Master of Science in Business Communication | Spalding University Catalog

Master of Science in Business Communication

Mission
In keeping with the mission of Spalding University, the Master of Science in Business Communication prepares today's professionals to meet organizational needs by integrating advanced business and communication competencies in a rigorous and relevant curriculum that emphasizes critical thought and ethical reasoning.

Program Description
The School of Business offers the Master of Science in Business Communication. This master's program is designed to develop the communication and interpersonal competencies relevant in the business arena.  Students with interests in management, healthcare, advertising, public relations, sales, accounting, and human resources are among those who should benefit from completion of this degree program.

This program is taught in the evenings and online using an accelerated format. All face-to-face graduate courses in the program curriculum require students to attend six four-hour class meetings per course.

Admission
For the general admission requirements and other pertinent information, please consult the Graduate Application and Admission section in this catalog. In all cases, the application process requires the student to complete and submit a graduate application, a two-to three-page personal essay, and a current resume.

Students may be admitted into the MSBC program for any session, but completed applications must be received three weeks prior to the session start date.

Successful applicants to the Master of Science in Business Communication ordinarily must have a cumulative GPA for all prior college-level course work of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale. Those with a GPA below 3.00 may be considered given extenuating circumstances (e.g., significant improvement in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework or superior work record).

Applicants with a GPA for all prior college-level course work below 2.80 may be required to submit GRE or GMAT scores, in addition to the other materials listed above, before the application will be considered. For students submitting scores, the minimum GRE scores are 152 on verbal and 152 on quantitative. The minimum GMAT score for admission to the program is 550.

Early Admission to the Master of Science in Business Communication Program
The School of Business provides an opportunity for high achieving undergraduates at Spalding University, who are majoring in Business or Communication, to apply for early admission to the Master of Science in Business Communication program. Students interested in this program should consult their advisors early in their second year of school.

Early Admission Requirements
For students interested in pursuing early admission to the Master of Science in Business Communication program, the following process should be followed:

  1. An undergraduate student currently working on the degree requirements for the BSA, BSBA or BSC should apply to the Master of Science in Business Communication program after completing 75 hours at the undergraduate level and before enrolling in his or her first graduate course.
  2. The student must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher after completing 75 hours.
  3. Before enrolling in a graduate course, the student must meet all current admission requirements and be accepted into the graduate program.
  4. Nine (9) credit hours (3 graduate Business Communication courses) in the program can satisfy 9 credit hours in the undergraduate program as general electives.

Requirements
The Master of Science degree in Business Communication requires a minimum of 33 graduate semester hours. All students are required to take the following courses:

MSBC 614 Data Visualization and Storytelling
MSBC 618 Integrated Marketing Communication (not required in Human Resource Management)
MSBC 623 Organizational Leadership (not required in Sports Management or Financial Planning)
MSBC 628 Purpose-Driven Business in the Global Economy
MSBC 638 Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace
MSBC 655 Organizational Development and Change (not required in Financial Planning)
MSBC 664 Strategic Planning and Implementation
MSBC 700 Applied Capstone in the Workplace (not required in Financial Planning)

All required courses are ordinarily offered at least once during each academic year to facilitate timely completion of the degree program.

Concentrations

In addition to the required courses, students are required to take graduate Business Communication elective courses to complement the program core. Please see the corresponding program sheet for the required core and concentration courses for each of the following seven concentrations listed below:

  1. Organizational Leadership
  2. Accounting
  3. Healthcare Management
  4. Nonprofit Administration
  5. Human Resource Management
  6. Sports Management
  7. Financial Planning

A student who takes six graduate hours per session in consecutive sessions may complete all graduate degree requirements in six sessions (approximately one academic year), if the student plans carefully and coordinates with her or his academic advisor.

The Master of Science in Business Communication student fulfills all graduate course requirements in courses at Spalding University with the MSBC prefix. In rare cases, students are allowed to complete up to six graduate credit hours at Spalding in other disciplines. Written permission from the Director of the Business Communication Program is needed to take such outside courses. In all cases the burden is on the student to demonstrate that such courses are relevant to the competencies cultivated by the program.

Transfer Hours
A maximum of nine graduate transfer hours for the Master of Science in Business Communication program are permitted with the permission of the graduate director. All transfer hours must be demonstrably relevant to the competencies taught in the program.

Assessment
Master of Science in Business Communication students must successfully complete all required coursework. Students will complete the Applied Capstone in the Workplace Course (MSBC 700) as the culminating assessment in the program. Financial Planning students will complete Financial Plan Development (FIN 681) in lieu of MSBC 700.

Registration for MSBC
Students register for classes with the advice and approval of an academic advisor. MSBC students may register for no more than 6 credit hours per 6-week session without the written approval of the Provost.
There is a deadline for enrolling in MSBC classes. For online classes, students must be registered by 11:59 p.m. EST on the first Tuesday of the session. For hybrid classes, students must be registered no later than two days prior to the scheduled first class.

Certificate Programs
Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management

The Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management is a 12-hour program designed to equip students with the knowledge and background for the human resource management roles of the future. Students pursuing the graduate certificate follow the standard MSBC admission process. The certificate hours count towards fulfilling the HRM concentration requirements in the MSBC program. The four required courses are:

MSBC 610: Compensation and Benefits
MSBC 630: Employment Law
MSBC 620: Staffing Organizations
MSBC 670: Training and Development

Graduate Certificate in Sports Management
The Graduate Certificate in Sports Management is a 12-hour program designed to equip students with the knowledge and background for leadership roles in all levels of the sports industry. Students pursuing the graduate certificate follow the standard MSBC admission process. The certificate hours count towards fulfilling the Sports Management concentration requirements in the MSBC program. The four required courses are:

MSBC 683: Organizational Behavior in Sports
MSBC 684: Sports Communication
MSBC 685: Economics of Sports and Events
MSBC 687: Revenue Generation in Sports and Events

Key Links to Review

Program Sheets
Master of Science in Business Communication: Accounting Concentration
Master of Science in Business Communication: Healthcare Management Concentration
Master of Science in Business Communication: Human Resource Management Concentration
Master of Science in Business Communication: Nonprofit Administration Concentration
Master of Science in Business Communication: Organizational Leadership Concentration
Master of Science in Business Communication: Sports Management Concentration

Master of Science in Business Communication: Finanacial Planning Concentration
Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management
Graduate Certificate in Sports Management