Global Studies BA / Strategic & Digital Communication MS
Major: Global Studies and Strategic and Digital Communication
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 225.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Five years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 30.2001
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-3094
About the Program
The accelerated BA in Global Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary, intercultural, and interactive program with four concentrations: media, arts and cultures; justice and human rights; business, economics, and development; and health and sustainability. Global Studies students develop the critical skills to understand global political, social, and economic trends, while the MS in Strategic and Digital Communication addition will further deepen students’ practical and professional experience in the communications field.
Drexel University is committed to building a strong foundation through the accelerated Global Studies/Communication degree, which enables academically qualified students to earn both a bachelor's and master’s degree—graduating sooner than they would in traditional programs. Graduates of the accelerated degree enter the workforce one year sooner with the benefits of a Master’s degree in Strategic and Digital Communication, using the year saved to gain full-time experience and earn a salary in the field.
Drexel’s Master of Science in Strategic and Digital Communication requires 45.0 credits, and prepares students for careers in a wide range of professional activities relating to communication in both media environments and communication contexts that are characterized by advanced digitization.
With a robust core curriculum consisting of seven courses (21.0 credits), the program provides a strong foundation in theoretical approaches to communication, ethics and media/communication policy. This theoretical basis is designed to ensure that, as the field changes, students will continue to have an intellectual framework for evaluating and implementing new technology and changing media environments. Furthermore, the program trains students in leadership skills that will help them to lead teams to be innovative communication professionals in digitized media environments and different organizational communication contexts.
The program emphasizes flexibility, encouraging each student, in consultation with a faculty advisor, to craft an individual course of study tailored to the student’s individual interests and career goals. Throughout the curriculum students use four Communication electives (12.0 credits) to increase communication skills or to further develop areas of specialization. An additional four free elective courses (12.0 credits) can be taken in Communication or in other departments across the university. This allows students to continue to tailor their plan of study, to add on a graduate minor, or to complete a certificate program.
The program specializes in two areas:
- Strategic Communication (public relations)
- Digital and Social Media Communication
Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication has much to offer for those looking to work in public relations as well as for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Students typically choose from courses such as PR Writing and Planning courses, Crisis Communication, Media Relations, Nonprofit Communication, and others.
Digital Communication
With Communication being an area characterized by ongoing digitization, the program offers courses such as Strategic Social Media Communication, Digital Publishing, Digital Media Environments, Social Media Concepts That Matter, and others.
Additional Information
For more information, visit the MS in Strategic and Digital Communication webpage.
Contact Julia May, Director of the MS in Strategic and Digital Communication program, at julia.may@drexel.edu for more information.
Admission Requirements
Both incoming freshmen and current GST students are eligible to apply for this program. Students who are already matriculated may apply after completing a minimum of 90.0 credits but no more than 120.0 credits. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and maintain this GPA throughout the program.
In addition to formally applying and getting all the signatures required on the Accelerated Degree Program Admission form, applicants must provide:
- A 500-word statement of goals that explains why they want to enroll in the accelerated degree program
- The name of a faculty reference who can speak to the applicant’s academic qualifications and preparedness for graduate studies
Additional Information
Contact Julia May, Director of the MS in Strategic and Digital Communication program, at julia.may@drexel.edu for more information.
