Iona College Establishes New Certificate Graduate Program in Campaigns and Elections

March 16, 2010 - PRLog -- In what is the first program of its kind to be offered in the region, Iona College’s Department of Mass Communications and Political Science is offering a one-year certificate program in Campaigns and Elections for graduate students.

The new program will provide students with the practical skills necessary to manage and participate in modern political campaigns. Jeanne Zaino, PhD, Chair of Iona College’s Political Science Department, said that the new program will give students the “rare opportunity to work with campaign professionals, scholars and other experts who are trained in various aspects of election and campaign work.”  She added: “This program will provide an in-depth study of the nuts and bolts that go into a modern campaign including advertising, communications, polling and other forms of campaign research, fundraising, political leadership, voting behavior, new media technology, scheduling, election law and more.”

The new program will be launched this fall just as campaigns for several important elections will be getting underway including primaries for the New York gubernatorial race and mid-term elections for members of the Westchester delegation in Albany and the U.S. Congress.

The real-life drama of this year’s elections will be played out at Iona College which plans to host several debates. “For our students and for the community at large, we hope to help generate excitement and interest in this very important election year,” Dr. Zaino stated. An engaged and interested electorate is key to our democracy.”

To help achieve the program’s goals, a Campaign Certificate Advisory Board is being formed which will consist of a cross section of elected and senior appointed officials at the local, county, state and Congressional levels as well as former office holders and journalists who cover the political scene. “We will be looking to their expertise and grasp of the issues and challenges faced by political campaigns to recommend issues for consideration for this new program,” Dr. Zaino said.

Because many of the students are working professionals, the classes will be held  Monday through Thursday evenings and, occasionally on weekends. A portion of course hours will be able to be completed online.

Classes will begin in the summer with a three-credit course on political research methods. Topics include a basic introduction to quantitative and qualitative research design with special emphasis on how to  conduct, assess, and manage research using those techniques most often used in the field: polling, focus group testing, candidate research, opposition research, district research, past election analysis.

The remaining course studies will be during the fall and spring semesters of the  2010-2011 school year:  

Campaigns and Elections Workshop (1 credit) to be offered over the course of one weekend. It is designed to introduce students to the basics of American political campaigns including campaign management and staff work as well as fundraising, research, advertising, press, scheduling, field operations and more.

Campaign Communication: The Press, Strategy Design and Implementation (3 credits). Among the topics addressed will be message discipline, free media, crisis management, new media usage (internet, website, social networking, mobile technologies), development of press releases, issue briefs, direct mail letters, fact sheets and talking points.

Political and Coalition Building in Campaigns (3 credits) Special attention will be given to the best ways to build political support around the campaign and candidate, as well as the best ways to create structural support and appeal to special interest groups.

Campaign Advertising and Marketing (3 credits). The three major types of advertising will be addressed — involuntary (cable, broadcast, TV, radio); voluntary (mail and print); and collateral (yard signs, bumper stickers, brochures). In addition, the course will focus on the development and implementation of a successful advertising campaign as well as critical issues such as cost, crisis management and planning.

Campaign Fundraising and Scheduling (3 credits). This course will give the student skills necessary to work as a campaign finance director and scheduler including the process of developing and implementing a successful finance plan. Candidate solicitation, fundraising events, direct mail and telemarketing and the keys to successful campaign scheduling will be covered.

Campaign Management Professional Experience: Practicum (3 credits). The course is designed to provide students with a hands-on, professional, and practical work experience in a campaign management/electoral setting. Under the direction of a faculty advisor, students will complete 110 hours of field work and related assignments as well as attend one mandatory course meeting at the beginning of the semester and one at the end of the semester.

Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Edmund Rice Christian Brothers, Iona College is a private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education.  Iona - currently listed in the top tier of US News and World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges 2010; The Princeton Review's Best Northeastern Colleges 2010 edition and Business Week's Top 25 Undergraduate Business Schools in the Northeast - offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and master of business administration degrees and numerous post-graduate certificate programs.

For more information about Iona College, visit http://www.iona.edu

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Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Edmund Rice Christian Brothers, Iona College is a private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education. Iona - currently listed in the top tier of US News and World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges 2010; The Princeton Review's Best Northeastern Colleges 2010 edition and Business Week's Top 25 Undergraduate Business Schools in the Northeast - offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and master of business administration degrees and numerous post-graduate certificate programs. For more information about Iona College, visit http://www.iona.edu