COMMLD 547: Internal Communications

Course Description:

Every organization runs on how well its people understand where it’s going and why. Internal communicators make that happen. An organization’s character is expressed through its people, and its culture is shaped and lived by them, which makes internal communication essential in every kind of organization, from global companies to universities, nonprofits and government agencies.

This course is designed to prepare you to step into internal communications roles, or grow within them, as strategic advisors. We will explore how organizations work; employee listening and research; leadership communication, from executive voice to the managers who land messages with their teams; ethics; messages and channels; culture and engagement; change; and measurement. Along the way, we give special attention to bringing people together, from all-hands meetings to the moments that build culture.

Since AI has reshaped how internal communicators do their work, we will also explore the intersection of internal communications and AI, both as a tool communicators learn to use with judgment and as a force reshaping the communications employees expect.

Blending academic research with real-world practice, case studies, guest speakers and projects, you will build the strategic thinking, editorial judgment and human skills internal communications demand.