EMScomExecutive Master of Science in Communications Management

A joint program with

In cooperation with

International part-time program for mid-career professionals

A message from the President 3About USI 4About the Faculty of Communication Sciences 5A strategic perspective beyond communication 6An international program on three continents 8A curriculum linking communication and management 12Modules and courses 14Capstone consulting project 24An engaged and international faculty 28Scientific Advisory Board 32The world in the classroom 34Schedule and time investment 36Admission and tuition fee 38Learning experience 40Meet us 42EMScom Alumni Association 43EMScom outreach activities 4410 reasons to join the EMScom program 45EMScom team 46

Contents

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A message from the President

Deciding to go back to university and finding the courage to put yourself into question is not, as the Swiss say, “courant normal”, something you do every day.

In this day and age, we are faced with the inherent need to continuously upgrade our knowledge, as shifting demographics, increased interconnec-tivity, and a more informed general public push us into a world of constant change. Having a lifelong curiosity and commitment to learning is becoming increasingly important.

On behalf of USI Università della Svizzera italiana, I am pleased to introduce you to USI and to the EMScom Executive Master of Science in Communica-tions Management.

I am sure that the EMScom, along with the rest of USI’s executive-level offerings, will meet and exceed your expectations, and I invite you to join us in taking a further look.

Piero Martinoli, President, USI Università della Svizzera italiana

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About USI About the Faculty of Communication Sciences

USI Università della Svizzera italiana is Switzerland’s most international uni- versity. It is distinctive in the Swiss university landscape because of the original-ity of its degree curricula and areas of research. Its relatively contained size and numbers assure direct interaction between the members of the academic commu-nity. The result is a collegiate, dynamic, and multicultural atmosphere, a powerful magnet for motivated students and talented researchers.

USI was founded in 1996. As a public institution, it is part of the Swiss public university system which includes nine cantonal universities and two Federal Institutes of Technology. USI is comprised of four main faculties, Economics, Communication Sciences, and Informatics in Lugano, with the Academy of Architecture located in nearby Mendrisio. Its courses (in Italian and English) cover the whole gamut from Bachelor’s to PhD degree and Executive Master’s programs.

Today, USI comprises a student population of 3000, 60% of which is made up of international students from more than 100 different countries, over 800 academic staff, nine doctoral schools, eight Executive Masters, and 30 research institutes.

USI’s Faculty of Communication Sciences is a young and dynamic faculty offer-ing degrees at all levels of higher education: undergraduate, graduate, executive, and doctoral. It has the distinctive trait of being one of Switzerland’s most inter-national faculties, with professors, assistants, and students coming from all over the world. As a result, many of the programs offered by the faculty are entirely in English. Additionally, the faculty is committed heavily to scientific research and is involved in numerous research and development projects on both local and international levels.

At most institutes of higher learning, communication studies are offered by the department of journalism or media studies, whereas at USI one can find a full-fledged and independent communication faculty. Apart from three Bachelor’s and six Master’s programs in communication, today the Faculty of Communi-cation Sciences also comprises three doctoral schools. This well-rounded educa-tional offering is rounded off with a number of Masters of Advanced Study which are tailored for mid-career professionals – among these is the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management (EMScom).

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A strategic perspective beyond communication

As a global leader in its field, the Executive Master of Science in Communi-cations Management (EMScom) trains professionals in developing new per-spectives in key management areas, including management of stakeholder relationships, public relations, reputation management, and corporate i dentity on a strategic level - all with the ultimate goal of enabling communicators to go beyond mere communication and to contribute to their organization’s corporate strategy.

Based in Lugano, EMScom is an intensive part-time program with nine resi-dential sessions spread across twenty months. To reinforce degree candidates’ international perspective on management and communication, USI Università della Svizzera italiana cooperates with two renowned business schools: UCLA Anderson School of Management and Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University.

Participants have the unique opportunity to study side by side with communi-cation executives from all over Asia during a one-week residential session in Singapore, which is run together with the partner program at SMU Singapore Management University. A second two-week session at the UCLA Anderson School of Management together with their Asian colleagues further comple-ments and enhances the global perspective.

“EMScom isn’t just about listening to lectures; it’s about learning by doing and by engaging in exchanges with communications colleagues from many countries and backgrounds.”Bodil Ericsson Torp / CEO at Aller Media / Swedish

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An international program on three continents

To provide participants with a truly global perspective and the best international education possible, the EMScom program cooperates with two renowned busi-ness schools: UCLA Anderson School of Management and Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University. Sessions in Lugano, Singa pore and Los Angeles are approximately one to two weeks long.

USI Università della Svizzera italiana

Swiss tertiary education has long been known for its outstandingly high standards. USI, established in 1996 and part of the Swiss university system – along with nine other cantonal universities and two federal polytechnic schools – carries on the tradition of providing its students with the high-quality education expected of a Swiss uni-versity. With more than half of its students and professors coming from abroad, USI is Switzerland’s most international and multicultural university. Its Faculty of Communication Sciences offers specializations in corporate and institution-al communication, mass communication and new media, communication technology and communication in educa-tion and training. In view of its geographical, political and cultural position, USI acts as a bridge between Northern and Southern Europe contributing to an ongoing dialogue and exchange between diverse scientific and cultural traditions.

Lugano

Lugano is the cultural and economic heart of southern Switzerland, located in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. With a population of 65,000 (140,000 in the wider area), it has a thriving economy based on finance and tourism; it is Switzerland’s third largest banking center after Zurich and Geneva.

Lugano’s scenery – like its history, art and culture – is full of contrasts. Nestled between mountains and water, it offers both the palm trees of a mild lake-side Mediter-ranean climate and the snow-capped peaks of the Alps within the radius of just a few kilometers. Lugano provides everything participants might require without the distractions and irritatons of a big city, so it is the perfect place to concentrate on studying.

