Introduction to Storytelling course allows MA in Communication students to change hearts and minds and bolster professional skills through mastery of a craft that is as old as time.
Everybody has a story to tell. For more than 50,000 years – from the earliest uncovered Indonesian cave paintings to today’s augmented reality and virtual reality worlds – humans have used stories to entertain, persuade, and create a shared understanding.
In Spring 2025, Johns Hopkins MA in Communication Assistant Program Director Shari Ross Altarac unveiled Introduction to Storytelling, a 15-week course designed to give students not only the skills to craft memorable, impactful stories but also the confidence to tell them.
“I built this course with a lot of academic rigor to dispel the notion that storytelling is just for kids and people gathered around a campfire,” Ross Altarac said. “The brain science behind storytelling, and a widening body of theory and research, validates that people think in stories and that storytelling fires up different parts of our brains in the way that facts and data cannot. With stories, we feel as though we are stepping into the shoes of the protagonist and experiencing the same events and emotions. Because of this, storytelling is one the most powerful, memorable, creative, and persuasive forms of communication. Importantly, stories move people to act, foster empathy, and create community. We are wired for storytelling, it’s evolutionary and in our DNA as humans. From the time when we are very young, we gravitate towards stories, and we instinctively understand story patterns. Stories feel natural and easy to process.”
The course explores the theory and neuroscience behind storytelling, including cutting-edge research on the narrative transportation – the process by which audiences become immersed in stories. Students learn the fundamentals of story structure: narrative arc, character development, emotion, authenticity, conflict, and the all-important hook. Ross Altarac also places great emphasis on ethical storytelling and the importance of deciphering misinformation and disinformation. Her students analyze emotions in stories, storytelling across media, and discover how these skills translate into real-world professional contexts – from advertising and politics to healthcare, entertainment, social impact, education, and digital media, and with organizations and industries across the board.
“Companies like Microsoft have had positions of ‘chief storyteller’ for years,” she noted. “Storytelling is now frequently listed as a desired skill in job postings. Communication leaders are recognizing that effective storytelling is essential to communication success.”
One of the most powerful byproducts of the course has been the unusually high level of student engagement – something Ross Altarac has rarely seen in either an online or on-ground environment. The class begins with an assignment called Humans of Storytelling 615, modeled after the popular Humans of New York series, where everyday New Yorkers have a platform to tell their stories.
“Our Humans of Storytelling 615, which refers to the course number of the JHU course, gives students a way to share their stories,” Ross Altarac said. “Their backstories are incredible and affirm each student’s path to Hopkins and the experiences that shape them as humans. From this very first assignment, they connect and learn about each other on a very different level. It creates an open space to share that you don’t see in other classes. There is a unique kinship that develops from the vulnerability of sharing your story and being moved by someone else’s.”
Students conclude the course with a multi-media storytelling portfolio that brings together stories they have created for their selected organization, brand, or social cause, along with a personal story. Together, these pieces demonstrate their growing mastery of the craft. “My students get to say, ‘Yes, I’m a storyteller,’ and mean it – because they’ve learned the craft and seen how their stories come to life for an audience.”
“Dr. Ross Altarac’s storytelling insights have been living rent-free in my head, and I find myself analyzing every story through the lens that she taught us,” said student Spooner Lau, who was among many students who provided positive feedback and praised the practical value of the course. “If incoming students can take only one class that transforms how they see communication and teaches them to find the human truth in every story, it should be this one.”
“We have seen this class build students’ confidence, connection, and community,” Ross Altarac added. “They leave knowing that purposeful, ethical stories can truly change hearts and minds – and that mastering storytelling can elevate their professional work and advance their careers.”