MA Internal Communication Management

The Masters is designed to prepare professionals for increasingly strategic roles in internal communication and add business value in a rapidly changing global organisational environment.

The benefits of studying for the MA in Internal Communication Management include:

• adding immediate value by putting theory into practice in your – or your client’s - organisation
• developing your interpersonal and leadership skills and having impact at the highest level of the organisation
• developing your strategic thinking and evidence-based decision making
• gaining essential research and analytical skills to understand and adapt to rapidly changing business needs
• producing a valuable piece of tailored research for your organisation
• building a strong network of fellow strategic practitioners.

By the end of the course, you will be equipped to:

• understand the complexities of workplace culture, the psychology of communication, and the implications for your communication practice
• develop, implement and evaluate internal communication strategies to meet rapidly changing organisational needs and build engagement
• forge leading edge approaches to communication to address the growth of technology and the radical breakdown of organisational boundaries
• influence and coach senior managers to ensure optimum communication that meets the needs of the future, and ensure effective leadership communication at all levels
• undertake in-depth organisational research to ensure a robust, evidence-based approach to communication interventions.

Additional benefits include:

• dedicated teaching team to guide you throughout your academic journey
• access to Solent’s academic library and other support services
• free IoIC membership for the duration of your studies, including all usual members benefits.

The Masters in Internal Communication Management is a part-time course designed to fit around busy working lives.

The course is includes eight days of workshops in Central London (with hybrid options available for those who are unable to attend in-person), virtual follow-up sessions and sessions delivered by guest speakers, online activities, and independent study focused on applying theory to current workplace challenges – allowing students to add additional value to their organisation from the start of their studies.

You will need to devote a considerable amount of time to reading, critical analysis of issues, research, preparation of assignments and participation in on-line discussion boards. The theory into practice approach and focus on your current workplace in assessments means that that you can achieve a level of integration between work and study.

The Programme 

The programme is made up of four modules:

Module 1: Building blocks for communication success: Sensemaking and the organisational environment

This module sets the context for the strategic management of internal communication, equipping you to assess the practical communication implications of organisational culture, leadership styles, the psychology of how we make sense of the world around us and more.

Module 2: Thinking and acting strategically: How internal communication can drive the organisation forward

This module is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to develop, implement and evaluate effective communication strategies to deal with the issues you are likely to encounter including change, complexity, employee engagement plus the radical impact of technology.

Module 3:  Building for the future: The influential internal communication practitioner

This module equips you with the underpinning knowledge to act as a key influencer and an internal consultant at the most senior level within the organisation, including the psychology of decision making and the power of rhetoric. You will also explore current and possible leading-edge developments in organisations and appropriate communication responses, helping futureproof your practice.

Module 4: Conducting robust communication research to drive decision making

This module aims to develop your skills in working with a client to identify, diagnose, and make practical recommendations towards solving a workplace management issue through internal communication interventions, acquiring academic standard research techniques and applying them in a research project aimed at resolving a current workplace issues.

Applications for the Masters in Internal Communication Management will be considered if candidates can demonstrate their suitability for the course - having the motivation, experience and ability to work at this level. 

As part of the application process candidates are accredited with 60 academic credits on the basis of prior learning and/or experience of internal communication. This is done via a process known as Advanced Standing.

Candidates should therefore fulfil ONE of the following: 

1. Possess a recognised postgraduate qualification in management and business studies equivalent to 60 level 7 credits.
2. Possess a degree or professional qualification and have significant experience in the internal communication field and other indicators of achievement (e.g. written reports etc.)
3. Have substantial relevant experience of internal communication management and other indicators of achievement (e.g. evidence of acceptable training courses attended, written reports etc.), also complete a sample assignment to a pass standard. Applicants will be given support in assignment writing as part of the application process.

Please note: if you have not already completed an undergraduate degree, you will be required to complete a sample assignment to a pass standard. A member of the teaching team will provide the details of the assignment and coach you through the writing process

Additional Requirements

The Masters in Internal Communication Management is delivered and assessed in English. Applicants for whom English is not their first language will be required to demonstrate their English language proficiency via a certificate from an undergraduate degree taught in English, an IELTS score of 6.5 or above, or a similar equivalent alternative.