Unique Features
A ONE-OF-A-KIND APPROACH TO SCHOLARSHIP AND PRACTICE
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COURSEWORK:
The Master of Professional Studies in Branding and Integrated Communications (BIC) is a 36-credit program. Graduate students are required to take four foundational courses to anchor themselves in the core principles of branding and integrated communication (12 credits). To deepen their expertise in a single area, students are required to take three additional courses in one of four specialization tracks: Management/Planning, Concepting/Copywriting/Art Direction, Public Relations, or Media (9 credits). Students can also select from a number of electives that will be offered at various times throughout the four-semester sequence or from the other specialization tracks (9 credits). Students can deepen their specialization knowledge from existing graduate level courses in fine arts, humanities, engineering, and the social sciences at CCNY or at other marketing programs within CUNY, such as the one at Baruch. The program culminates in two required Capstone Practicums that are modeled on an agency experience and designed to replicate the branding and integrated communication process (6 credits).
PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT:
Because of the growing importance of presentation and visualization in the communications field, all students are required to defend a Senior Thesis in the form of a digital portfolio, which must be presented to a panel of industry professionals after completing their required capstone practicums.
BIC offers 3-credit electives for portfolio development: B2055 Creative Portfolio Thesis, B2056 Management/Strategy Portfolio Thesis, B2057 PR Portfolio Thesis, and B2028 Media Portfolio Thesis.
STUDENT DRIVEN LEARNING:
Independent, facilitated lab sessions throughout the semester will give students access to tutorials (such as LinkedIn Learning) which will allow students to go deep into their own areas of interest while providing "over-the-shoulder" assistance by experts in design, technology, writing, presentation, etc.
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS:
All students will be involved in at least one workshop practicum that is sponsored by a corporation that funds a real life project, giving students hands-on industry experience.
MENTORING:
Proximity to midtown Manhattan and many major communications corporations allows for students to connect to industry professionals. Course projects and a yearly mixer will encourage such relationships.
INDUSTRY CRITIQUE AND PRESENTATION:
In addition to having major critique and presentation components incorporated into nearly every course, students will have their portfolio juried by industry panelists. BIC's annual Portfolio-in-Progress invites recruiters to interview 3rd semesters BICster and provide feedback for portfolios in development.
PROJECT-CENTRIC PRACTICUMS:
These focus on a single, semester-long client in which students from each track will be able to apply their specialization to a collaborative project.
EXPERIENCE IN THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR:
Before graduating, students must dedicate a semester to working on an integrated communications advocacy campaign for a non-profit organization.
PROFESSIONAL ACCELERATION:
@BIC Seminars on the finer points of professional development and thought leadership will be held on campus in the BIC space throughout the year. Topics will include digital technology, project & digital management, trend forecasting, corporate social responsibility, and dynamic content. In addition, all students must attend at least one NYC-based communications conference each year and demonstrate acquired knowledge by posting to the BIC blog.
INTERNSHIPS:
Agencies seek BIC students out for their highly coveted internships, both in the summer and throughout the school year. For students new to the industry, these offer invaluable work experience making them more employable upon graduation. Students may take one internship for credit as one of their electives.
COMPETITIONS:
Students are encouraged to work in collaborative teams and enter the many competitive contests available only to students. BIC faculty mentor students to repackage existing work for new audiences, build campaigns for new briefs, and transform classwork into competition level projects. The result is that BICsters have won numerous awards and recognition at The ONE Club for Creativity’s Young Ones, CMYK, the Zahn Innovation Center, 3% Conference, Young Glory, ARF ReThink, CCNY Grad Symposium, etc.
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COURSEWORK:
The Master of Professional Studies in Branding and Integrated Communications (BIC) is a 36-credit program. Graduate students are required to take four foundational courses to anchor themselves in the core principles of branding and integrated communication (12 credits). To deepen their expertise in a single area, students are required to take three additional courses in one of four specialization tracks: Management/Planning, Concepting/Copywriting/Art Direction, Public Relations, or Media (9 credits). Students can also select from a number of electives that will be offered at various times throughout the four-semester sequence or from the other specialization tracks (9 credits). Students can deepen their specialization knowledge from existing graduate level courses in fine arts, humanities, engineering, and the social sciences at CCNY or at other marketing programs within CUNY, such as the one at Baruch. The program culminates in two required Capstone Practicums that are modeled on an agency experience and designed to replicate the branding and integrated communication process (6 credits).
PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT:
Because of the growing importance of presentation and visualization in the communications field, all students are required to defend a Senior Thesis in the form of a digital portfolio, which must be presented to a panel of industry professionals after completing their required capstone practicums.
BIC offers 3-credit electives for portfolio development: B2055 Creative Portfolio Thesis, B2056 Management/Strategy Portfolio Thesis, B2057 PR Portfolio Thesis, and B2028 Media Portfolio Thesis.
STUDENT DRIVEN LEARNING:
Independent, facilitated lab sessions throughout the semester will give students access to tutorials (such as LinkedIn Learning) which will allow students to go deep into their own areas of interest while providing "over-the-shoulder" assistance by experts in design, technology, writing, presentation, etc.
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS:
All students will be involved in at least one workshop practicum that is sponsored by a corporation that funds a real life project, giving students hands-on industry experience.
MENTORING:
Proximity to midtown Manhattan and many major communications corporations allows for students to connect to industry professionals. Course projects and a yearly mixer will encourage such relationships.
INDUSTRY CRITIQUE AND PRESENTATION:
In addition to having major critique and presentation components incorporated into nearly every course, students will have their portfolio juried by industry panelists. BIC's annual Portfolio-in-Progress invites recruiters to interview 3rd semesters BICster and provide feedback for portfolios in development.
PROJECT-CENTRIC PRACTICUMS:
These focus on a single, semester-long client in which students from each track will be able to apply their specialization to a collaborative project.
EXPERIENCE IN THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR:
Before graduating, students must dedicate a semester to working on an integrated communications advocacy campaign for a non-profit organization.
PROFESSIONAL ACCELERATION:
@BIC Seminars on the finer points of professional development and thought leadership will be held on campus in the BIC space throughout the year. Topics will include digital technology, project & digital management, trend forecasting, corporate social responsibility, and dynamic content. In addition, all students must attend at least one NYC-based communications conference each year and demonstrate acquired knowledge by posting to the BIC blog.
INTERNSHIPS:
Agencies seek BIC students out for their highly coveted internships, both in the summer and throughout the school year. For students new to the industry, these offer invaluable work experience making them more employable upon graduation. Students may take one internship for credit as one of their electives.
COMPETITIONS:
Students are encouraged to work in collaborative teams and enter the many competitive contests available only to students. BIC faculty mentor students to repackage existing work for new audiences, build campaigns for new briefs, and transform classwork into competition level projects. The result is that BICsters have won numerous awards and recognition at The ONE Club for Creativity’s Young Ones, CMYK, the Zahn Innovation Center, 3% Conference, Young Glory, ARF ReThink, CCNY Grad Symposium, etc.