Degree Requirements
| CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
| COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development | 1.0 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4.0 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 4.0 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
| ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
| ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
| PSCI 150 | International Politics | 4.0 |
| Two Math courses | 6.0-8.0 | |
| Two Science courses | 6.0-8.0 | |
| UNIV H101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
| UNIV H201 | Looking Forward: Academics and Careers | 1.0 |
| Global Studies Core Courses | ||
| GST 101 | Becoming Global: Language and Cultural Context | 3.0 |
| GST 102 | Understanding Global: Markets and Governance | 3.0 |
| GST 103 | Acting Global: Research Methods in Global Studies | 3.0 |
| Four 200+ level GST courses | 12.0 | |
| GST 400 | Senior Project in Global Studies | 3.0 |
| Language minor in French, Spanish or Japanese, or minor in Asian Studies, or Middle East and North Africa Studies | 24.0 | |
| Students must complete at least 24.0 credits above the 103 language level to earn a language minor. | ||
| Global Health and Sustainability Concentration Requirements | ||
| ANTH 360 | Culture and the Environment | 3.0 |
| PBHL 301 | Epidemiology in Public Health | 3.0 |
| PBHL 303 | Overview of Issues in Global Health | 3.0 |
| PSCI 334 | Politics of Environment and Health | 4.0 |
| or SOC 346 | Environmental Justice | |
| Choose one of the following ethics courses | 3.0 | |
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Public Health Ethics | ||
| Choose one of the following English courses | 3.0 | |
| Literature & Science | ||
| Environmental Literature | ||
| Topics in Literature and Medicine | ||
| Global Health and Sustainability Distribution Requirements | 24.0 | |
| Students must complete 24.0 credits from the approved list: | ||
| Worldview: Science, Religion and Magic | ||
| Health & Healing Practices in Cross-Cultural Perspective | ||
| Societies In Transition: The Impact of Modernization and the Third World | ||
| Culture and the Environment | ||
| Biological Diversity, Ecology & Evolution | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Environmental Crime | ||
| Campaigns for Health & Environment | ||
| Environmental Communication | ||
| Science Writing | ||
| Grant Writing | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Resource and Environmental Economics | ||
| Literature & Science | ||
| Environmental Literature | ||
| Topics in Literature and Medicine | ||
| Cities and Sustainability | ||
| Introduction to Urban Planning | ||
| Energy Entrepreneurship | ||
| Environmental Science | ||
| Native Plants and Sustainability | ||
| Global Climate Change | ||
| Global Warming, Biodiversity and Your Future | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Introduction to Global Capital and Development | ||
| Introduction to Identities and Communities | ||
| Introduction to Power and Resistance | ||
| Introduction to Global Media, Arts, and Cultures | ||
| Introduction to Global Health and Sustainability | ||
| Advanced Studies in Global Capital and Development | ||
| Advanced Studies in Identities and Communities | ||
| Advanced Studies in Power and Resistance | ||
| Advanced Studies in Global Media, Arts, and Cultures | ||
| Advanced Studies in Global Health and Sustainability | ||
| Special Topics in Global Studies | ||
| Special Topics in Global Studies | ||
| History of Science: Ancient to Medieval | ||
| History of Science: Medieval to Enlightenment | ||
| History of Science: Enlightenment to Modernity | ||
| Themes in Global Environmental History | ||
| Empire and Environment | ||
| Transnational History of Science, Technology and Environment | ||
| Development of World Health Care | ||
| Health Care across Cultures | ||
| Foods and Nutrition of World Cultures | ||
| Perspectives in World Nutrition | ||
| Introduction to the History of Public Health | ||
| Introduction to Health & Human Rights | ||
| Women and Children: Health & Society | ||
| Introduction to Community Health | ||
| The World's Water | ||
| Exploring the HIV/AIDS Pandemic | ||
| Disease Outbreak Investigations | ||
| Health Inequality | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Global Ethical Issues | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Environmental Philosophy | ||
| Philosophy of Technology | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Social Development: A Global Approach | ||
| Politics of Environment and Health | ||
| The United Nations in World Politics | ||
| Ethics and International Relations | ||
| International Human Rights | ||
| Psychology of Sustainability | ||
| HIV/AIDS and Africa | ||
| Development and Underdevelopment in the Global South | ||
| Globalization | ||
| Women's Health and Human Rights | ||