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Singapore Management University (SMU)

As the country’s first publicly-funded autonomous uni-versity, Singapore Management University is also the first of its kind in experimenting with diversity, breaking away from the traditional Singaporean model of education.

Since its incorporation in 2000, SMU is quickly ris-ing to become the Southeast Asian hub for business research and management. It is also the first university in Asia to offer a Master of Science in Communications Management, a joint program held in conjunction with EMScom. This academic partnership allows participants the unique opportunity to meet, study, and discuss along-side communication executives from all over Asia.

Participants spend the May session of their first year studying at SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, a dynamic business school with over a hundred full-time faculty, including some of Asia’s most respected academics.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is one of the oldest members of the University of California system and the most selective public university in the United States. It offers over 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines.

UCLA Anderson School of Management is among the lead-ing business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty members are globally renowned for their teaching excel-lence and research in advancing management thinking. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides a distinctive approach to management education to more than 1,800 students.

Singapore

Singapore is the leading business hub in Asia and there-fore it is an ideal location for EMScom participants to gain an insight into Asia. The country has been called an economic miracle because of how much it has achieved in a short span of time, and in spite of its lack of natu-ral resources. Today, the city-state’s economy is driven by electronics manufacturing and financial services. Its popu lation of 5 million is a true melting pot of Asian ethnicities, and one can easily find Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian influences and flavors across the island.

Los Angeles

California has always been known as an “incubator” of new ideas, new products and entrepreneurial spirit. Southern California has led the way in cele brating and nurturing that spirit. The people, institutions of knowledge, great climate and infrastructure have enabled the Los Angeles region to emerge as a leading business, trade and cultural center – a creative capital for the twenty-first century. The city is the largest manufacturing center in the West, one of the world’s busiest ports, a major financial and banking center, and the largest retail market in the United States.

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A curriculum linking communication and management

Strategic communication is more than a shadow of corporate strategy. An organi-zation’s objectives must actively shape and protect its reputation, positioning it as the preferred strategic partner among all of its stakeholders. In an increasingly interconnected information society, communication integrates and aligns the influences in the organization into a single function, central to strategic management.

Communication professionals taking part in the program are expected to tackle such complex challenges as elaborating a new brand strategy in a post-merger situation, changing communication in a difficult economic environ-ment, integrating CSR into an organization’s DNA, or mastering trans-media storytelling. Today, communications professionals cannot just achieve objec-tives, they are expected to contribute to defining those objectives – as experts, with a solid theoretical and practical background.

Communications connect an organization’s decision-making to its sur-roundings, ensuring that it works as an organic part of its economic, social and political environment. Constant, intense dialog with all stakeholders, whether directly or indirectly related to the organization, is a vital source of new products and services, and may enhance evolutionary changes in corporate posi-tioning.

While other Master’s programs limit themselves to teaching communications practice, the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management (EMScom) prepares communications professionals to play a key role in their organization’s strategic management, bringing relationships with stakeholders and the public to the center of management policy.

Learning outcomes

The EMScom program trains communication profes-sionals to perform in an integrated environment where communication is an essential strategic tool. Upon com-pletion of the program, EMScom graduates will be ready to take responsibility in all communications management related areas.

Participants will learn how to:

⁄ understand the strategic and operational challenges of an organization and how they are linked to communication

⁄ develop communication strategies that address the complexity of a global environment

⁄ analyze the nature and dynamics of internal and external stakeholders

⁄ manage complex communications tasks – ranging from brand management and corporate culture to crisis communications and public affairs

⁄ develop and coordinate these tasks as integrated elements of corporate and marketing communications

⁄ monitor the communications environment with reliable research methods

⁄ generate data and insights as a basis for making strategic recommendations

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The EMScom program links the latest academic research with best business practices to deliver a balanced mix of academic and practical teaching. Un-like most communication programs, the curriculum of the EMScom program embeds communication within a managerial setting. This not only creates a well-rounded perspective, but also ensures that the corporate communicator is well-equipped with the necessary tools to become a credible voice at the CEO’s table.

The program fosters an enhanced learning environment by encouraging par-ticipants to share their professional experiences. Teaching methods include lectures, case studies, guest speakers, extensive group work, tutorials, and a capstone consulting project. All lectures, class discussions and exams are con-ducted in English, the official language of EMScom program.

Module 2 Module 3

Understanding the communication environment and managing integrated communication

The second module focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of the key disciplines of integrated communications management.

Building intelligenceand delivering solutions

The third module focuses on learning how to generate and convey insights as a basis for strategic recommendations and apply knowledge in a real-life setting.

Organizational identity and reputation management

Brand management

Crisis management

Stakeholder management

Public affairs

Communication law

Financial and investor relations

Change management

Leadership

Sponsoring and marketing partnerships

Digital communication

Marketing communications

Persuasion

Capstoneconsulting project

Research methods for corporate communication

Quantitative methods (online course)

Team building

Module 1

Linking communicationto management

The first module, a “mini-MBA,” covers the main principles of general management and builds bridges between communication and other corporate functions.

Understanding Asia session

⁄ Communities, society and governments across Asia

⁄ Leading organizations across cultures

⁄ Application sessions

Advanced strategicmanagement session

⁄ Managing corporate transitions

⁄ Human resources management ⁄ International regulations of business and corporate governance

⁄ Global information economy ⁄ Negotiation behavior ⁄ Integration sessions

Kick-off

Organizational behavior

Strategic thinking

Financial management

Modules and courses

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Organizational behavior

Organizational behavior (OB) is concerned with human behavior in organizations. In this course participants gain a solid understanding of some of the fundamental theo-ries and frameworks in the OB field. The key objective is to help participants identify areas where a common-sense approach to people management is most likely to lead to unsatisfactory results. As a result, participants will be able to develop strategies for fostering job satisfaction and productivity in an organizational context.

