Strategic Communications for Public Leaders

 

Date(s)Course TitleDelivery MethodFeeCourse Code
February 24-March 21, 2025

Strategic Communications for Public Leaders

 

FULLY ONLINE ASYNCHRONOUS (Canvas)$750CELG-6150
-SP25-1

Register OnlineRegistration Form (PDF)

Program Overview

The Leadership Certificate series features public management topics geared to municipal managers, administrators, finance officers, governing body members, department heads, and elected officials as well as nonprofit professionals. The Strategic Communications for Public Leaders program consists of four core course modules that are offered in an order where content and concepts are built upon as the series progresses.  

By the end of this program, you will be able to: 

  • Discuss the importance of communication planning in public organization
  • Identify target audiences and needs
  • Develop strategies to develop and use digital communications
  • Employ strategies for generating media coverage
  • Develop a communications plan 

Essential skills for today's public communicator

Develop essential skills to communicate with constituents and within organizations 

Program instructors have worked in the public sector and understand communication challenges and opportunities. You will be introduced to new strategies to enhance communications and increase constituent engagement.  Participants are provided tools and resources that can be used in their organizations. 

Online Program

The online asynchronous online program includes four modules to complete at your own pace over four weeks. In each module, you are supported by a facilitator who will guide you through your work and answer your questions. Each module will follow the same format: 

  • Reading and multimedia reviewed at your own pace 
  • Learning activities for you to practice and check understanding 
  • A discussion thread to engage in conversation about current issues

While this course is asynchronous, it is important to note that assignment deadlines must be met to ensure your progress and success in the course. These deadlines have been carefully chosen to facilitate a cohesive learning experience and to allow for timely feedback from instructors. 

For information related to taking our online courses, visit our Online Course Information page.

Program Topics

The following are modules in the four-week program that are instructed by subject matter experts and practitioners. The first four are required to be completed in order to earn a certificate.

Image of the planning meeting

Communication is essential to nearly everything your municipality or nonprofit organization undertakes. This hands-on workshop takes participants through the steps of developing a communication plan for any type of activity, from setting goals and identifying key audiences and messages, to selecting tactics and establishing timelines and budgets. Working in teams, participants will develop communication plans for real initiatives.

Course Goals:

  • Understand the importance of communication planning and pitfalls of not planning
  • Identify key audiences; develop key messages
  • Understand when and how to use social media, news releases, email and other tactics.
  • Working in teams, complete an actual communication plan for a participant’s organization or municipal initiative.

image of social media icons on a cellphone

Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Pinterest - the social media options available are overwhelming! But which platform is best for your organizations and which can meet your communications needs? This course will review how the right social media tools can be used in community engagement and public relations. The course materials include a toolkit for getting started with social media for personal and municipal use.  Tips on setting a social media policy for your municipal employees will also be discussed.

Course Goals:

  • Explore how to integrate social media into existing communication efforts
  • Discuss time-saving strategies for content creation
  • Discuss how to manage a municipality or organization's social media efforts
  • Discuss strategies for addressing social media trolls and other pests
  • Explore effective public sector social media efforts

image of chair and desk with computers and other electronic devices

Today's government websites are multi-faceted. They deliver services, provide information, process requests, and inform the public. In this hands-on workshop, you will become familiar with the best practices in government website design and how it can be transformed into digital engagement portal through effective design, SEO, and analytics.

Course Goals:

  • Explore best practices in website design and user engagement
  • Analyze websites for the use of best practices
  • Identify strategies to develop relevant and accessible content
  • Develop strategies to improve a website

Image of a camera men at an event

The news media can be a valuable conduit of important information to your key audiences. But working with the media can be challenging, as any public official knows. This workshop will discuss strategies for promoting “good” news and dealing with “bad” news; using social media vs. traditional media; developing productive relationships with reporters; the difference between hype and news; and the pros and cons of press conferences.

Course Goals:

  • Understand different media types (mainstream, print, trade, professional, community vs. daily papers, periodicals, online publications) and how their differences determine your approach
  • Learn tactics for being quoted accurately; getting good news reported.
  • Develop organizational policies and procedures for communicating with the media
  • Examine recent examples of good and mediocre media coverage
  • Learn components of a news release or announcement (who, what, where, when, how).

Certification (CEU's)

Communication Planning and Content Creation for Public Organizations

  • CMFO/CCFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Management – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • RMC:
    • Professional Development – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CMFO/CCFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Management – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • RMC:
    • Professional Development – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CMFO/CCFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Management – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • RMC:
    • Professional Development – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CMFO/CCFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Management – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • RMC:
    • Professional Development – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 2.5 hours
    • Information Technology – – 2.5 hours

Quotes from Recent Program Participants:

"The whole course gave me new knowledge and answers to many tough questions."

-2023 Participant

"This program has given me a starting point for me to have conversations on how to implement positive and sustainable change in order to have effective communications."

-2023 Participant

"The self-paced curriculum was really helpful given my frantic work schedule."

-2023 Participant

red hexagon with black border which reads "Rutgers Strategic Communications Center for Executive Leadership in Government"


Those who complete the Strategic Communications for Public Leaders program are eligible to receive a digital badge credential from Rutgers University in addition to their certificate. Acceptance of the digital badge is voluntary. Those who redeem their badge will be able to share it on various social media platforms, on electronic copies of resumes, in email, or embed in a website. To learn more about micro-credentialing and digital badging at Rutgers, please visit the Micro-credentialing and Digital Badging website.


Approved by
NJ Dept. of Community Affairs

Tuition

$750

Read our Refund & Other Policies

Program Location

This program is delivered via the Canvas learning management system. Students will be provided with a tutorial before the start of the program.

Enrollment Requirements

Anyone who is interested in learning more, gaining more knowledge and managerial experience in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors.