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USI: Shaping the next generation of corporate communication professionals

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The need for effective corporate communication has never been greater.

A company’s reputation is one of the most important assets in today’s complex business environment. It needs to be cultivated and protected from the inside by working on its organisational culture and identity. Externally, it needs to constantly engage with stakeholders who reflect the increasingly dynamic political, media and technological environment.

Understanding this demand, the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) in Switzerland has designed a Master’s in Corporate Communication programme that enables students to pursue a diverse career in this field. With this Master’s, they can not only work in corporate communication functions, but also take on communication-intensive management roles in HR, sustainability, compliance, social media and marketing.

And by supplying the next generation of corporate communication professionals with a dynamic and industry-relevant course, USI graduates end up with desirable analytical and decision-making skills to take them into their next venture.

Lukas Zdrazil is one such graduate. The brand consultant, with experience at Landor Associates and Deutschland & Schweiz, credits his time at USI for preparing him for his career.

“The Master’s provided me with in-depth knowledge in almost all areas of communication,” he said.

“Furthermore, I was able to acquire overarching competences in economics, management and marketing. The programme was intense, but definitely effective in terms of preparation for a professional career.”

Start your career as a corporate communication professional

To study at USI is to do so in a progressive learning culture. Lectures apply active teaching methods, such as discussions of case histories, role-playing, business games, group projects and interaction with professionals.

The programme exudes a vast knowledge of cross-cutting management techniques, with the goal of producing confident, agile and globally-aware corporate communication professionals.

It is structured strategically within the span of two years.

During the first year, students are expected to attend core courses. In their second year, students personalise their study curricula to suit their individual interests.

Semester One sets a solid general management foundation for students to follow, covering topics such as strategy, organisation, finance, stakeholder management and marketing.

Semester Two then provides courses that address relevant aspects of communication.

For example, the “Corporate Identity and Image” course develops an understanding of how nurturing corporate identities, brands and reputations supports and informs the overall corporate strategy.

Discussion in Semester Two is linked with general management concepts and aims to highlight how communication is at the heart of industry practices and how communication management requires a deep understanding of organisational logics.

Throughout Semester Three, students can choose from a selection of elective courses or opt for an exchange programme with another university in Switzerland or abroad.

They can choose electives from these four thematic areas: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Common Good, Crossmedia, Transmedia and Multimodal Communication, Visual and Material Culture and Customer Experience and Value.

For Semester Four, students work in teams on a field project, consulting client organisations and writing their Master’s thesis.

For the duration of the field project, students are tutored by faculty members who support them every step of the way.

A university that’s ahead of its time

Stationed at the crossroads between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, USI students benefit from studying in an international and interconnected business hub.

To graduate Christopher Horstkamp, USI’s location made all the difference.

“USI benefits greatly from its multicultural/multilingual nature, the quality of its programmes and the strength of its location in the geographic centre of Europe. As part of the Swiss university system, it is well-organised, with robust courses and curricula that students will need for the future.” He said.

“Personally, I benefited greatly from understanding the intricacies of internal communication, statistics, marketing, social media management, communication strategies, social marketing, sponsoring and strategic planning – and will continue to utilise these skillsets as I assist my organisation and other organisations to develop corporate identities and images,” he says.

So, if you’re searching for a Master’s in Corporate Communication programme that’s built for the future, look no further.

USI is ready to educate and shape the next generation of corporate communication professionals with its up-to-date and innovative courses.

And by clicking here, you can reach out to the programme’s coordinators and discover how you can become a future-ready corporate communication graduate.

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