Northwestern University’s Medill School: MS in Integrated Marketing Communications

About the Program

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is a strategic, innovative approach through which organizations drive performance by engaging, serving, and communicating with consumers and other constituents. IMC combines a qualitative understanding of consumers with large-scale analytics to develop communications and content that build and maintain strong brands. Grounded in advertising and direct media communications, IMC has emerged as the premier way for organizations to manage customer experiences in the digital age.

Program Format and Schedule

Medill IMC offers course sequences that fit into the three core areas of integrated marketing communications.
By taking courses in a particular sequence, one can develop depth in that area. By taking courses across sequences, one can develop breadth in integrated marketing communications.
The sequences are optional and do not appear on transcripts. Rather, they are guides to help students select courses that match their interests and career goals, however narrow or broad they may be.

1. Consumer Insight and Analytics
2. Messages and Content: Brand Strategy and Strategic Communications
3. Media

Each sequence starts in the second quarter (winter) with a required foundations course. The foundations courses in each sequence are prerequisites for many of the other courses in that sequence. Because Medill IMC is a digitally oriented program, digital marketing is woven throughout the courses and sequences.
Students are encouraged to take courses across the IMC curriculum and from more than one sequence.
Most students develop depth by taking several courses in one to two sequences, and breadth by taking the foundations courses across sequences.