The Mission of the Programme
The Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication aims to produce students with tactical skills and competencies that will shape an organization’s relationship with different audiences and enhance the goals of an institution or outfit with an effective internal or external communication
strategy.
The graduates will be equipped to design, implement, and evaluate communication campaigns using data driven information. In an increasingly competitive business and work environment, strategic communication graduates will be positioned not only to ensure attainment of organisational goals but also to evaluate competitor’s strategic communication initiatives. This will enable them design communication strategies or campaigns that stand out.
The Philosophy of Programme
Strategic Communication is rooted in the philosophy of producing graduates conscious of, and responsive to the internal and external goals of organizations and institutions as well as not-for-profit organizations in a modern society where information and communication are key to successful attainment.
The philosophy of this programme, therefore, is anchored on the theory and practice of how effective internal and external communication strategies can be utilised to develop an organization. It will expose the students to the use of both legacy media skills and digital media skills in strategic communication; reconnect theoretical awareness of the dynamics of modern societies to strategic communication; and show students how significant public opinion is in
enhancing internal and external goals of organizations.
This programme is specifically designed to instil in the students, innovation, critical thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurship skills, which are the essential ingredients of the 21st century world so that, upon graduation, the students would have been better prepared and responsive to the requirements of the modern work environment. By fostering the spirit of enterprise, the programme aims to prepare persons who can discern opportunities in the environment,
actualise new possibilities in the economic and social spheres, and effectively manage the new media enterprises. The programme will also strive to equip the students with technical competence by providing them with hands-on practical experience and a constant exposure to
the latest developments in the field.
The information society in which we live has made strategic communication vital for the success of goals attainment both for private, governmental, and not for profit organizations. To this end, there are exciting and compelling career opportunities for graduates of strategic communication as content strategists, event managers, digital marketing specialists, digital advocacy, and public affairs specialists. They can serve as social media analysts, fund raising
and event managers, public relations and publicists, speech writers and influencers. Skills and competencies learned in critical web literacy, principles of public relations, principles of advertising, digital marketing for strategic communication, media and communication planning and strategy, brand communication, digital strategic communication analytics, media, propaganda and public opinion, etc., position graduates of strategic communication to play these roles as employees and as employers who would use their creative skills to advance set goals.
The programme will lay emphasis on producing persons who are well-read and knowledgeable, and who will also be led to read with a critical spirit, showing discernment and good judgement. Similar emphasis will be given to the impartation of professional ethics in the process of which the ethical dimension of the human person and the necessity of social responsibility will be treated.
Guiding Principles for the Programme
The following basic points are the guiding principles for the programme:
a) The undergraduate degree programme in Strategic Communication will be offered to secondary school leavers, thus preparing them to play an active role in nation building.
b) The programme will impart an education that is relevant to the needs of the nation and of international standard. The relevance of the programme's content will be ensured by fostering a strong relationship with the industry.
c) The programme will give particular emphasis to teaching and research. The academic staff will be encouraged to engage in research and attend conferences of relevance across the world. This is expected to ensure a continuous improvement in their teaching and maintain its relevance to the needs of the nation.
d) The programme will be concerned with the integral formation of the individual and will lay special emphasis on the development of values and ideals.
Professional ethics will permeate all teaching activities of the programme.
Goals of the Programme
- The primary goals of the undergraduate programme in Strategic Communication are to:
- Equip students to be competent professionals with capacity and ability to tell compelling stories through creative messaging and persuasive communication;
- Equip students with the capacity for independent thinking in the application of theories and concepts to strategically enhance set goals in a technologically driven job market;
- Prepare students to ethically use multiple platforms to disseminate information to various publics and audiences;
- Inculcate in students a critical thinking ability as well as the entrepreneurial spirit to function as employees and employers of labour in themselves;
- Produce industry-ready graduates with requisite skills and competences in all aspects of strategic communication;
- Impart the education in human communication that competently equips the student to deploy and exploit current technologies and or the convergence of media technologies in the design, production and distribution of strategic information, education and
entertainment contents; - Raise and sustain professional integrity in the communication industry;
- Impart an education in strategic communication that is in tune both with international best practices and the needs of the nation; and
- Produce professionals that will exercise a high level of professional ethics in the exercise of this profession.
Admission and Matriculation Requirements
Candidates for the undergraduate programme shall be accepted at the 100 level, for a four-year programme, and in 200 level, as direct entry applicants, for a three-year course.
UTME O/Level Requirements for Admission to 100 Level (Year 1)
Admission into the programme, at the 100 level, will ordinarily be based on the candidate’s performance at both the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the entrance interview of the University. In addition, the candidate should possess Credit passes in 5 Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) subjects or its equivalent including Mathematics, English Language and three other arts or social science subjects at not more than two sittings.
UTME Subjects : Use of English, any three (3) from Arts or Social Science subjects.
Direct Entry Requirements for Admission to 200 Level (Year 2)
To gain admission into the 200 level, the candidate, in addition to passing the evaluative interview of the Pan-Atlantic University, will need to possess:
(I) 3 A/Level credit passes in arts or social science subjects.
(ii) A pass at merit level in Mass Communication, Journalism or related disciplines (provided the ‘O’ Level requirements are satisfied).