Introducing the DCL Courses and Faculty

If you’re looking for a program that will provide you with leadership skills to move up in the digital communications, public relations, or marketing fields, Emerson’s online Digital Communication Leadership (DCL) Masters might be the perfect program for you. Today we’ll look deeper into DCL’s courses and faculty to see if this online community of communications and marketing professionals is the right fit for you.  

What is the DCL program?

The DCL program is for the working professional looking to take the next step in their career. They may have experience as a marketing manager, digital media specialist, or account manager. The program is fully online and asynchronous. This means there are no “live” class times, so you can complete your coursework on your own schedule. You can enroll full-time or part-time to complete the program in one to two years. 

What Are the Requirements? 

The Digital Communication Leadership curriculum consists of 4 core courses (16 credits) and 4 elective courses (16 elective credits). Professionals who have at least 5 years of experience can waive 1 elective class.

What Are the Core Classes? 

There are 4 core classes that every student must complete. Each of these courses provides the foundation for good leadership skills. They do so by diving into the fundamentals of organization, communication, change, conflict, and management.   

Leading Organizational Change– instructed by Linda Gallant  

This course introduces students to key theories of organizational leadership, management, communication, and change. The course blends research and theory with practical application to change management. Students learn the complexities of organizational structures, audience analysis, and how to communicate change efforts effectively. A primary goal is to focus students’ learning on skill development and applied practices to lead change in fast-paced and diverse environments. 

Inclusive Leadership & Conflict Management– instructed by Israela Brill-Cass

This course is to prepare students to effectively manage organizational conflict with a focus on diversity and inclusion. They will be introduced to the various contributors to conflict in general and workplace conflict in particular. Students will learn about the different styles and approaches to conflict and how those styles and what they bring into conflict impact organizations. They will also get an overview of how organizations typically resolve disputes, the various options available to address conflict in the workplace, the relevant policies that should be considered when conflict is present, and how to recognize and manage workplace biases. Students will develop the tools necessary to engage productively – both directly and as a third party – when called upon to address organizational conflict. 

Leading Effective Teams– instructed by Owen Eagan

This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to lead and manage effective teams. Coursework will consist of reviewing academic and applied research, case studies and best practices in a variety of fields. Topics will include recognizing the characteristics of high performing teams, avoiding the dynamics of dysfunctional teams, managing diverse teams, and more. Frameworks and tools will also be used to measure and assess team performance in different organizational environments. 

What Are the Elective Courses? 

There is a nice selection of elective courses that students can choose from. Electives vary based on what you want to focus on. From online content strategy to crisis management, courses can be mixed and matched to fulfill your needs. 

Emerging Communication Technologies– instructed by Linda Gallant

Students study persuasive communication theories and research. This ranges from rhetorical and social science perspectives to best create and analyze digital usability, user engagement tactics, and online content strategies. Students gain fundamental knowledge of how the designs of communication technologies impact the communication, attitudes, behaviors, and actions of individual users, audiences, communities, fans, citizens, governments, non-profits, and brands. An applied emphasis is on knowledge and skill development for students in communication areas. For example, public relations, marketing, social media, corporate social responsibility, employee relations, community relations, and public affairs. 

User Experience Design– instructed by Linda Gallant

Students gain knowledge and skills in the development and strategic management of web-based information using a user-centered design approach. They learn to produce information design structures for websites and mobile devices that maximize user experience. Key audience segments are explored using methods such as audience analysis and persona development. The course examines the internal workings of information architecture to develop recognizable patterns that improve interaction design and ultimately online communication effectiveness. Students also learn usability testing strategies to determine website functionality from a communication outcome perspective. 

Online Content Strategy– instructed by Mary Anne Taylor

The primary goal of the class is to acquaint students with a variety of approaches to the study of ethical and intersectional content strategy. There is a focus on theory and praxis to highlight the struggle over the meaning(s) of audience management. The purpose of this course is to explore the relationship between information technologies and socio-cultural and political institutions, specifically with respect to human agency. By studying three areas of communication studies (knowledge and innovation; governance; and ethics), students critically examine the functions of emerging technologies. Students move through assigned readings, assessments, lectures, and discussions from a critical consumer position. After completing the course, students will be equipped to analyze and produce public strategy and discourse that engages technology through an ethical, social and political lens. 

Digital Analytics– instructed by Brad Schiff

Students learn the techniques and practices in digital measurement tools to integrate into strategic communication planning. They learn how to interpret, evaluate, and integrate digital data. Students acquire the knowledge and skills to successfully leverage insights from data for strategic messaging. 

Cross-Platform Audience Strategy & Message Design– instructed by Michelle Hacunda

Cross-Platform Audience Strategy & Message Design explores the ever-evolving realm of digital communication. It emphasizes the intersection of content development and audience engagement. Throughout the semester, students delve into the intricacies of cross-channel messaging. They will acquire both the strategic acumen and tactical know-how necessary to effectively engage target audiences across diverse online platforms. Whether crafting short-form or long-form content, participants gain key insights into developing messages that resonate authentically across a range of channels—from social media to email marketing to the broader web. Through hands-on projects and collaborative exercises, students refine their leadership skills, positioning themselves as adept navigators of the dynamic digital communication landscape. 

Digital Crisis Management– instructed by Andrew Cassidy

This course delves into the intricate dynamics of digital communication in the context of crisis management. Students explore how digital platforms and tools can both mitigate and exacerbate crises, significantly influencing public trust and perception of institutions and brands. The course provides a critical examination of digital strategies, ethical considerations, and the evolving role of digital media in shaping crisis narratives and responses. Emphasis is placed on developing strategic thinking and skills to effectively manage crises in a digital world, balancing technological savvy with a deep understanding of human communication behaviors. 

Who’s Teaching? 

Linda Gallant – The Graduate Program Director 

With a professional background in user experience design, Dr. Gallant understands how the design of databases, algorithms, user interfaces, apps, and social media platforms engage and impact individuals, audiences, communities, governments, and organizations in multiple contexts—healthcare, politics, marketplaces, government, and workplaces.

Rebika Shaw Bendayan 

Rebika Shaw Bendayan is an experienced business leader with over 20 years of experience in healthcare and education. She excels at building cohesive teams through empowerment, formulating strategic vision, and translating it into execution. Fueled by her training in communication and employee engagement, her management experience includes complex change and turnaround in a service setting, and assimilating new technology and processes into existing care delivery models. As a Director of Consulting Operations with Commonwealth Health Advisors, Rebika has managed diverse healthcare projects. These range from consumer and employee health, to value-based care program design, to new market and product strategy for technology and service delivery.

Previously, Rebika has provided management communication training at Harvard. She held senior operating roles in telehealth. Rebika led strategy development, redesigned the service process chain for multi-site telemedicine operations and the global delivery of digital health services from academic medical centers. She also served as an Entrepreneurship mentor for the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management, Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship. 

Rebika is a lifelong learner and teacher. Her curiosity and drive for growth are from a genuine interest in people, and in honoring differences. She is a true believer in the power of people to transform an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission in a meaningful way. She does this by aligning personal and organizational goals.

Israela Brill-Cass

Israela Brill-Cass is a negotiation and conflict communication professional. She has over 25 years of experience as an attorney, mediator, facilitator, trainer and consultant. In 2015, she launched her company, fixerrr – the 3 r’s stand for rethink, respond and resolve. Fixerrr helps individuals, groups and organizations recognize their strengths, assess their options and gain the tools they need to succeed. Brill-Cass has designed, managed and served as a neutral for conflict resolution and workplace communication programs for the Massachusetts Superior Courts, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, federal agencies, institutes of higher education, and private corporations. She created the first federally funded Agricultural Mediation Program in New England to help local cranberry growers.

Brill-Cass has taught negotiation (including culture and gender in salary negotiation), conflict communication, dispute resolution, and mediation in both the public and private sectors for such clients as Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Tufts Women in Medicine and Science, RISD, MassMutual (Society of GrownUps), MIT, Arabella Advisors, the Mass. Society of CPAs, the American Bar Association, the Mass. Bar Association, the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, the Mass. Legal Recruitment Association and Mass. Continuing Legal Education. In 2017, she became Wesleyan University’s first Ombudsperson. She served as a resource for approximately 900 faculty and staff members on their Connecticut campus.

Brill-Cass has been recognized as a New England Super Lawyer, a list published annually by Boston Magazine and Thompson-Reuters of lawyers viewed by their peers as being in the top 5% of the profession. Additionally, Brill-Cass was named one of the Top Women Attorneys in Massachusetts in 2013 and 2016. She has authored and been interviewed as an authority for articles on conflict management, employment, negotiation and mediation issues in publications ranging from the ABA Journal, the Family Mediation Quarterly, and the BBC Capital. She is a contributing author to the books, Mediation: A Practice Guide for Mediators, Lawyers, and Other Professionals (MCLE, Nov. 2013) and Pretrial Litigation Primer: Alternative Dispute Resolution (MCLE, 2009, 2011).

Owen Eagan

Owen Eagan is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies. He specializes in measuring and assessing strategic communications in business and political environments. Specifically, utilizing traditional and evolving theoretical and analytical approaches to gauge the efficacy of various forms of communication from interpersonal to mass media communication.

