This course prepares students to be successful lifelong learners both academically and in their chosen careers. Franklin courses require a high level of self-directed learning and focus on skills required in the workplace and the classroom that are easily transferable between the two environments. The course includes strategies for advancing communication skills, including the use of electronic tools to participate in virtual environments. The assignments and activities in the course are created to closely simulate teamwork found in the workplace.

This course introduces students to the Franklin University community and provides strategies for successful transition to and participation in that community. Topics include University resources and procedures, strategies for advancing communication skills, the use of electronic tools to participate in virtual environments, and the development of an academic and career plan.

Critical Ethics uses critical thinking to get around the limitations of personal belief and indoctrination to get to what ought to be done and why to improve the human condition. Accordingly, the goal of this course is to help the student improve his/her ethical analysis and evaluation skills to help the student do the thing that must be done, when it ought to be done, using critical thinking.

Sociology is the scientific study of group behavior - whether the groups are dyads, small groups, associations, bureaucracies, societies, publics, aggregates, social movements, or mobs, etc. This introductory course introduces the student to sociological principles and theoretical perspectives that facilitate understanding the norms, values, structure and process of the various types of groups into which people organize. The course focuses on applying the scientific method to studying social problems (e.g. poverty, crime, sexism and racism) and basic institutions (i.e. family, government, economy, religion, education). Students will develop their "sociological imagination" as a way of understanding what their lives are and can be in relation to the larger social forces at work in local, national, and international environments.

This public-speaking course emphasizes the fundamentals of extemporaneous speaking. Skill-building activities and assignments focus on research, organization, reasoning, style and delivery of presentations as well as listening and audience engagement.

By using applied critical and creative thinking, students in this course will develop a set of communication skills that will enhance their personal and professional relationships and endeavors. This course will focus on skill development in key areas such as self, perception, listening, verbal messages, conversations, relationships, conflict management, persuasion, and public speaking.

This course examines the strategies involved in effective, ethical communication in professional contexts. Students examine principles of ethical organizational communication and the temporal/cultural/social forces behind those principles, as well as apply reasoning and critical thinking in individual and group assignments. Comparing values and perspectives from diverse cultures, students will respond to cases in an intercultural professional environment.

This is an intermediate composition course focusing on writing for business and professional purposes. Students will review the writing conventions commonly expected within business and professional environments, as well as strategies for analyzing rhetorical situations within those environments. Coursework includes analysis, revision, and research exercises, as well as substantial practice in composing business correspondence. The final project is an extensive, researched business proposal developed in stages and presented to the class. Students will be encouraged to relate course materials to their major programs and workplace experiences.

This course explores the basic concepts and processes of management. Students will explore the functional roles and processes of planning, leading, organizing, and controlling comprising the manager role. Students develop skills related to the manager function that are required in today's competitive environment.

Theory, strategies and methods are foundational to the informed practice of marketing. Students investigate the importance of marketing to an organization or cause, the interrelationship of the difference phases of marketing, the marketing of goods versus services, analysis and identification of markets, pricing strategies and digital marketing tactics.

This course is a systematic study of various theories and approaches to motivation. The course includes assessments of the quantity and quality of the research and evidence supporting the scientific validity and applicability to the work environment of several theories of motivation. The student will explore factors that contribute to motivation and a variety of strategies that can be used to become a successful motivator.

A general course in the technique of establishing and maintaining public relations. Activities span a variety of media to influence public opinion and manage an organization's reputation.

This course explores approaches and techniques for conducting research and writing within key public relations contexts. Students in this course will examine and utilize research techniques and methodologies that are essential for public relations professionals. Components of this course will include: journalistic research, copywriting, research and writing for broadcast, web research, writing for the Web, transforming technical information for general audiences, and media release writing. Additionally, this course will examine the ethics involved in researching and writing for public relations contexts.

Today's public relations professionals have entered a new era where preparedness to respond rapidly to various levels of crisis is essential. Building a positive reputation through the strategic management of communications with internal and external audiences during good times is a necessary foundation for withstanding negative press. Utilizing analysis techniques, public relations tactics, and hands-on projects, students will evaluate crisis situations, create and implement a strategic crisis communication plan, and learn to coach the corporate spokesperson and manage the media, while maintaining the organization's reputation.

Students research, develop and implement persuasive and promotional campaign strategies appropriate to corporate, governmental and non-profit organizations. This advanced course is designed for those who desire specialized skills in public relations and promotional communication. Emphasis is placed on various tactics including investor relations and employee communications.

This course focuses on developing highly valued client engagement and client problem-solving skills. Exercises in the practical application of these skills in today's various environments will enable students to gain a strong awareness of the ever-changing mixture of the client base and their place as a public relations professional within that mixture. Additionally, this course will examine how public relations professionals can use high-quality client engagement to complement overall market strategies within various industries. Industries that will be examined from a client engagement perspective include: Retail, Product Development and Manufacturing, Health Care, Energy, Environment, Technology, Logistics and Transportation, and non-profit organizations.

This course examines the strategies involved in planning and managing communication in professional contexts and the ways these strategies are informed by the integration of information provided by other key areas. Students examine principles of integrated applied communication, creating written and web-based communication products in class. Working in collaborative teams, students complete a project that demonstrates planning and managing communication for organizational goals. The course includes media production of communications for a client organization.

