Course schedule: Fall 2026

This schedule follows the published Montclair Syllabus. Topics can change based on class progress and industry developments. Canvas is the source of truth for assignment deadlines.

Assignment due dates at a glance

The final package has eight required parts. A substitution for a written piece, an image, or a social deliverable counts only after the instructor accepts it in Canvas. The research dossier, the personas, the campaign strategy, and the style guide stay in the package.

Week-by-week schedule

Week 1: August 28 — Course introduction, digital fundamentals, and the state of media

• Syllabus review, course expectations, digital literacy, and the state of digital platforms
• Keyboard shortcuts, file organization, Canvas submissions, and shared-document permissions
• Reading: “Your media business will not be saved” by Joshua Topolsky
• Final project preview: Multimedia asset package

Week 2: September 4 — The Cluetrain Manifesto, media markets, and information needs

• The 95 theses, corporate communication, humor, and authentic voice
• Media markets, audience information needs, and the “shiny new thing”
• Discussion of assigned Cluetrain observations, questions, and theses

Week 3: September 11 — AI tools, assignment protocols, and visual design principles

• AI use policy, assignment submissions, and shared-document access
• Contrast, hierarchy, alignment, balance, and spacing
• Introduction to Canva and the alien propaganda poster

Week 4: September 18 — Poster critique and slide-deck rules

• Live poster critique: rule of thirds, visual center, color limits, and type
• Presentation decks versus handoff documents
• Slide deck assignment introduced

Week 5: September 25 — Slide decks and the final project

• Live slide-deck critique: legibility, hierarchy, alignment, and image treatment
• Final project overview and how to choose an organization
• Feed design, brand personality, and the style guide as a handoff

Week 6: October 2 — Remaining presentations and the research dossier

• Remaining slide-deck presentations
• Organization choice and landscape scan is due at 1:00 p.m. and is worth 75 points. It stays open until Sunday, October 4, at 11:59 p.m.
• Research dossier, competitor analysis, inspiration gathering, and NotebookLM

Week 7: October 9 — Personas, research, and audience

• Customer persona is due.
• Customer and user personas: motivations, constraints, pain points, and media habits
• Research dossiers, competitor analysis, and existing communications
• Campaign objectives, platform strategy, tactics, content calendars, and performance measures

Week 8: October 16

No Friday class. The university meets on a Monday schedule.

Week 9: October 23

No class. Fall break runs October 17–25.

Week 10: October 30 — Research dossiers and strategic planning

• Research dossier is due.
• Revising personas with research and feedback
• Campaign goals, strategies, tactics, and performance measures

Week 11: November 6 — Copywriting foundations

• The solutions lens and useful criticism
• Reading: Selections from On Writing Well by William Zinsser
• Clarity, structure, active voice, specificity, and concise language
• Critical copywriting argument and structure

Week 12: November 13 — Copywriting workshop, headlines, and platform voice

• Voice, tone, headlines, leads, calls to action, and audience fit
• Adapting campaign language for different channels
• Drafting, peer review, revision, and headline testing

Week 13: November 20 — Social graphics, accessibility, and distribution

• Social cards, promotional graphics, calls to action, and distribution strategy
• Accessibility, mobile screens, and useful alt text
• Pairing campaign copy with visual assets

Week 14: November 27

No class. Thanksgiving break runs November 25–29.

Week 15: December 4 — Brand systems and final project workshop

• Style guides, brand kits, typography, color, image treatment, voice, and tone
• Written, visual, and social asset integration
• Final project troubleshooting and presentation preparation

Week 16: December 11 and December 15

Final project presentations, feedback, troubleshooting, and course review.

• Friday, December 11: First presentation session
• Tuesday, December 15: The university meets on a Friday schedule
• Tuesday, December 15: Final project due

Class meeting dates

August: Fri 8/28

September: Fri 9/4, Fri 9/11, Fri 9/18, Fri 9/25

October: Fri 10/2, Fri 10/9, Fri 10/30

November: Fri 11/6, Fri 11/13, Fri 11/20

December: Fri 12/4, Fri 12/11, Tue 12/15

Total: 14 class sessions