Rutgers Continuing and Professional Studies
Certificate in Crisis Communication and Reputation Management
New Brunswick, USA
Certificate
DURATION
6 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
03 Oct 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Oct 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 6,570 **
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* SAVE 15%: Enroll in the full program by September 18, 2026 for $5,584.50
** monthly payment option: $1,095 per course for six months
Key Summary
About: The Rutgers Certificate in Crisis Communication and Reputation Management teaches crisis communication, crisis planning, crisis response strategies, media training, and risk and reputation management. It includes six four-week courses and two one-hour, one-on-one media training sessions, delivered online by experienced instructors through Rutgers Continuing and Professional Studies. You'll study case studies, simulations, and interactive workshops, earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and should have three-plus years' experience in communications, PR, marketing, community relations, HR, or related roles.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can work in public relations, crisis management, reputation management, corporate communications, media relations, risk management, stakeholder engagement roles.
Navigate turbulent waters with confidence through the Rutgers Crisis Communication and Reputation Management Certificate (CCRM). Crisis communication requires leaders who can guide decision-makers through volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) situations while protecting the organization’s reputation, brand, credibility, and trust and ensuring its ability to thrive.
The art of being an effective spokesperson is a valuable tool at any level. The Rutgers Crisis Communication and Reputation Management Certificate program offers you a transformative opportunity to navigate uncertainty and unforeseen business challenges with confidence. Dive into real-world case studies, simulation exercises, and interactive workshops with our internationally renowned team of experienced instructors. Gain insights into crisis communication, crisis communication planning, crisis response strategies, communication during a crisis, media training, and risk and reputation management. Our comprehensive online program includes six four-week courses plus two one-hour, one-on-one media training sessions.
The most successful students will have three-plus years of experience with communication, PR, marketing, community relations, human resources, or other professional duties. Whether you are a communication professional seeking specialization or an organizational leader committed to safeguarding brand equity, our program empowers you with the tools to thrive in high-stakes situations and emerge not just unscathed, but stronger. Secure your Rutgers Crisis Communication and Reputation Management certification, earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and become a risk and reputation management professional—enroll today!
- Fundamentals of Crisis Communication
- Crisis Communication Planning
- Crisis Response Strategies
- Communication During a Crisis
- Media Engagement
- Risk and Reputation Management
- One-on-One Media Training Coaching
What You Will Gain from Completing the Crisis Communication and Reputation Management Certificate
- You’ll be introduced to the overarching principles and theories of crisis communication management in Fundamentals of Crisis Communication and learn how to identify potential crises, explore some of the top crisis mitigation strategies, examine facets of artificial intelligence in crisis response, and view how other organizations navigated their challenges.
- In Crisis Communication Planning, you’ll develop your own custom crisis management plan for your organization and learn about the dynamics of managing a crisis team and how to develop relationships with key publics.
- In Crisis Response Strategies, you’ll develop a comprehensive set of techniques for responding to active crisis scenarios and develop a toolkit for managing online and traditional media for effective crisis responses.
- In Communication During a Crisis, you’ll develop branding and related communication strategies applied during crisis events, including key messaging and other tools for internal and external crisis communication.
- In Media Engagement, you’ll prepare strategies for interacting with media and other stakeholders on behalf of the organization during crisis events, effectively providing statements, working with hostile questions, and directing multiple spokespeople with different agendas.
- In Risk and Reputation Management, you’ll develop strategies for managing risk and protecting reputations throughout your organization, including developing a custom risk and vulnerabilities assessment for your organization, incorporating best practices for improving reputations, and developing ethical decision-making tools.
- Twice during the program, you will participate in One-on-One Media Training, helping you, as a growing crisis communication leader, have a positive impact on your organization’s target audiences, or even instruct other spokespeople and subject matter experts on effective interviews. One session is on media-focused message refinement for your organization, and the second session is a critiqued individual mock media interview.
Who Will Benefit from the Crisis Communication and Reputation Management Certificate?
- Public relations and public affairs professionals who need to guide their organization during challenging times
- Marketing, human resources, or other specialists who face labor actions, change management, workplace incidents, or other internal challenges
- Marketing leaders navigating reputational issues such as recalls, regulatory scrutiny, or flawed products
- Investor relations practitioners with demands to guide organizations through high-stakes situations that can affect market value, product launches, and more
- School district and higher education leaders in environments of community conflict, potential threats, and wrongdoing accusations
- Public information officers for military, police, fire, and emergency management who need to expand their abilities to impact safety, awareness, and disclosure
- Social media specialists who are often on the front lines of detecting and responding to public-facing reputational threats
- Public relations agency staff and consultants seeking to add skillsets that will grow their business
- Candidates for certifications such as APR and ABC or advanced degrees
- Chief risk and information security officers who assess and mitigate competitive, regulatory, and technological threats
- Forensics and integrity services leaders who investigate facts, manage regulatory challenges, and resolve disputes
- Legal compliance and corporate governance executives who handle compliance regarding internal and external laws and regulations
- Corporate communications, strategic communications, and legislative affairs leaders who build relationships, develop strategies, and craft messages