Information Design and Corporate Communication Program
Major Courses
All IDCC majors must take speech, professional communication and web design courses, and communication theory to build their verbal skills before choosing electives in applied communication theory and supporting subject areas. This curriculum, structured to allow maximum flexibility to suit individual interests and goals while ensuring a solid base of knowledge in business and the liberal arts, has become a model for similar programs offered in schools through the country.
Top students can enhance their academic experience with a three-credit honors internship with a Boston-area firm. Student interns generally work 15 hours per week for a semester in an area related to their studies.
To fulfill the IDCC major requirements, students take eight courses - or seven courses plus an internship. All IDCC majors are required to take:
| COM 210 | Effective Speaking |
| IDCC 370 | Web Design I: Information Design Principles and Practice |
Students then elect three courses in a chosen IDCC concentration: information design, public relations or web design. These courses include, but are not limited to:
| Information Design: | |
| IDCC 230 | Fundamentals of Content Development |
| IDCC 240 | Fundamentals of Visual Communication |
| IDCC 330 | Advanced Content Development |
| Public Relations: | |
| IDCC 250 | Public Relations Theory and Practice |
| IDCC 255 | Public Relations Writing |
| IDCC 355 | Strategies in International Corporate Communication |
| IDCC 350 | Journalism for the Web |
| IDCC 360 | Public Relations and Information Technology |
| Web Design: | |
| IDCC 370 | Web Design I: Information Design Principles and Practices |
| IDCC 380 | Web Design II: Information Architecture and Site Management |
| Other IDCC course offerings include: | |
| IDCC 320 | Managerial Communication |
| IDCC 390 | Selected Topics in Information Design and Corporate Communication |
| COM 320 | Intercultural Communication |
| COM 321 | Mass Communication |
| COM 322 | Theories of Persuasion |
| COM 323 | Small-Group Communication |
| COM 324 | Design as Communication |
| COM 325 | Introduction to Linguistics |
Minors
The benefits of a minor in IDCC are twofold. It prepares students for a hybrid career that requires expertise in both a business or technical discipline as well as a mastery of communication skills. The minor also grooms graduates for ongoing career advancement because advancing requires not only technical expertise, but also the ability to effectively communicate that expertise in a variety of media.
A minor in IDCC requires four courses. Two are required Arts and Sciences courses: Effective Speaking and a 300-level communication elective. The other two are business-related courses, again broken down by concentration into either information design, public relations or web design.
