McMaster University MCM - Master of Communications Management

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McMaster University MCM - Master of Communications Management

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Canada's leading strategic communication management degree You can do the MCM while you work full-time.

The MCM program is Canada’s leading master’s degree for creative professionals, executives, entrepreneurs and researchers in the many fields related to communications management including marketing, fundraising, digital and social media, public affairs, investor relations, and others. The program has been designed for working professionals who have active professional and personal lives. The MCM faculty and administrators understand your many commitments and are flexible to enable you to work, live and study in harmony. The curriculum provides students with leading-edge education in communications theory and practice based on 15 years of development.The MCM curriculum is founded in exhaustive research, including a thorough literature review of professional communication and communications management scholarship, interviews with top communications managers worldwide, a national survey, and focus groups of communication practitioners. The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) allows MCM students and alumni to submit capstone or major research projects in lieu of a work sample for the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation. Students attend three six-day on-campus residencies at McMaster University each year (mid-October, February, and June). Each residency period runs for six days from Saturday to Thursday with classes held between 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. The MCM residencies are a special, intense time that provide students with hands-on learning experiences and the opportunity to forge in-person connections with their professors and classmates.

10/09/2026

Today, we welcomed our 20th cohort to campus for the start of the October residency.

Cohort 20 began orientation this morning, meeting their classmates, faculty, and program team as they open their first residency. We were also glad to be joined by Dr. Christina Baade, Chair of the Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts.

Welcome to Cohort 20. We look forward to the term ahead.

10/01/2026

The McMaster University Master of Communications Management program was a proud partner of P-World's Certified AI in Communications Boot Camp for the Public Sector, held in Ottawa on September 16 and 17, 2026.

Day 1 brought together practitioners from across the public sector to examine how communicators can adopt AI while protecting public trust. MCM alumnus Rob Trewartha, MA, MCM, presented on building an AI governance model that works in daily practice.

On Day 2, Dr. Alex Sévigny, APR, FCPRS led a full-day hands-on workshop, "From Prompt to Public Trust: Practical AI for Public Sector Communicators." Participants worked through structured prompting labs, data-to-insight exercises, and a governance and risk clinic, and left with 30-day action plans to take back to their teams.
The two-day event featured speakers from organizations including the City of Toronto, Parliament of Canada, and Canada Revenue Agency, with sessions spanning privacy, risk detection, prompting, and AI regulation in Canada.

For communicators and executives who want to build practical and impactful AI skills, registration is open for our upcoming Generative AI executive education workshops this winter: dsbstore.mcmaster.ca/index?id=604000

09/25/2026

Generative AI is reshaping how designers work, but does it change what makes design good? MCM graduate Mahnoosh Eslahi set out to answer that question for visual UX design.

Her capstone research, drawing on in-depth interviews with 25 professionals across UX design, graphic design, communications, and AI, alongside a content analysis of published articles and multimedia, examined how generative AI is transforming visual UX workflows in digital communication contexts such as websites, blogs, podcasts, and video.

One finding stands out: generative AI performs best in structured, repetitive tasks that support consistency and scalability, but it cannot replace a designer's interpretive judgment, contextual awareness, or brand stewardship. The strongest outcomes came when designers critically evaluated and refined AI output rather than accepting it outright.

Mahnoosh's research offers six guiding principles for practitioners navigating AI-assisted design, with human oversight, ethical guidelines, and reflective practice at the centre of responsible integration.

Read the full capstone summary here: https://mcm.humanities.mcmaster.ca/2026/06/24/mahnoosh-eslahi

09/23/2026

Keeping seniors connected: how an MCM capstone on building connection through technology led Mary Taws to create her own business.

Baseline digital literacy is no longer optional. Banking, groceries, healthcare, and staying in touch with family now depend on technology, while in-person customer support has declined sharply. As a result, many older adults are left unable to manage their affairs or connect with loved ones online.

Mary, a 2020 MCM graduate, asserts that it's not enough to design better devices or provide more written instructions: "The older adults I work with don't want efficiency, they want to be heard and understood." Her business, Talk to a Human Inc., offers technology education built around in-person connection. Each session begins with how clients want to show up in the world, then identifies where technology can create ease and access, without asking them to choose between going fully digital and staying fully analog.

In a new guest post, Mary explains how her MCM research on digital literacy and aging, the program's blend of MBA and MA coursework, and the support of her cohort shaped the business she runs today.

Learn more and read Mary's story: mcm.humanities.mcmaster.ca/2026/09/22/talk-to-a-human/

08/27/2026

Congratulations to Jeanne Barry, MCM, on her appointment as Advisor, Media Relations and External Communications at the Alberta Securities Commission. In this role, Jeanne will lead media relations, including news releases, media inquiries, and daily monitoring, while also developing external communications strategies, managing ASC events, and working closely with partners at the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Jeanne shared the following about the impact of the MCM program on her career:

"The MCM program gave me practical, applicable knowledge well beyond communications, such as data analysis, finance, ethics, and strategy. My capstone research, which involved building an AI-assisted analysis pipeline to study CSR communications across Canada, gave me hands-on experience I wouldn't have gained anywhere else. Learning alongside working professionals and industry-leading faculty improved my skillset and my confidence, and built a professional network that has already opened doors in my career."

