Crisis Resolution (Professional Certificate)

College of Liberal Arts >> Communication and Media 

16 hours

The Professional Certificate in Crisis Resolution will offer to students who desire a career in any one of the communications fields an opportunity to acquire knowledge and develop requisite skills, attitudes and experience in crisis management and communication. Courses provide an overview of key processes of facilitation, mediation and collaborative decision-making, as well as specific skills and strategies that will help students in their workplaces or practices. The curriculum is a combination of face-to-face and online learning course delivery, offering students the chance to engage with fellow learners and the instructor in dynamic, face-to-face settings, and also to connect with them in the reflective space offered through on-line courses.

To earn the certificate, students must complete four, three-hour core courses, a choice of one, three-hour elective, and a one-hour capstone independent project course, for a total of 16 hours. A grade of C or better is required for a course to count toward the certificate.

The Professional Certificate in Crisis Resolution is available to all USI majors as a standalone credential. Additionally, members of the public who meet USI’s admission requirements may enroll in the University and complete the certificate program. While there is no requirement that students must possess an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in order to enroll in the program, many of the courses have the prerequisite for junior-level standing or above, and therefore, it is expected that persons taking those courses should meet that standard. Exceptions to prerequisites will be considered on a case-by-case basis when feasible and for courses that permit the instructor to grant permission to enroll.

Students who wish to take the capstone course, COMM 487 should note that permission to enroll must be obtained through the Scripps Howard Center for Media Studies, which administers the program. Prior to enrolling in COMM 487, students will be expected to have completed or be enrolled in the following courses: CMST 204, CMST 318, PRL 466, PRL 467, and either CMST 314 or COMM 494.