Strategic thinking

This course covers two main but related areas, business strategy and systems thinking. The course examines issues central to an organization’s long and short-term competitive position. It explores a variety of conceptual frameworks and models to analyse and gain insight about how to achieve or sustain competitive advantage.

Financial management

This course introduces participants to issues related to the financing of corporations and financial markets, including the evaluation of financial positions and ways of raising capital. Topics include the origin of firms’ financial needs and the types of financing sources, the use of financial statements to evaluate a company’s financial position and profitability, and how firms raise capital.

Module 1 Linking communication to management

Communities, society and governments across Asia

The objective of this course is to define relations with society and governments as part of the overall manage-ment task, showing how it contributes to strategic plan-ning, management decision-making and the achievement of strategic, organizational, marketing and other objec-tives. The seminar critically prepares for main areas of public affairs practice, covering government relations, issues management, community relations and relations with non-governmental organizations and pressure groups.

Leading organizations across cultures

With an increasingly globalized economy, leading and managing employees of different cultural backgrounds becomes imperative in organizations. This course takes the approach of understanding how cultures differ and impact our interactions at the workplace in Asia and beyond. The course is broadly structured to enable an understanding of cultural differences with an emphasis on how these similarities and differences impact work-place interactions. The emphasis of the module is on the interplay of cultural competence at the individual level, organization culture dynamics at the workplace level and societal cultures at the national/country level.

Application sessions

The application sessions, which are scheduled after each course, are an important part of the learning experience at SMU. The integration sessions are debriefings de-signed to help participants develop their thoughts about the relevance of what they have learned to communica-tion management and their own roles, responsibilities, and concerns as corporate communication professionals. Par ticipants take an active role in the integration process by leading class discussion and by contributing with their analyses.

Session in Singapore:Understanding Asia

The global powerhouse of Asia contains over half of the world’s population and is currently driving growth in the world economy. Despite its importance, there are gaps in our understanding of this diverse region and the forces pushing the political and economic transformations. This session provides frameworks for understanding contemporary trends and develop-ments, and aims to give students the background to enrich their quality of engagement with and in Asia.

The first module, a “mini-MBA,” covers the main principles of general management and builds bridges between communication and other corporate functions.

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Managing corporate transitions

This course examines key success factors in the manage-ment of organizational growth and transitions in the long-term. Participants learn the difference between stra-tegic planning, strategic organizational development, and transition management, as well as examine skills that are critical to each stage of corporate growth.

Human resources management

This course focuses on understanding key human resources strategy models, such as the organizational life cycle/human resources portfolio model and the human resources stakeholder/success factor model. Participants will apply the models they have studied to decision– making within human resources as well as to the manage-ment of human performance.

International regulation of business and corporate governance

This course will familiarize participants with basic con-cepts of Business & Corporate Law as it may affect the management of a global company. The course will cover the areas of agency law, labor & employment, corporate governance and corporate securities regulation. It will feature a comparative analysis by looking at laws in the US, the UK, the EU, Brazil and Japan with a focus on how these laws affect corporate executives and managers.

Global information economy

In this course participants understand and review the evolution of information, communication and informa-tion technologies, and the growth of the information sector in the economy. In addition, course participants learn about the economics of information from its crea-tion and capture to its delivery and consumption. They will also explore how service sectors like communica-tions, media, and publishing become globalized.

Negotiation behavior

In this course participants develop their negotiating abili-ties for use in organizations. They examine critical con-cepts, frameworks, and approaches for individual, group, and organizational negotiations. Participants consider how to prepare for a negotiation and how to recognize and overcome common decision-making biases during negotiations. This course explores the various aspects of negotiation context and approaches in deciding when to take a positional versus a mutual gains approach. These aspects of the negotiation process are analyzed via cases involving negotiations in pairs and groups.

Integration sessions

The integration sessions, which are scheduled after each course, are an important part of the learning experience at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. The inte-gration sessions are debriefings designed to help partici-pants develop their thoughts about the relevance of what they have learned in each of the courses to communica-tion management and their own roles, responsibilities, and concerns as corporate communication professionals.

Session in Los Angeles: Advanced strategic management

By synthesizing their expertise, today’s business, political, and social topics and the business challenges of executive participants, the Anderson School faculty will deliver frameworks and strategies that enable participants to build an important management toolkit and become effective strategic leaders in their organizations.

Organizational identity and reputation management

This course familiarizes participants with the notions of corporate reputation and organizational identity: what they are, how they can be measured and/or investigated, and why it is important to do so. What are their drivers, and how they can be effectively managed? The course will also look at the different roles of corporate lead-ers, communication managers, and HR managers in the management of the identity of an organization. Drawing on management research, case discussions, and personal experience, the course provides participants with con-ceptual tools and practical indications to address reputa-tion- and identity-related activities.

Stakeholder management

This course relates to selected problems from the expe-rience of participants, who are asked to consider their organizations’ stakeholders, as well as the managerial priorities in terms of corporate public affairs. Topics covered in the course include the value maximization, the negotiated-order and the corporate social responsibility approaches. The course will explore whether the afore-mentioned approaches are compatible. Participants also examine the creation of value with shareholders, drivers of stakeholder engagement, citizen advocacy, and stra-tegic use of organizational hypocrisy. Each session wraps up with an overview of key learning points of the day.

Brand management

This course is highly relevant for communication pro-fessionals. The traditional, classical model of branding stressed consumers but this course takes a more balanced perspective, recognizing the importance of other stake-holders as brand builders. A more integrated communi-cations approach is needed to ensure a coherent promise across all stakeholders groups. The course explores the nature of brands, the concept of a brand as a promise, and the mechanisms to encourage a coherent brand strategy. Participants will learn about the driving forces behind brand emotion and techniques to ensure effective brand differentiation. They will also be exposed to managers’ diverse interpretations of the brand concept. A significant amount of time will be devoted to a strategic framework which enables the development of a coherent brand and each stage of this framework will be explored in depth.