| Women and Society in a Global Context | ||
| Free electives | 52.0-48.0 | |
| MS Strategic & Digital Communication | ||
| Required Core Courses | ||
| COM 500 | Reading & Research in Communication | 3.0 |
| COM 574 | Organizational Communication in Project Management | 3.0 |
| COM 610 | Theories of Communication and Persuasion | 3.0 |
| COM 613 | Ethics for Professional Communication | 3.0 |
| COM 615 | Media Environments in a Digital World | 3.0 |
| COM 651 | Media and Communication Policy in a Digitized World | 3.0 |
| COM 698 | Managing Communication Professional Identities in a Digital Age | 3.0 |
| Program Electives | 12.0 | |
| Choose four of the following courses: | ||
| Campaigns for Health and Environment | ||
| Communicating Health and Risk in a ‘Fake News’ World | ||
| Science Writing | ||
| Document Design and Usability | ||
| Modern Desktop Publishing | ||
| Digital Publishing | ||
| Strategic Social Media Communication | ||
| Foundations of Public Relations | ||
| Public Relations Writing | ||
| Public Relations Planning | ||
| Media Relations in a Digital Age | ||
| Creative Content Production | ||
| Fundamentals of Journalism & Newswriting | ||
| International Negotiations | ||
| Event Planning | ||
| Technical, Science and Health Editing | ||
| Grant Writing | ||
| Nonprofit Communications | ||
| Communication for Civic Engagement | ||
| Focus Groups | ||
| Strategic International Communication | ||
| Graduate Seminar in Communication | ||
| Social Media Concepts that Matter | ||
| Investigative Journalism | ||
| Medical Writing | ||
| Medical Journalism | ||
| Independent Study in COM | ||
| Independent Study in COM | ||
| Special Topics in Communication | ||
| Special Topics in Communication | ||
| Graduate Electives * | 12.0 | |
| Total Credits | 225.0 | |
| * | Students can select up to 12.0 credits of graduate-level electives (500-799) in the following subject areas (AADM, AAML, ACCT, BUSN, CCM, CHP, COM, CRTV, CW, DIGM, ECON, EDAM, EDHE, EDLT, EDUC, ENTP, ENVP, ENVS, EOH, HMP, HRM, LING, MGMT, MGMT, MKTG, MUSL, NPM, ORGB, PBHL, PLCY, PROJ, PRST, RMER, SCRP, SCTS, SMT, TVMN). Other graduate courses outside these areas might be taken pending approval from the graduate advisor or program director. |
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | VACATION | |
| GST 101 | 3.0 | GST 102 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
| MATH 101 | 4.0 | MATH 102 | 4.0 | GST 103 | 3.0 | ||
| UNIV H101 | 1.0 | (UG) Language* | 4.0 | PSCI 150 | 4.0 | ||
| (UG) Language* | 4.0 | (UG) Language* | 4.0 | ||||
| 15 | 14 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| COOP 101** | 1.0 | (UG) GST Concentration Requirement | 3.0 | ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 |
| (UG) GST Concentration Requirement | 3.0 | (UG) GST Distribution Options | 6.0 | (UG) Language* | 4.0 | (UG) Language* | 3.0 |
| (UG) GST Distribution Option | 3.0 | (UG) Language* | 4.0 | (UG) GST 200+ Level Course | 3.0 | (UG) GST Concentration Requirement | 3.0 |
| (UG) Language* | 4.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | (UG) GST Concentration Requirement | 3.0 | (UG) GST Distribution Option | 3.0 |
| (UG) Free Electives | 6.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||
| 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| (UG) Language* | 3.0 | (UG) Language* | 3.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| (UG) GST 200+ Level Course | 3.0 | (UG) GST 200+ Level Course | 3.0 | COM 574 | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) GST Distribution Options | 7.0 | (UG) GST Concentration Requirement | 4.0 | ||||
| (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | (UG) GST Distribution Option | 3.0 | ||||
| COM 500 | 3.0 | (UG) Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| COM 610 | 3.0 | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | 0 | 3 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| UNIV H201 | 1.0 | GST 400 | 3.0 | (UG) Free Electives | 9.0 | VACATION | |
| (UG) GST Concentration Requirement | 4.0 | (UG) Free Electives | 9.0 | (UG) GST Distribution Option | 3.0 | Student converts to Graduate Status | |
| (UG) GST 200+ Level Course | 3.0 | COM 651 | 3.0 | COM 615 | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) Free Electives | 6.0 | (GR) SDC Program Elective | 3.0 | (GR) SDC Program Elective | 3.0 | ||
| COM 613 | 3.0 | ||||||
| 17 | 18 | 18 | 0 | ||||
| Fifth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| (GR) SDC Program Elective | 3.0 | (GR) SDC Program Elective | 3.0 | COM 698 | 3.0 | ||
| (GR) Grad Electives | 6.0 | (GR) Graduate Elective | 3.0 | (GR) Graduate Elective | 3.0 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 6 | |||||
| Total Credits 225 | |||||||
| * | Language minor in French, Spanish or Japanese, or minor in Asian Studies, or Middle East and North Africa Studies. |
| ** | Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101. |
