Curriculum

The course examines the development of public relations strategics and tactics by using actual public relations cases, events and campaigns. Public relations programmes directed toward employees, consumers, media, community, governmental officials and agencies, stockholders and other relevant groups are discussed and analyzed in the course. Students will be able to formulate strategies and tactics to achieve various public relations goals of the organization after completing the course.

Introduction to applied media research, research criticism, data interpretation and fundamentals of audience analysis. Topics include: surveys, content analysis, experimental test of programmes, field research and formative evaluation. (Not for Ph.D. and M.Phil. students.)

Introduction to the theories, principles and practices of corporation communication. The focus of this course is on the investigation of communication processes and their application in the workplace. It is designed to familiarize students with the knowledge and skills essential to promote effective communication in a corporate setting. Topics include: corporate communication practice, corporate culture, corporate citizenship, relations with the media, crisis management and communication in global markets.

This course applies interpersonal and social theories in and for the content of public relations. By applying the work of a group of prominent interpersonal and social theorists, this course will explore together with students a different perspective to understand the public relations practices, processes and consequences/impact in the contemporary societies at the macro and micro levels. By crossing the paths and arenas between the interpersonal and public relations contexts, we will re-visit existing concepts and assumptions in the public relations context, and explore the new.

This course focuses on the nature and function of communication conflicts. Content incorporates theories of conflict and the application of effective conflict management and resolution. Topics include conflict analysis, conflict language, styles, processes and models of conflict resolution, interpersonal and team conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation.

Students concentrate their reading and study of one particular field in communication of their interests under the supervision of an instructor.

This course provides opportunity to students to develop proficient oral and written communication skills. Strategies for effective writing and presentation in the corporate world will be covered. Students will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate and to receive feedback on their professional communication style through classroom interaction, written assignments, and presentations.

The course draws on case studies and professional experience to acquaint the students with the principles and practices of financial public relations. Stock market, financial and accounting knowledge is also explored in the course.

This course aimed to acquaint students with general management principles, concepts, and theories, with particular emphasis on their applications in media organizations in a commercial, competitive, and rapidly changing environment. The focus is on training future media managers’ problem-solving and decision-making skills. The communications industries covered will include the print media, radio, broadcast, cable television, advertising and public relations. The students will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, and case studies.

This course is designed to help students familiarize themselves with the theories and practice of crisis communication. They will learn how professional public relations practitioners help their clients in everyday situations to reduce risks, get prepared, respond to and recover from crises. Students are required to devise and evaluate their own crisis simulation exercises in class. The experience will prepare students for real life crisis communication-related assignments.

The instructor will lecture and direct the study of a topic in Corporate Communication he or she specializes in.
 Students are allowed to take the above topical studies courses for more than once, and gain the units each time they pass the course. However, students cannot take courses with the same course code more than once in a single term.

This course is designed as a guided study of the development and practice of public relations in the Greater China region, with an emphasis on its integration with business activities in Mainland China. With the emerging importance of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, focus will be given to business sectors in this Area. Case studies will be used to illustrate Public Relations practitioners’ front-line experiences in the region.

This course explores the issues that surround the notion of cultural diversity. Special emphasis will be given to how culture is communicated and interpreted by persons of diverse backgrounds. The course will explore a variety of communication issues pertinent to professional and organizational life. Topics include ethnic and gender-based cultural differences within organizations, cultured issues in the global marketplace, relationship between national and organizational cultures, corporate culture and discourse in intercultural settings, global team leadership and intercultural negotiation.

This course introduces various theories in journalism and discusses important issues in the field. The scope of the course covers many aspects including the journalists their work organizations, their daily work routines, relationships between the press and other social institutions, news media and social environment, news culture, etc. Different conceptual approaches are used and various levels of analysis are also included.

This course addresses the topic of public relations in a globalized world. It will require frequent applications of what is discussed in class to analyze various current affairs topics, social and cultural issues and their relations with local and global business operations.

The instructor will lecture and direct the study of a topic in Advertising he or she specializes in.
Students are allowed to take the above Topic Studies courses for more than once, and gain the units each time they pass the course. However, students cannot take courses with the same course code more than once in a single term.

This course is deigned to examine varying theoretical perspectives related to the future trends and current uses and impacts of information technologies and services. The course provides a foundation from which students can conceptualize the factors that lead people to use communication technologies, the needs that these technologies fulfil, and the effects of such use on individuals, organizations and society.

This course covers concepts and theories of social change, attitude change, diffusion of innovation, development and underdevelopment, and modernization. Students will be trained to do research in these areas and be able to apply communication theories and research methods in designing, executing and evaluating specific campaigns.

As consumers are audience of mass media, an understanding of how audience consumes will help make successful advertising decisions. This course provides students with an understanding of the mental, emotional and physical activities that people engage in when selecting, purchasing and disposing of products and services so as to satisfy needs and desires. It will also introduce to students techniques for conducting and interpreting audience analysis, with a focus on demographic and psychographic methods used in the advertising industry.