Public affairs

Effective public affairs serve a critical role in shaping both public policy and public perceptions to foster a con-ducive environment for meeting organizations’ objectives within a competitive, institutional and socio-political con-text. The objective of this course is to define public affairs as part of the overall management task, showing how it contributes to strategic planning, management decision-making and the achievement of strategic, organizational, marketing and other objectives. The course also outlines the main areas of public affairs practice, covering govern-ment relations, issues management, community relations, relations with non-governmental organizations and pres-sure groups, as well as corporate social responsibility.

Module 2 Understanding the communication environment and managing integrated communication

The second module focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of the communication environment and mastering the key disciplines of integrated communications management.

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Financial and investor relations

Financial relations is a distinct communication speciali-zation requiring understanding of special regulations, civil and criminal law – knowledge not generally held by public relations practitioners. This course explores the rationale behind modern financial public relations and investor relations. It is designed to enable participants less familiar with the financial field to gain a working under-standing of the subject in the context of public relations and corporate communication practices.

Sponsoring and marketing partnerships

This course presents different approaches to the plan-ning, negotiation, implementation and control of partner-ship and sponsorship forms and strategies in the media, sports, arts, entertainment, social movements, and scien-tific fields. Participants acquire an understanding of the key concepts, fundamental principles, best practice examples and theories in this area. The lecture provides insights into different approaches such as strategic corpo-rate philanthropy, commercial sponsorships, affinity and cause-related marketing, celebrity endorsements, market-ing and media partnerships using integrated advertise-ments, product placements, editorial partnerships, etc.

Digital communication

In this course, participants explore the specific charac-teristics of new media and their impact on corporate and marketing communication. The major focus is on changes in branding and reputation management in markets where consumers and other stakeholders are involved in content generation, social networking and co-creation of value. The course goal is to study and discuss the corporate and marketing impact of new media platforms rather than to explain how they work, so participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with blogs, social networking websites and video-based content sharing sites prior to the beginning of the course.

Marketing communications

This course examines how the various instruments of the communications mix can be integrated into a consistent and synergetic marketing communications approach. It develops the concept of integrated marketing communi cations, and discusses each major instrument of the com munications mix. It introduces a number of models focusing on the role of persuasion in advertising and looks at the various stages of a strategic communi-cation plan.

Crisis management

This course will cover all aspects of crisis communi-cation, including general communication strategy, crisis definition, crisis anticipation, crisis preparation, effective communication during a crisis, and finally, crisis preven-tion. Participants will learn specific tools to apply before, during, and after a crisis hits, as well as some general frameworks that will help them conquer a crisis situation, and ideally, prevent crises from happening in the first place. In addition, they will learn how to anticipate poten-tial risk areas ahead of time, and as a result, behave more proactively once a crisis does, in fact, strike. Participants will also learn how to properly consider their organi-zations’ various constituencies to determine appropriate communication channel choices when sending a message to employees, consumers, and the media at large during high-pressure crisis times.

Communication law

The background, objectives, and real impact of most legal norms and judicial decisions relevant to corporate com-munication – including freedom of expression, media law, protection of privacy, and copyright – will be presented in this course. Since modern communication does not stop at national borders and regulations change at an increas-ingly fast pace, the relevant rules will be described from an international and dynamic perspective with focus on current and future European Union regulations, as op-posed to a purely legalistic perspective, as would be the case with lawyers.

Change management

This course examines theories of change and develop-ment as they apply to organizations, groups and indi-viduals. It explores the ways in which various theoretical perspectives on change are reflected in the range of ap-proaches that can be applied to the diagnosis and reso-lution of problems in organizations. Participants will develop their investigative and diagnostic skills to assess the dynamics of change in their organizations. They will also improve their awareness of how people can facilitate or resist change and extend their ability to manage the human resource in the context of change.

Persuasion

This course spotlights a pivotal form of strategic com-munication: persuasion. Persuasion is the key to effec-tive leadership. It is challenging enough to lead those who agree with us. But inducing others to willingly fol-low us when they are initially skeptical or opposed to our goals – persuading them – is the greatest challenge facing aspiring leaders. Persuasion lies at the heart of our personal and professional lives, whether the goal is to con-vince one person in a face-to-face encounter, influence a small group in a meeting, sway an entire organization, or win over the public. This course investigates persuasion – how we can convince others to voluntarily change their attitudes or behavior – by extracting from our knowledge of human behavior proven principles of effective influ-ence. We also will explore two philosophical, yet utterly practical questions: what constitutes unsavory, unethical persuasion and whether persuasiveness (and leadership ability generally) can be learned or whether it is really an innate, natural born talent.

Leadership

The first part of this course focuses on the critical skill of negotiation. Negotiation is the process by which people deal with conflicting interests. Whether these interests pertain to purchasing an apartment, the terms of an employment contract, a strategic alliance between companies, or a peace accord between warring nations, participants will learn how to analyze real-life negotia-tions and how to craft and execute a negotiation strategy appropriate to the situation. With the aid of exercises and simulations, participants will become acquainted with the key levers used by expert negotiators and how to ap-ply them to your own negotiating skills. The second part of the course will focus on the broader question of what it means to be a leader in contemporary organizations. To be effective, a leader must be able to create a vision, energize and engage others, provide meaning and direc-tion. He or she must also be able to exert influence in situa-tions where authority is lacking, build a network of trusted contacts, form and disband coalitions, and make painful choic-es when necessary. The second part of the course is designed to be experiential, combining short lectures with case discus-sions, role plays, and self-assessment exercises.

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Research methods for corporate communication

This course is key as research is a process that aids deci-sion making. Participants will examine how preliminary research supports the understanding of problems and opportunities and provides direction for further research, as well as how detailed or primary research paves the way to understanding important aspects such as the attitudes and behaviors of the public. The approach of this course includes a mix of lectures, discussions, activities and simu-lations, with segments on the scope of contemporary pre-liminary research practices and collection of data through surveys, content analyses, experiments or meta-analyses of existing data. In focusing on surveys, participants will learn how to select an appropriate sampling method, determine sample size, and prepare a survey instrument. In addition, students will learn the fundamentals of the evaluation process.

Quantitative methods (online course)

This course is an online, web-based course that covers basic and intermediate topics in statistics, decision analy-sis and probability. The course is designed to teach par-ticipants how to apply quantitative analysis to managerial decisions. Thus, all concepts are introduced, developed, reinforced, and tested, in the context of management problems. The “real-world” contexts gives participants continuing exposure to the types of contexts in which quantitative analysis can be effectively applied. The course is highly interactive, thus requires an active par-ticipant learning process, and focuses on the application of sound judgment in formulating, solving, and interpret-ing quantitative analysis. The course includes MS Excel tutorials that teach participants how to conduct the neces-sary analysis.

Team building

This course prepares participants for the team challenges they will encounter during the capstone consulting project. Participants will be working in their respec-tive teams. The course builds on what participants have already learned in their kick-off and organizational behavior courses, namely topics related to personality, teamwork, and how individual differences can impact working behavior in teams. It also reinforces the notion that team effectiveness depends not on any single factor, but rather on a range of factors – including the nature of the teams’ tasks, processes, and contexts. Furthermore, the course introduces methods of providing effective feedback and conflict management. The second part of this course serves as a platform for participating teams to develop their own team mission as well as a set of rules and criteria against which participants will measure their team’s effectiveness.

Module 3Building intelligence and delivering solutions

“After a week at EMScom, a lot of inspiring ideas came to my mind. Every time I returned home with a shortlist of what I had learned and wanted to take action on. This made me look forward to the next EMScom session.”Dirk De Muynck / Director Global Reputation Intelligence at Volvo Group / Belgian

The third module focuses on learning how to generate and convey insights as a basis for strategic recommendations and apply knowledge in a real-life setting.

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Burson-Marsteller Award

The Burson-Marsteller Award for Academic Excellence is presented at each graduation to the group with the capstone consulting project of the highest academic standing. Recipients of the Burson-Marsteller Award exemplify the excellence for which the EMScom program strives and the industry standards so highly valued by Burson-Marsteller.

The EMScom capstone consulting project gives participants an opportunity to apply the body of knowledge acquired in the program. Participants tackle management problems from the communications perspective and deliver recommendations that impact organizations strategically. The projects are selected from proposals that EMScom participants draw from their own organizations, their clients or other organizations. The teams, acting as real consultants, contain 4-6 participants and are generated randomly providing a balanced mix of age, nationality, country of origin and gender.

Capstone consulting project

*Winner of the Burson-Marsteller AwardTo access the full list of capstone consulting projects, please visit www.emscom.usi.ch

Capstone consulting projects from recent years

2013KTHSwedenTranslating KTH’s successful national recruitment strategy into an international recruitment strategy

Nigeria Customs Service*NigeriaTaking the six-point agenda to the next level. Measuring, managing and monitoring reputation for the Nigeria Customs Service

NovartisSwitzerlandFinding a Cure or Treating Symptoms? A New Mandate for Neighborhood Relations at Novartis Global Headquarters in Switzerland

VattenfallSwedenV@ttenfall goes social. How to make social media evolution happen in an energy utility

2012Bonnier*SwedenRaising Bonnier´s Attractiveness for Digital Talents

RocheSwitzerlandRoche Group’s Reputation amongst Specialists, Payers and Regulators and the General Public

SwisscomSwitzerlandSwisscom and eHealth: A Communication Strategy for Stakeholder Engagement

UPMFinlandStakeholder engagement

2011Canton of Zug SwitzerlandAn Approach to Social Media for the Canton of Zug

Greenpeace*The NetherlandsThe financial risk of carbon: A fast-track communication strategy to establish the carbon risk in the financial market

StrykerSwitzerlandCreating a Corporate External Communication Strategy

SyngentaSwitzerland Engaging stakeholders through social media

Volvo GroupSwedenDual Brand Ownership

2010Copenhagen Business School* DenmarkStrategic Global Recruiting through students’ life cycle relationship management

iOMEDICO GermanyExtending the brand to embrace potential Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS) customers

Stryker Switzerland Strategic framework for internal communications in Stryker Europe

Zurich University of the Arts SwitzerlandEnhancing the university’s reputation

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Our participants come from Alcan / Alstom / Alpiq / AstraZeneca / Atkins / Bank

Clariden Leu / Bank for International Settlements / Bank Muscat / Barclays Bank /

BMW / Bonnier / BSI / Cablecom / Centerpulse / Ciba / Credit Suisse / Danone /

Debrunner & Acifer / Deutsche BKK / Deutsche Post DHL / Dods / Dresdner Bank /

DSM / eBay / Economiesuisse / FIFA / Google / Greenpeace / Haworth / Holcim /

IATA / IBM / ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross / International Relief

and Development / Íslandsbanki / Jung von Matt / KABA / KPMG / Kraft Foods /

KTH / Liechtenstein Government / Lombard Odier / Médecins Sans Frontières /

Merck Serono / Mercy Ships / Mettler-Toledo / Nigeria Customs Service / Novartis /

Novo Nordisk / Panasonic / Pfizer / Philips / Phonak / PricewaterhouseCoopers / Puma /

Raiffeisen / Redningsselskapet / Ringier / Ritz-Carlton / Roche / Sanofi-Aventis / SBB /

Severstal / Shell / Siemens / SF Schweizer Fernsehen / Sika / SITA / STOXX / Straumann /

Stryker / Sulzer / Sunrise / Swiss Army / Swiss Federal Department of Defence / Swiss