We congratulate Jeanne on this achievement and look forward to following her continued impact on the profession.

08/24/2026

Session 1 of the MCM Executive Education AI Workshop Series, Applied Generative AI for Communications and Marketing, takes place September 10-11, from 12 PM to 4 PM ET.

Led by Dr. Alex Sévigny, APR, FCPRS, this level-setting session establishes how generative AI fits into strategic communications and marketing workflows, and where it belongs on your risk register.

Over two half-days, participants will:
- Distinguish between using AI for efficiency, efficacy and effectiveness
- Learn structured prompting techniques that produce substantially better output than conversational prompting alone
- Build a working deliverable integrating text, audio, video and data
- Conduct a generative engine and answer engine brand audit to see how their organization is represented across AI platforms
- Build a functioning custom GPT

$599, or $500 as part of the full three-session series.

Register: https://dsbstore.mcmaster.ca/index?id=604000

08/20/2026

The MCM program is proud to certify P-World's AI in Communications Boot Camp for the Public Sector, taking place September 16 and 17, 2026, in Ottawa.

Built specifically for federal, provincial, and municipal communicators, this two-day boot camp features practitioners working in public sector AI communications right now.

Among the speakers, MCM alumnus Rob Trewartha, MA, MCM of the City of Mississauga, will present on moving from AI principles to a governance model that works day-to-day, and Dr. Alex Sévigny, APR, FCPRS of McMaster University, will lead the full Day 2 workshop, where attendees build their own AI workflows and a 30-day implementation plan.

Every attendee leaves with a Certificate of Attendance from the MCM Executive Education program.

Seats are capped at 100. Group registration discounts are available for teams attending together.

Register here: thepworld.com/event/certified-ai-in-communications-boot-camp-for-the-public-sector

08/12/2026

The McMaster University MCM program is offering its Executive Education AI Workshop Series this fall, a three-session professional development program for senior communications and marketing leaders.

Each session builds on the one before it, moving participants from foundational AI literacy, through creative and strategic application, to disciplined workflows their organizations can actually implement.

Session 1: Applied Generative AI for Communications and Marketing, September 10 and 11, with Dr. Alex Sévigny, APR, FCPRS

Session 2: Applied Generative AI for Creativity and Research: Writing, Research, Prompted Agents and Multimedia Storytelling, September 24 and 25, with Martin Waxman, MCM, APR

Session 3: Applied Generative AI for Effectiveness and Measurement: Workflows, Evaluation, Risk Management and Reporting, October 5 and 6, with Dr. Alex Sévigny, APR, FCPRS

All sessions run 12 to 4pm ET on Zoom. $599 per session, or $500 per session when you register for all three ($1,500).

Registration and full session details: https://mcm.humanities.mcmaster.ca/program/executive-education-program/

08/04/2026

Congratulations to Jane Antoniak, MCM, APR, MCPRS, on her appointment as Associate Vice-President, Communications and Marketing at Lakehead University, beginning August 24, 2026. In this role, Jane will lead communications, marketing, media relations, and web development across Lakehead's campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia.

Jane brings to the role a distinguished record in institutional communications, public relations education, and professional leadership, including her current service as President of the Canadian Public Relations Society Board of Directors.

Jane shared the following about the impact of the McMaster University MCM program on her career:

"The MCM program was pivotal in my growth from manager to senior leadership in post-secondary communications and marketing. Conducting and applying leadership research with Dr. Sévigny strengthened my ability to develop strategic plans for university presidents. The MCM alumni network has been invaluable, while its connection to the Canadian Public Relations Society reinforces the importance of ethical, accredited public relations in the profession."

Jane’s appointment continues to demonstrate the MCM program’s track record for developing leaders in post-secondary communications. We congratulate Jane on this well-deserved role and look forward to following her continued impact on the profession.

07/31/2026

Congratulations to MCM alumnus Kyle Steward, MCM, on his appointment as Head of Revenue at Gastronomous Technologies, where he will lead the company's commercial growth strategy from end to end, converting market opportunity in kitchen automation into revenue and lasting enterprise relationships.

Kyle shared the following about the impact of the MCM program on his career:
"The MCM program taught me that great communication is strategic thinking made clear. That skill translates far beyond the comms function. As Head of Revenue at Gastronomous Technologies, I use what I learned every day. Understanding an audience, building an evidence-based case, and turning a complex value proposition into a story people act on with real and measurable results."

Today is the final day to apply for Cohort 20 of the MCM program. If Kyle's experience reflects the kind of career growth you are working toward, we encourage you to submit your application before midnight tonight.

Apply here: https://mcm.humanities.mcmaster.ca/program/apply-admission-requirements-fees/

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http://mcm.mcmaster.ca/

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