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Competency Mappings

Primary Alignments

Certificate directly and substantially builds this competency across multiple courses.

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• Communication

  Communication is the explicit purpose of this certificate and its most dominant NACE alignment. The course list is almost entirely communication-focused: public speaking, business and professional speaking, argumentation, persuasion, professional writing, public relations, mass communications writing, social media, business communications, and intercultural communication. Every pathway a student chooses develops a different dimension of professional communication and taken together they represent the most comprehensive communication-focused curriculum of any certificate in this series.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Writing professionally across business, public relations, and mass communications contexts Delivering clear, compelling oral presentations in professional and public settings Constructing and evaluating persuasive arguments for specific audiences Communicating strategically across digital platforms and social media Producing public relations, advocacy, and organizational communications	SPCH 140/145, SPCH 230, SPCH 260, SPCH 380, ENGL 363, ITEC 242, JOUR 201, JOUR 291, JOUR 333, JOUR 285, PHIL 213/SPCH 213

• Critical Thinking

  Argumentation and Debate (SPCH 260), Persuasive Communication (SPCH 380), Survey of Social Psychology (PSYC 430), and Law and Ethics of Mass Communications (JOUR 303, 304) all require students to analyze arguments, evaluate evidence, anticipate counterarguments, and make principled judgments under complexity. Strategic communication is fundamentally applied critical thinking: understanding an audience, diagnosing a situation, and choosing the most defensible course of action.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Constructing and dismantling arguments using evidence and logical reasoning Analyzing audience psychology to anticipate response and shape message strategy Evaluating the legal and ethical dimensions of communication decisions Applying social psychological frameworks to understand persuasion and influence Diagnosing communication challenges and developing strategic responses	SPCH 260, SPCH 380, PSYC 430, JOUR 303, JOUR 304, PHIL 213/SPCH 213, SAEL 200

• Professionalism

  Ethics runs through this certificate in ways that are unusually direct. Students can choose from medical ethics, business ethics, engineering ethics, communicating moral issues, social advocacy, and the law and ethics of mass communications. These are not soft background readings — they are courses where ethical reasoning and professional standards are the curriculum. Journalism law courses address the legal frameworks that govern professional communication. This depth of ethics coverage makes Professionalism a genuine primary competency.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Applying ethical frameworks to professional communication decisions Understanding the legal boundaries of mass communications and digital media Navigating professional responsibility in public relations and advocacy contexts Communicating with integrity and accountability to audiences and stakeholders Recognizing and responding to ethical complexity in organizational communication	PHIL 321/324/325, PHIL 213/SPCH 213, JOUR 303, JOUR 304, SAEL 200, JOUR 201, JOUR 333

Supporting Alignments

Certificate contributes meaningfully to this competency, typically through specific courses or applied contexts.

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• Teamwork

  Cross-Cultural Communication (ANTH/LING 273), Intercultural Communication (FORL 360), Language Conflict and Language Rights (POLI/LING 240), and Survey of Social Psychology (PSYC 430) develop the interpersonal and intercultural competencies that underpin effective teamwork in diverse environments. Public relations and nonprofit communications courses build experience coordinating communication across organizational stakeholders — a practical teamwork context.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Communicating effectively across cultural and linguistic difference Applying intercultural awareness to team and client relationships Understanding group dynamics and social behavior in organizational contexts Coordinating stakeholder communication in collaborative professional settings	ANTH/LING 273, FORL 360, POLI/LING 240, PSYC 430, JOUR 201, JOUR 333

• Leadership

  Social Advocacy and Ethical Life (SAEL 200), Persuasive Communication (SPCH 380), Retail Management Strategies (RETL 487), and Public Relations for Nonprofit Organizations (JOUR 333) develop the ability to influence others, build coalitions, and communicate strategically on behalf of a cause, organization, or initiative. Strategic communication is an instrument of leadership, and courses in this certificate develop the perspective and skills to use it responsibly.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Using strategic communication to influence decisions and shape organizational narrative Advocating for a position, cause, or organization to external audiences Developing and executing communications strategies aligned to organizational goals Building credibility and trust through principled, audience aware communication	SPCH 380, SAEL 200, JOUR 201, JOUR 333, RETL 487, PHIL 213/SPCH 213

• Career and Self-Development

  Students who complete this certificate make an intentional investment in one of the most universally valued professional skill sets. The breadth of the elective menu — spanning public relations, journalism, ethics, intercultural communication, psychology, and business communication — allows students to build a pathway that reflects their industry of interest. That intentionality, made explicit in advising, develops career self awareness. Social media and digital communication courses also position students to navigate the rapidly evolving professional communication landscape.

  What Employers Can Expect Students to Do	Contributing Courses
  Building a strategic communication portfolio tailored to a specific career field Articulating the value of communication skills in field specific professional language Navigating professional communication norms across industries and contexts  Recognizing emerging communication tools and platforms relevant to career goals	JOUR 285, JOUR 201, SPCH 145, ENGL 363, RETL 487, all certificate courses depending on pathway

Career and Community Outcomes

Communicating the Value of Your Certificate

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• For Students in Any Major

  Strategic communication is valuable across every field. This certificate helps students name and demonstrate a skill set that employers consistently value: the ability to think clearly, communicate effectively, understand audiences, and influence responsibly.
  
  Example talking point: “The Strategic Thinking and Communications Certificate helped me build a focused set of skills in professional communication, audience analysis, ethical reasoning, and strategic problem-solving.”

• For Students Pursuing Public Relations, Marketing, or Communications Roles

  Students can use the certificate to demonstrate preparation in writing, persuasion, social media, public relations, audience analysis, and professional communication. The certificate can also support the development of portfolio examples from coursework.
  
  Example talking point:“Through this certificate, I developed the ability to create audience-centered messages, communicate across platforms, and apply strategic thinking to public relations, marketing, and organizational communication challenges.”

• For Students Interested in Nonprofit, Advocacy, or Public Sector Work

  The certificate supports students who want to communicate a mission, advocate for a cause, or engage the public clearly and ethically. It helps students connect communication strategies with responsibility, credibility, and community impact.
  
  Example talking point:“The certificate strengthened my ability to communicate ethically and persuasively about issues that matter, engage different perspectives, and support constructive dialogue in public and community settings.”

• For Students Entering Business, Consulting, or Management

  Students can connect the certificate to client communication, organizational messaging, professional speaking, business writing, audience analysis, and the ability to communicate across levels of an organization.
  
  Example talking point:“The Strategic Thinking and Communications Certificate helped me develop communication skills that support leadership, client engagement, organizational decision-making, and effective collaboration across teams.”

NACE Career Readiness Competencies

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) identifies eight competencies that support career success across industries and professions. The Strategic Thinking Certificate helps students develop these competencies through interdisciplinary coursework, applied learning, critical analysis, collaboration, and engagement with digital technologies.

The eight competencies are:

• Career and Self-Development 
• Communication 
• Critical Thinking 
• Equity and Inclusion 
• Leadership 
• Professionalism 
• Teamwork 
• Technology