Life / Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs / Swiss International Airlines /

Swiss Federal Office for Public Health / Swiss Re / Swisscom / Switcher / Syngenta /

Telekurs / UBS / UEFA / UNESCO / UNICEF / UPM / Vattenfall / Valora / WEF World

Economic Forum / World Intellectual Property Organization / WWF / Visana / Volvo /

Zurich Financial Services

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Anne GregoryLeeds Metropolitan University, UK

Stakeholder management

Craig S. FleisherAurora WDC, USA

Public affairs

John HayesLeeds University Business School, UK

Change management

Philippe GilliéronUniversité de Lausanne, Switzerland

Communication law

Gonzalo FreixesUCLA Anderson School of Management, USA

International regulation of business and corporate governance

Mark ChongSingapore Management University, Singapore

Application sessions

Gianluca CarnabuciUSI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Leadership

Eric FlamholtzUCLA Anderson School of Management, USA

Managing corporate transitions

Patrick CottingCCI Cotting Consulting, Switzerland

Sponsoring and marketing partnerships

François DegeorgeUSI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Financial management

Paul ArgentiThe Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, USA

Crisis management

Leslie de ChernatonyAston Business School, UK and USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Brand management

Christopher EricksonUCLA Anderson School of Management, USA

Negotiation behavior

Janis FormanUCLA Anderson School of Management, USA

Integration sessions

An engaged and international faculty

The EMScom Faculty members are accomplished executive instructors with extensive experience in academia and knowledge of best practices in the world of business. USI faculty, along with faculty from some of the most respected universities and business schools in Europe, Asia and North America, bring the latest theories, models, and strategies in communications and general management to the program. Their diverse international back-grounds are a key ingredient of the program’s dynamic environment.

Patrick De PelsmackerUniversity of Antwerp,Belgium

Marketingcommunication

Uday KarmarkarUCLA Anderson School of Management, USA

Global information economy

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Steffen RaubEcole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland

Organizational behavior / Team building

Kevin Traverse-HealyTraverse-Healy Consult, UK

Financial and investor relations

Davide RavasiCass Business School, UK

Organizational identity and reputation management

Gary OrrenJohn F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA

Persuasion

Bridget WelshSingapore Management University, Singapore

Communities, society and governments across Asia

Suzanne SuggsUSI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Research methods for corporate communication

Erik LarsenUSI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Strategic thinking

David LewinUCLA Anderson School of Management, USA

Human resources management

Andreina MandelliBocconi University, Italy and USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Digital communication

Jeanne MengisUSI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Research methods for corporate communication

“The EMScom was the perfect answer for me. It offers the advantages of an MBA whilst giving me a stronger base in communication management.”Fernando Zarur / Digital Outreach Strategist at Internet Society / Brazilian

Hwee Hoon TanSingapore ManagementUniversity, Singapore

Leading organizations across cultures

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Paul ArgentiThe Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, USA

Professor Argenti has taught Management and Corporate Communication starting in 1977 at the Harvard Business School, from 1979-81 at the Columbia Business School and since 1981 as a faculty member at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. He has also taught as a visiting professor at the International University of Japan, the Helsinki School of Economics, Erasmus University in the Netherlands, Rai University in India, and Singapore Management University. He currently serves as Faculty Director for the Tuck Leadership Forum. He has also served as Faculty D rector for the Tuck Executive Program (TEP), Update 2000, and for Tuck’s senior executive program at the Hanoi School of Business in Vietnam.

Mark ChongSingapore Management University, Singapore

Mark Chong is Academic Director of the MSc in Communication Management program and Associate Professor of Corporate Communication Practice at Singapore Management University (SMU). He is also on the Review Board of the SMU Case Writing Initiatives. He has authored/edited books and articles on corporate reputation, corporate communication, risk perception, and creative enterprises. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University.

Janis FormanUCLA Anderson School of Management, USA Anderson School of Management Professor Janis Forman is Founder and Director of the Management Communication Program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She is a distinguished senior consultant, educator, and speaker, as well as the author of several books and many articles. She received the Association for Business Communication’s researcher award for her extensive publication record and its impact on the profession.

Peter EberhardSPRI Swiss Public Relations Institute, Switzerland

Peter Eberhard is the founder and owner of PEPR Peter Eberhard Public Relations. He worked in the communications and PR sector for about 30 years. Peter Eberhard is an accredited professional member of the Zurich Public Relations Society ZPRG and is President of pr suisse and SPRI as of 2013.

Mary Jo HatchUniversity of Virginia,USA

Professor Mary-Jo Hatch currently serves as the C. Coleman McGehee Eminent Scholars Research Professor Emerita of Banking and Commerce at the University of Virginia, and as Adjunct Professor at Copenhagen Business School. She is the author of over 75 articles in academic and practitioner journals as well as several books. Her books, articles and innovative teaching have done much to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Jerry SwerlingUniversity of Southern California, USA

Jerry Swerling is Professor and Director of Public Relations Studies at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. His responsibilities include curriculum design, faculty organization, and student mentoring. In addition, he serves as Director of the USC Annenberg Strategic Communication and Public Relations Center, the mission of which is to “advance the study, practice and value of public relations by means of practical, applied research.”

Majken SchulzCopenhagen Business School,Denmark

Majken Schultz is Professor of Management at Copenhagen Business School and International Research Fellow at the Centre for Corporate Reputation at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. She specializes in research related to Organizational Identity, Corporate Branding and Reputation Management. She is a Senior Advisor for the Reputation Institute and is on the board of the Academy of Management. She also serves as a non-executive member on several boards of directors.

Francesco LuratiUSI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

Francesco Lurati is a Professor of Corporate Communication at the Faculty of Communication Sciences where he is also the Academic Director of the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management (EMScom) and of the full-time MS program in Corporate Communication. He is the Vice-Director of the Institute of Marketing and Communication Management and the Vice-Dean of the Faculty.