His commentary and research have appeared in leading industry and academic publications including Campaigns & Elections magazine, International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and International Business Times. His most recent book published by Palgrave Macmillan, Oscar Buzz and the Influence of Word of Mouth on Movie Success, is the result of several years of research that he conducted at Emerson College. As a recognized expert in the industry, he has also served for several years as a judge for the American Association of Political Consultants’ prestigious Pollie Awards. The awards honor excellence in the practice of political communication.

In addition to serving as a faculty member at Emerson, Eagan is a Senior Vice President for Consensus Strategies. It is a management consulting firm that specializes in strategic advocacy for major corporate and institutional clients. Eagan has worked on more than a hundred political campaigns. This includes the successful ballot initiatives for the $5 billion rail transit proposal in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the $2.6 billion Wynn Resorts proposal in Everett, Massachusetts, which received record support of 86.5%. Furthermore, he is the author of So What?: Measuring and Assessing Strategic Communications in Land Use Politics. The book describes a management consulting firm’s approach to winning political campaigns. It was hailed one of the best business books on politics by industry, political, communications and academic leaders.

Eagan received a BA from Clark University, an MA from Emerson College and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He also attended the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program and the University of California-Berkeley CEQA CLE program. Eagan is also certified in Social & Behavioral Research by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative.

Mary Anne Taylor

Professor Taylor is a rhetoric and gender scholar. She has a primary research emphasis on challenging dominant discourses of democracy and civility. Her work is published in the Journal of Women and Language, American Behavioral Scientist, and several edited collections and invited manuscripts. This ranges from an essay on exploring false feminism to gendered journalism in The New York Times. Currently, Dr. Taylor has a co-authored manuscript in review with Communication Quarterly, which investigates critical rhetorical approaches to health communication. She has also presented her work at national, international, and regional conferences on the rhetoric(s) of gender, race, and sexuality in sports and politics. 

Dr. Taylor joined Emerson College from the Department of Management at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to teaching Strategic Communication, she was contracted with the Texas MBA + Leadership Program and Executive Education & Ethics Center. Dr. Taylor remains affiliated with the McCombs MBA Leadership program. Finally, she also consults on gender and communication in organizational leadership, career management, job placement, storytelling, and networking.

Brad Schiff

Schiff is President of Pierce-Coté Advertising, a Regan Communications Company. Regan Communications is one of the most prominent fully integrated marketing communications firms in the country. Brad comes to Pierce-Coté from the “client side,” where he has spent much of his career. Prior to Pierce-Coté, he held the Chief Marketing Officer position for both Papa Gino’s and Friendly’s. He was also the longtime Executive Vice President of Marketing for the Ninety Nine Restaurants. Previously, he held increasing levels of marketing management responsibility at General Mills, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Ocean Spray. Schiff has a B.S. degree in Marketing from Boston College and received his MBA from Tulane University. Brad has been an affiliated faculty member at Emerson College for 15 years. He has taught Marketing Strategy, Brand Management, Creative Advertising, and Public Relations there.

Michelle Hacunda

With more than a decade of experience, Michelle Hacunda has worked in communications and marketing in a variety of industries from financial services to higher education to biotechnology. At MilliporeSigma, owned by Merck KGaA, she led internal, external, and executive communications for more than 4,000+ global employees. Currently, Hacunda runs her own boutique marketing and communications agency, shaping organizational stories through content strategy and social media. 

Hacunda earned her BA in Communication Studies from Bridgewater State University and MA in Communication Management from Emerson College. As an Affiliated Faculty at Emerson College, her instructional repertoire includes courses in both Digital Storytelling and Online Content Strategy. 

Andrew Cassidy

Andrew Cassidy comes to the Digital Communication Leadership program with more than 15 years of digital marketing and communications experience. Cassidy is currently the Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Engagement for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). There he plans, directs, and administers the MBTA’s digital presence. Prior to his position at the MBTA, Cassidy was Director of Outreach for Emerson College. It was recognized as the nation’s premier institution of higher learning devoted to communication and the arts. Additionally, he has experience as the Director of Social Media at Miami Dade College in Florida. It’s the nation’s largest and most diverse institution of higher education. Cassidy is the president and founder of Cassidy Consulting – a Boston-based marketing, PR, and communication consulting company. Using experience garnered from across his distinct career, Andrew has helped launch brands and engage whole new elements of their communities.

How Can I Learn More?

You can schedule a call with an admissions counselor, visit our DCL website, or check out our blog. To keep up with Emerson’s MA and MFA students, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook.