Prepare for the Future Shift in Demographics:

The 2010 U.S. Census documents that the three main minorities in the U.S., Hispanic, African American, and Asian, account for about 37% of the total U.S. population; in many major metropolitan areas, they are now the majority. Additionally, they account for almost three trillion dollars of buying power.  While giants in the industry are looking for professionals specialized in addressing U.S. culturally diverse markets, there is a current vacuum of people with these skills. The certificate is designed to bridge this void by offering you an upper hand while you  learn about and work effectively with these emerging minorities.

Who Can Take This Certificate?

Courses in this certificate program can be used as part of the Masters in Integrated Marketing Communication.  However, if you’re a student in a FSU department, another institution, you can benefit from the tools we offer.  Talk to your advisor about having the courses count towards  your degree.

If you’re a professional with a completed B.A. or B.S., as long as you have access to internet, you may complete this certificate from anywhere in the world.  Expertise is at your fingertips!

If you’re an undergraduate student, consider the separate parallel Undergraduate Certificate in MMC.

Learning Objectives

By taking this certificate, you will learn how to:

• Include multicultural marketing considerations in a marketing or advertising plan
• Reach multicultural populations by formulating strategies based on cultural knowledge
• Conduct research and apply this knowledge to efforts in marketing, advertising, and diffusion of innovations
• Practice the principles of account planning in a multicultural context
• Apply multicultural marketing knowledge to your academic and/or professional lives

Program of Studies

Required courses:  This certificate program is comprised of four (3-credit) graduate level courses offered by the School of Communication that can be taken in the classroom or online.  In addition this certificate program requires that you write a Capstone Experience paper, applying the course work to your academic or professional experience.  The following are the required courses:

• ADV 5415- Hispanic Marketing Communication: Analyzes the largest and fastest growing minority in the US and examines appropriate ways to culturally connect with them.  Offered Fall in the classroom and online in the Spring.

• ADV 5605- Account Planning:  Obtain cultural insights from consumers across different cultures and segments by conducting research.  Then, analyze this research and apply the insights to formulate a strategy to achieve successful campaigns. Offered all semesters in the classroom and online during the Summer.

• ADV 5416- Multicultural Marketing Communication: Reviews cultural differences and similarities and provides the context for research projects to understand consumer communication and behavior of these emerging groups. Offered Spring in the classroom and online in the Fall.

• MMC 6469- Diffusion of Innovations: Examines various theoretical and practical issues pertaining to communication’s roles in the diffusion of innovations across cultures.   Explores how products and services are adopted and diffused among and across groups. It offers particular insight into understanding adoption rates, adoption stages, and identifying influencers.- Currently available on campus and online Summer 2013.

• A Capstone Experience paper will be required of all students. This paper will be a 15 to 20 page paper applying the knowledge gained to current academic or professional work. It should not be a summary of the coursework for the Certificate, but rather a paper where you apply what you learned.This paper will be written and will be graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory while you take the last course above and it must be submitted two weeks before the end of that semester. The faculty member teaching that last course will grade the Capstone Experience paper.

• Course locations: The certificate program will be offered on the Tallahassee Campus of Florida State University and online.

APPLY HERE

*All students can enroll as non-degree seeking special students, unless they plan to count the course credit in the certificate program towards their program of studies at FSU or any other institution.
No undergraduate students will be admitted.