Scientific Advisory Board

The EMScom Scientific Advisory Board consists of representatives from academia and the business world. They provide advice, guidance and support for the continuing development of the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management. The Scientific Advisory Board is chaired by the EMScom Academic Director Prof. Francesco Lurati.

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The EMScom participants are a group of highly motivated, energetic and open minded communication specialists from many different countries around the globe. Coming from a variety of professional backgrounds, participants have an average of 13 years of managerial experience.

Candidates are chosen both for the contribution they can make to the class and for their potential to become truly global knowledge leaders with an inte-grated view of communication and management.

The program offers an exciting and dynamic learning environment, where the desire for intellectual growth is satisfied by an outstanding faculty, lively peer-to-peer exchanges, sharing of best practices, and last but not least, building friendships that will last well beyond graduation.

Class profile: Class size 18-24 / Average age 38 / Age range 30-55 / Average work experience 13 years / Gender 46% male 54% female

The world in the classroom

Data from the last five years.

“I like the EMScom program especially from an Asian perspective as it gives me access to learn from other matured markets’ practices. The takeaways and implications are extremely beneficial for us experienced leaders in the PR field to pursue another level of success in the career enhancement. It is a new dimension to turn to in bringing strategic communications value to the organizations and to the business we are in.” Sharon Tang / Regional Director, Corporate Communications and CSR AEMEA at Hershey Company / Chinese

Corporation

Agency

Public sector

NPO / NGO

Management

Top management

Staff

Owner / Freelance

Switzerland

Central & Western Europe

Nordic Countries

North & South America

Middle East & Africa

Asia & Oceania

Eastern Europe

Industry Position Nationality

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Pre-readings, tests and course papers

Each seminar requires some pre-readings to ensure that all participants are on the same page and that the valu-able time used in class will not have to focus on getting participants up-to-speed on the subject. A rule of thumb is that for each hour spent in the classroom, there is one hour of preparation or review. Some participants are faster readers than others, but this estimate reflects the average time spent. The tests take place one week after each session and are administered online. They are de-signed so that participants can show their ability to apply concepts instead of requiring details to be produced from memory. The tests are open book, meaning that a vari-ety of sources, including course texts, can be consulted. Tests thus reflect a more realistic professional approach to a problem. The sessions in Singapore and in Los Angeles are followed by a course paper.

Schedule and time investment

Overall workload

The total workload for the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management amounts to 1800 hours, consisting of 600 lectures, 720 hours of individual work preparing for seminars, studying for and taking tests, and 480 hours dedicated to the capstone consulting project.

In order for USI to award participants with an Execu-tive Master of Science in Communications Management degree the program requires at least 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System points), which corresponds to 1800 hours and represents the equivalent of a full year of academic study.

Accreditation and degree

USI Università della Svizzera italiana is one of 12 univer-sities under the Swiss university system, coordinated by the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS). As a recognized university that is part of the public sys-tem, the degree-granting body of the EMScom program is USI Università della Svizzera italiana. For the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management de-gree, USI Università della Svizzera italiana awards a total of 60 ECTS.

Attending the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management demands intellectual energy and time away from work and family, but you can do it! In fact, more than 75 percent of the EMScom participants are married or partnered, and half of them have children. It is important, however, that you get support from both your family and your team at work. The EMScom program schedule has been designed to make travel and time away from work and family manageable: there are a total of nine residential sessions over a period of twenty months. The weeks on campus are intense, but at the same time, extremely ener-gizing and immediately rewarding.

Please visits www.emscom.usi.ch for detailed schedule. Schedule subject to change.

Second year

First year

Kick-off March Length 20 months 9 residentials sessions Length of sessions1–2 weeks

1 week SMU

2 weeks UCLAwith SMU

1 week USI

1 week USI

1 week USI with SMU

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

1 week USI

1 week USI 1 week USI 1 week USI

Graduation

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Contact and discussion

Application and interview

Decision

Enrollment

Admission procedure (four steps)

In-person meeting or telephone conversation with the EM-Scom Managing Director to discuss candidate’s career path and motivations. The candidate might be encouraged to meet with EMScom alumni in her/his country as well. Required documents:

⁄ Short profile or CV

In-person or Skype interview with two university repre-sentatives. At this stage, the submitted application docu-ments are non-binding.

Required documents:

⁄ Application form ⁄ CV ⁄ Copies of university diplomas ⁄ Organizational chart of candidate’s organization

After the interview, the final decision about admission will be communicated to the candidate within three working days. The candidate then has two weeks to formally communicate his or her decision to participate in the program.

The candidate submits all required documents duly signed both electronically and in hard copy with original signatures. At this stage, all the documents submitted are legally binding.

Required documents:

⁄ Application form ⁄ Tuition fee payment contract ⁄ Diplomas (originals or copies certified by school officials or other legal authorities)

⁄ Accomodation contract (only if participants wants to benefit from the special rates)

Admission and tuition fee

Admission deadline

The application deadline for EMScom17 (starting in March 2015) is January 31, 2015. As the program operates on a rolling admission policy, candidates are advised to start the application process as early as possible to secure their place. Tuition fee

The total tuition fee for the Executive Master of Science in Communications Management amounts to CHF 49,000, split into four installments. This sum includes:

⁄ teaching and class activities ⁄ all test fees ⁄ certificates of attendance from SMU and UCLA ⁄ lecture materials (excluding books) ⁄ all company visits ⁄ number of luncheon sessions with guest speakers ⁄ all coffee breaks ⁄ access to the Individual membership of the EMScom Alumni Association with numerous benefits

Flexible payment plan

Self-sponsored participants may qualify for the option of spreading the payment of their tuition fee over a period of up to 3 years at 0% interest.

