All degrees in the school require course work in the liberal arts, including natural sciences, social sciences, mathematics, humanities, and fine and performing arts, while permitting some liberty in the selection of courses within these areas. In these courses, a student is introduced to the fundamentals of scholarship in the main branches of knowledge and is provided with an orientation that will help prepare for success in a chosen field.<br><br>Course work in a student's major, minor, related area or electives (depending upon the type of degree chosen) provides access to advanced instruction and specialized equipment to prepare for responsible leadership in the professional, civic, social, and economic spheres of society and creates a foundation that may enrich character and provide the resources for living a meaningful and useful life. <br><br>The program is a professional master's degree in which students learn to create and manage coordinated communications that connect people and organizations. The curriculum blends theory, insight, and real-world application with a focus on the strategic integration of several media fields, including advertising, public relations, brand strategy, digital media, direct mail, content marketing, and research. By taking an audience-centered approach, practitioners can create consistent and effective messages that influence audience behavior. Graduates are prepared for leadership roles in advertising and PR agencies, corporations, media, nonprofit organizations, health care, political communication, sports, or government.