Topic 1: Persuasion, Advocacy, and Social Influence. Examine research and theory on interpersonal influence--what it takes to successfully persuade others in personal and organizational environments. Additional prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Topic 2: The Art and Science of Social Media. Examine how to effectively engage with social media as both a consumer and an individual producer or creator. Explore personal brand identity, theories of human behavior and media consumption, and the rapidly changing media environment.

Topic 3: Communicating for Careers. Examine the current theories and practices regarding careers in communication. Create content for a portfolio in areas of interest as a resource for future employment.

Topic 4: Team Building. Explore how to foster effective teams through communication interventions.

Topic 5: Resisting Stereotyping and Prejudice. Examine problems posed by stereotyping and prejudice in communication and evidence-based research aimed at reducing their impact. Explore opportunities to seek constructive ways of identifying, defining, and addressing stereotyping and prejudice while engaging in communities.

Topic 6: Personal Identity Branding. Examine the skills and content involved in positioning individuals as experts or leaders in their field, increasing their credibility, distinguishing them from others, and expanding their circle of influence.

Topic 7: Social Media Strategies. Examine content creation, management of followers, and critical consumption of messages on social networks.

Topic 8: Managing Change through Communication. Explore strategies for creating, controlling, and adapting to change in organizations and groups. Examine how to deal with transformations in an organization's or group's goals, processes, or members.

Topic 9: Communication and Leadership. Examine leadership styles, predictors of effective leadership, and outcomes related to leadership in different contexts. Explore how to generate clear, persuasive messages and connect with audiences.

Topic 10: Crisis Communication. Examine frameworks through which crises may be addressed by leaders and members of groups, organizations, and communities by using past crises as case studies.

Topic 11: Conflict and Negotiation. Explore conflict, negotiation, and mediation with respect to interpersonal, group, organizational, and community contexts, with a focus on political conflict, its systemic causes, and possible solutions.

Topic 12: Leadership in the Social World. Examine how to lead in the social media age. Explore creating compelling content, developing a distribution strategy, using social media to guide decision making, driving social media use, and enabling a supportive infrastructure.

Topic 13: Media, Messaging, and Perceptions. Explore how communication and media contribute to representations and assumptions about social groups. Analyze messaging, power dynamics, and identity to develop more accurate and responsible communication practices.