Scholarships

The Global Alliance for PR and Communication Management awards a limited number of scholarships (covering 50% of the total tuition fee for the EMScom program) to fully self-sponsored participants with lim-ited financial resources. Scholarship applicants must live and work outside of Switzerland and receive no support from their organizations. More information on www.globalalliancepr.org

Special accommodation rates

EMScom has negotiated a special rate with the three hotels in Lugano, Singapore and Los Angeles for a total of 76 nights.

To be admitted to the EMScom program, candidates need: ⁄ a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree (in special cases, applications based on professional qualifications may also be considered)

⁄ a minimum of five years of relevant work experience in communication, advertising, or marketing

⁄ leadership capability or potential.

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“Starting EMScom was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The program has been not only a perfect complement to my previous studies but has also provided me with invaluable skills for making a difference in my company.”Cristina Riesen / General Manager Europe at Evernote / Romanian

Learning experience

Major assets of the EMScom

⁄ peer-to-peer knowledge sharing ⁄ intense and uninterrupted environment for discussion and debate away from the classroom

⁄ opportunities to socialize ⁄ life-long networking with fellow participants ⁄ immediate relevance to daily work ⁄ intercultural understanding beyond integration sessions ⁄ balanced mix of academia and practical teaching

The EMScom program delivers a balanced mix of academic and practical teaching combining theory with practice. By encouraging participants to share their professional experience, the program enhances the interactive learning experience.

The teaching methods include lectures, case studies, business simulations and break-out sessions. These are supplemented with guest speakers and field vis-its, as well as the capstone consulting project.

Participants are expected to bring a high level of engagement. It is their vast ex-perience and diversity that make the program unique. The professor’s objective is to bring these experiences together, challenge the classroom discussion with new ideas and provide frameworks that help participants to analyze strategic issues and make sense of complexity.

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EMScom Alumni AssociationMeet us

Be a student for a day

Experience what it is like to be a student at EMScom! Candidates interested in finding out how EMScom operates are welcome to join a module in Lugano for a day or two, to sit in class, and meet current degree-seeking candidates and faculty. For dates, please go to www.emscom.usi.ch or send an email to emscom@usi.ch. The EMScom team is available to talk more in detail about application in the program.

Fix an individual meeting

The EMScom management team is present at inter-national conferences and events and they are always ready to take time to talk to potential candidates about the program. It is very important to talk over your reasons for applying for the program at this point in your career, so that we can evaluate them together. Meetings can also take place in Lugano. Skype meetings are another alternative.

Founded in 2000, the EMScom Alumni Association provides a platform for life-long networking and learning by offering events, programs and services that extend beyond the professional career. With an international membership of over 300 communications professionals, the Board, along with its regional European representatives, organizes inter-national events that provide an opportunity for alumni, participants, faculty and supporters to exchange experiences, and network.

Alumni programs include invitations to academic and professional lectures, conferences, company visits to corporations, public organizations and NGOs/NPOs, and study trips to major international cities focusing on relevant issues and topics that communicators face in this ever more complex and intercon-nected business world.

During the EMScom program, participants may already attend alumni events. The membership fee is covered by USI Università della Svizzera italiana.

The EMScom program implies a serious personal and professional commitment of time and resources. In order to evaluate whether EMScom is the best choice for you, we offer different ways to gain a close-up view of the program and meet current participants, alumni and management.

Meet the alumni

Who knows what it means to be an EMScom participant better than its alumni? They are our best ambassadors, and both past and current participants have found the opportunity of talking to them very valuable: it is an excel-lent way to obtain first-hand information about EMScom and to hear what it is like to be part of such a demanding program. We are happy to put you in touch with alumni with a similar background or personal/professional situ-ation. EMScom might also ask alumni from your country to meet with you.

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One of the leading programs of its kind1

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Experienced, international faculty

Integration of latest research

Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing

Immediate relevance to daily work

Compact format

Strategic sessions at SMU and UCLA

Global perspective

Stimulating learning environment

Life-long alumni network

10 reasons to join EMScomEMScom outreach activities

Excellence-in-communications Lecture

The EMScom Excellence-in-communications Lecture series brings internationaly renowned experts to Swit-zerland to speak on communication topics linked to management best practices. In addition to raising aware-ness of communication as a core competency in today’s business environment, the presen tations and discussions are designed to forge closer links between academic research and corporate practice.

The lectures, which take place twice per year and are hosted by major companies in Switzerland, also offer a valuable networking opportunity.

Conferences

The EMScom team regularly hosts a number of impor-tant conferences in Lugano, Zurich and the Lake Geneva region. Most events are jointly organized with the EMScom Alumni Association, supporters of the EMScom program and other professional organizations.

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From left to right: Sara Fedele, Marketing Communications Manager, Alumni Relations / Ilaria Juon, Program Manager / Francesco Lurati, Academic Director / Regina Pinna, Managing Director / Elisa Noli, Media Relations Manager

NotesEMScom team

Design Burson-Marsteller AG, Zurich / Switzerland

Photography Marco Blessano FotografieFranco Mattei, Foto Atelier MatteiSimone Mengani, FotomenganiJacques Perler, Jacques Perler Photographer

PrintFontana Print SA, Pregassona / Switzerland

Disclaimer USI Università della Svizzera italiana makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the content of this brochure, but reserves the right to make changes to the program and the content of the brochure at any time without prior notice.

EMScom Executive Master of Science in Communications ManagementUSI Università della Svizzera italiana / Via G. Buffi 13 / 6900 Lugano / Switzerlandphone +41 (0)58 666 46 02 / fax +41 (0)58 666 47 39 / emscom@usi.ch / www.emscom.usi.ch

Designed for mid-career professionals / Part-time over 20 months / 9 residential sessions / Lugano-Singapore-Los Angeles / Experienced international faculty / Bridging academic research to business practice / Peer-to-peer learning / Strong alumni network