to public mistrust and conflict. Based on the case study method, this course will examine STEP with reference to issues such as: geo-engineering and climate change; energy policy; autonomous machines and the robotic revolution; and advanced biotechnologies for human health and the environment.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Permission of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
POLS443
COMS480
Research Topic
Description
A research paper, that shall not normally exceed 10,000 words, on an aspect of Mass Communication which must be submitted in the year of enrolment unless an extension is approved by the Head of Department.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Semester Two 2026
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Programme Co-ordinator.
COMS650
MA Dissertation
Description
MA Dissertation
Occurrences
Approved Start 2026
Semester One 2026
Semester Two 2026
Points
60 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Head of Department.
COMS690
MA Thesis
Occurrences
Approved Start 2026
Points
120 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Head of Department.
COMS692
Dissertation in Professional Communication
Description
Students will complete a dissertation, normally 15,000 - 20,000 words in length, on a topic of their choice, under academic supervision.
Occurrences
Approved Start 2026
Semester One 2026
Points
60 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Head of Department.
COMS693
Strategic Communication Portfolio
Description
This course requires students to produce (1) a portfolio plan, (2) a portfolio of work in applied communication and (3) a personal reflection. Taken together, this work demonstrates an advanced applied strategic communication capability in relation to one or more fields of strategic communication. The course will be taught through a combination of supervised independent work, work-integrated learning and workshops.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
60 points
Prerequisites
COMS434, COMS435 and 90 points from Schedules C and E to the MStratCom and approval of the Programme Director.
Restrictions
COMS692

Not Offered Courses in 2026

Postgraduate

COMS425
Campaign Planning with Social Data Analysis
Description
This is a course about planning media campaigns, in particular, it focuses on the use of social data analysis in planning campaigns. The course will introduce what campaigns are, their purposes and effects, their importance in the society, and the strategies of developing a media advocacy plan. A significant portion of the course will be about the use of social data analysis, including big data and social network analysis, in informing and evaluating campaigns. Students will be given opportunities to manage social data and develop their campaign plans according to their interests based on the data. Such plans can be related to social policies, public health and safety, human rights, etc., and can be delivered through different communication channels including traditional mass media and social media. Controversies around the ethical uses of social data for campaign planning will be discussed, and students will need to identify ethical practices of using the data. This course requires active in-class engagement. It is not a distance course.
Occurrences
COMS425-26S2 (C)
Semester Two 2026 - Not offered
For further information see COMS425 course details
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
COMS421. Subject to approval of the Head of Department.
COMS431
The Dynamics of Publics: Partnership, Participation and Power
Description
To achieve strategic communication goals, organizations must engage with their publics. This course problematizes what "publics", "audiences", "partners" and "stakeholders" are. It focuses on research on audience engagement and response to strategic communication efforts, and it considers how organizations can move from unidirectional to two-way and dialogic models of communication. The course connects theories to real-life case studies and puts particular emphasis on ethical issues pertaining to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Occurrences
COMS431-26X9 (O)
Special non-calendar-based Nine 2026 (UC Online) - Not offered
For further information see COMS431 course details
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
COMS421
COMS432
Building Impactful Campaigns: Research, Strategy and Ethical Practice
Description
This is a course about planning media campaigns that focuses on how data analysis underpins decisions about goals, objectives, publics, and campaign strategies. The course will discuss campaigns’ purposes and effects and document the key processes involved in developing a campaign plan. Students will develop practical skills as they create an in-progress report about a campaign that they are preparing for a client.
Occurrences
COMS432-26X2 (O)
Special non-calendar-based Two 2026 (UC Online) - Not offered
For further information see COMS432 course details
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
COMS430 and COMS431. Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
COMS425
COMS433
Campaign Success: Messaging, Tactics and Pitching with Impact
Description
This is a course about planning media campaigns that focuses on the development of campaign messages, the selection of appropriate tactics, and ethical issues involved in campaign development. Students will apply knowledge and skills developed through the course to present a campaign pitch to a client. The course will also introduce students to various debates about and methods for evaluating campaigns.
Occurrences
COMS433-26X3 (O)
Special non-calendar-based Three 2026 (UC Online) - Not offered
For further information see COMS433 course details
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
COMS430 and COMS431. Approval of the Programme Coordinator.
Restrictions
COMS425
COMS434
Mapping Meaning: Tools for Qualitative Data Analysis
Description
Qualitative research is a creative, adaptable form of inquiry that allows strategic communication professionals to explore and gain in-depth understandings of unique, local, human experiences, and social and communication practices. This course uses experiential learning to enable students to explore how qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups can shed light on strategic communication issues. It also introduces students to thematic data analysis as a strategy for analysing qualitative data as well as data management tools such as NVivo. Because the researcher is the "instrument" of data collection and analysis, the course also invites students to reflect on their own positionality as researchers and identify ethical issues in qualitative research.
Occurrences
COMS434-26X4 (O)
Special non-calendar-based Four 2026 (UC Online) - Not offered
For further information see COMS434 course details
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
COMS430 and COMS431. Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.
COMS438
Leadership Communication for Workplace Engagement
Description
This course builds knowledge and skills in the theory and practice of strategic leadership communication. With a focus on internal strategic communication issues such as change management, workplace polarisation, and lack of employee voice, students learn to analyse and foster authentic, collective, and collaborative forms of leadership communication. The course compares research on leadership communication with selected leadership theories and applies them to case studies. Students will use their theoretical toolkit to evaluate how collaborative methods shape communication dynamics.
Occurrences
COMS438-26S2 (C)
Semester Two 2026 - Not offered
For further information see COMS438 course details
Points
15 points
Prerequisites
COMS430 and COMS431; or, COMS421. Subject to Programme Coordinator approval
Restrictions
COMS441