The course examines the role of communication in organizations. Students will learn the major theories of organizational communication, identifying and defining primary concepts, and applying them to discussions of real-world situations. The role of technology, corporate culture, leadership, teamwork, ethics, and diversity in communication is examined. Effective communication in global organizations and critiques of organization communication systems and structures are also presented.

The course examines current theories and best practices of working collaboratively in professional contexts. Students apply these concepts to analyze their own work experience, generating strategies for how to improve their performance in work groups. Students will learn basic project management skills and work in online virtual teams to complete a final communication project.

This course will enable students to recognize when a grant might be appropriate as a source of funds for a non-profit organization or project, identify and understand non-profit status, adhere to conventions and standards associated with successful grant applications, locate grant opportunities, analyze grant requirements, prepare metrics for success, and develop a written grant proposal. This course will provide an opportunity for students to extend and apply their communication skills. Students pursuing this course will also leverage interdisciplinary insights to solve a real-world problem.

Students develop skills in planning, constructing and organizing one-to-one marketing activities. Included in these activities are collaborative relationships between consumers and sellers that can be applied by both small and large organizations. New technologies in interactive marketing and in database creation and implementation will be studied.

This course provides qualified students with an opportunity to receive academic credit for supervised professional training and experience in an actual work environment. This Internship is an ongoing seminar between the student, the faculty member and the employment supervisor. It involves an Internship Application and Learning Agreement, periodic meetings with the faculty representative, professional experience at a level equivalent to other senior-level courses and submission of material as established in the Internship Application and Learning Agreement. Participation cannot be guaranteed for all applicants.

This course examines how text, images, sound-bites, speeches, and other media operate to influence, define, and change public identity and thought. Students in this course will look at these verbal and non-verbal influences and how they mold and shape public discourse, cultural understanding, and our day-to-day life. Additionally, this course will examine the role of persuasion and attitudinal change in managing conflict and making decisions within various communicative contexts and amongst various publics.

A variable content classroom course in Public Relations in which students pursue topics or subjects of current interest that are not part of the regular curriculum. A specific course description will be published online in the Course Schedule for the trimester the course is offered.

Independent studies courses allow students in good academic standing to pursue learning in areas not covered by the regular curriculum or to extend study in areas presently taught. Study takes place under faculty supervision and graded on either a Pass/No Credit or a letter grade basis. (See the "Independent Studies" section of the Academic Bulletin for more details.)

This course will study ethics and leadership theories in the context of public safety agencies. Consideration of leadership skills and traits in both the strategic and tactical settings will be considered. Ethics will be considered in terms of creating a culture of ethics within a public safety agency.

This course will focus on Emergency Management and Homeland Security in the Post 9-11 era. Emphasis will be on mitigation and preparedness related to international and domestic terrorism as well as natural disasters.

This course analyzes emergency management from a historical perspective. Disaster planning and disaster management in the post 9-11 environment are analyzed. The impact of Homeland Security on local public safety agencies is examined as are selected Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD #5 and HSPD #11 in particular). The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Plan (NRP) are examined with regard to their impact on local public safety agencies. Finally, special challenges for emergency management and disaster response will be analyzed.

The course will explore the NIMS, ICS, and other federally mandated systems in place for the management of critical incidents such as major fire scenes, major disasters, terrorist attacks, and other events that require a multi-agency response and recovery effort. The course discusses and evaluates the roles of high-level leadership in setting policy direction and planning as well as real-time management of the scene.

Students investigate and evaluate various digital marketing and communication strategies and tactics. An emphasis is placed on critical evaluation skills, as well as social media, search marketing, content marketing, and evaluation of digital marketing initiatives. Students create a full digital marketing plan for a real-world company.

In this course students will explore and utilize techniques for integrating social media marketing as an integral component of marketing campaigns, serving as listening and outreach tools for building brand awareness and promoting business. Through an investigation of tools which include internet forums, message boards, blogs, wikis, podcasts, picture sharing, video sharing, and social networking, students will have the opportunity to create and present a written plan for achieving business goals through the use of a social media marketing campaign.

In this course students will use search engine optimization to evaluate the processes that bring websites to the top. It will also show students how to choose the best keywords and phrases to target and how to monitor and maintain successful search engine rankings for those keywords.

In this course, students will learn how to quantifiably measure and define client interaction through web analytics. Successful companies today are leveraging the power of web analytics to realize the full potential of their websites, and are able to develop and maintain client relationships that create measurable value to business. In this course students will be introduced to key concepts, tools, techniques, and practices of web analytics. Students will understand how web analytics can drive higher profits and improve the customer experience.

An understanding of consumer decision processes is developed through application of behavioral sciences. Organizational decision-making processes are also considered. The implications of these processes are considered in relation to marketing, organizational strategies and decision making.

Students develop an understanding of the theories and techniques of planning, conducting, analyzing and presenting market studies. Students will study different methodologies with emphasis on primary research including questionnaire design.

This course provides an overview of issues, processes, and theories involved with communicating with individuals from different cultures. Topics include thinking and communicating in global contexts and professional relationships in diverse environments.