McMaster University MCM - Master of Communications Management

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McMaster University MCM - Master of Communications Management

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 f

aculty 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.

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/

07/22/2026

The McMaster University Master of Communications Management program is proud to return as presenting sponsor of the SummersDirect 21st Annual Municipal Communications Conference.

Registration is now open for this year's conference, bringing together municipal communications professionals from across Canada to explore crisis communications, community engagement, digital strategy, and emerging trends in public sector communications. Both in-person and virtual attendance options are available.
If you work in municipal communications, this is a valuable opportunity to connect with peers and bring practical tools back to your work. We look forward to seeing the MCM community there.

Register here: https://summersdirect.com/conferences/20th-annual-municipal-communications-conference-2/

07/17/2026

The application deadline for MCM program is fast approaching.

Designed for mid-career communications professionals ready to move from tactical ex*****on to strategic leadership, the MCM program is Canada's leading graduate degree for professional communicators and creative professionals.

Alumni outcomes reflect the strength of the program:
- 96% reported increased professional abilities and confidence
- 92% would recommend it to other communications professionals
- 90% say it boosted their career growth

If you have been considering the program, now is the time to start your application.

The application deadline is July 31, 2026.

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

07/09/2026

The MCM June 2026 Summer Residency was a memorable week of learning, connection, and community at McMaster University's Westdale campus.

Highlights included our Summer Gala at Copetown Woods Golf Club with incoming MCM 20 members, a presentation from crisis communications scholar Dr. W. Timothy Coombs in Crisis Communications and Issues Management, a Master Class with Rignam Wangkhang, AI Project Advisor at CBC, and the hooding of MCM 17 graduates at McMaster's summer convocation. The week also marked a full-circle moment for the program's 20th cohort milestone year, as alumnae Colleen Killingsworth, MCM, MCPRS, APR, FCPRS and Christine Szustaczek, MCM, APR, SCMP, FCPRS each returned to the MCM classroom as sessional instructors 15 years after graduating.

Read the full recap here: https://mcm.humanities.mcmaster.ca/2026/07/08/mcm-june-2026-residency-recap/

Cohort 20 of the MCM program begins in October 2026, designed for working professionals combining on-campus residency with virtual learning. Our next information session is July 10, 12 to 1 PM EDT: https://luma.com/3acs3g5s. The application deadline is July 31. Apply now or send us a direct message with your questions!

07/03/2026

Canadian health care is already using AI including scheduling tools, documentation aids, and pilot projects. However, adoption is informal and uneven, and most health system leaders are navigating it without a clear roadmap.

MCM student Valerie Lam-Bentley set out to change that. Her capstone research, drawing on a literature review, 64 survey responses, and 14 interviews and focus group participants from Ontario-based public and not-for-profit health organizations, examines how health care leaders can move from AI readiness to responsible AI adoption.

One finding stands out: leaders who moved successfully toward AI adoption started from a defined clinical or operational problem, not the technology itself. Yet only 18% of surveyed leaders felt extremely likely to generate value from their AI vision, while 44% were unsure.

Valerie's executive brief proposes a four-phase Strategic AI Roadmap built directly from her findings, giving health system leaders a practical sequence for building AI capability without losing sight of governance, trust, or human oversight.

Read the full brief here: https://mcm.humanities.mcmaster.ca/2026/07/03/from-insight-to-impact-a-roadmap-for-health-care-leaders-to-turn-ai-readiness-into-adoption-capability/

If research like Valerie's reflects the kind of strategic, evidence-based thinking you want to develop in your own practice, Cohort 20 of the MCM program begins in October 2026. Designed for working professionals, the program combines an on-campus residency at the start of each term with virtual learning throughout. The application deadline is July 31. Apply now or send us a direct message with your questions!

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1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON
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Website

http://mcm.mcmaster.ca/

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