In today's rapidly advancing job market, a bachelor's degree is no longer enough. Lydia Dishman of Fast Company explored how master's degrees are becoming the bachelor's degrees of the "hiring world." Dishman quotes a study from CareerBuilder that found that 27 percent of employers are requiring a master's-level education for positions that have formerly only required a bachelor's degree. Such a shift in the workplace is requiring students to pursue even more advanced education. With the job market shifting so quickly, how can students invest in a reliable degree?
Alex Goryachev of the Forbes Communication Council wrote that the key to innovation in business lies in effective communication: the ability to not only effectively strategize and solve problems but also to deliver those ideas in a clear and efficient manner. USC's online Master of Communication Management degree prepares students to excel in this evolving workplace climate by preparing them to stimulate growth in their workplace. Here is everything you need to know about this globally-recognized communication program.
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A Comprehensive Communication Degree
The Master of Communication Management program equips students with the tools necessary to navigate and succeed in the modern workplace and in any industry. With the modern work environment constantly shifting, students must have the skills to rapidly and efficiently adapt to such changes without losing momentum. Graduates must also be able to bring their own adaptive skills to the business by transforming complex concepts and predictions into a practical strategy that will keep the business ahead of its competition.
During their time in the program, students will learn where to search for data, how to collect data, and how to interpret that data and utilize it for the benefit of their organization. They will then be able to formulate persuasive arguments and strategies that rest on a foundation of reliable research, supported by their data and analysis.
Students in the online Master of Communication Management program will also be exposed to the best communication practices on both practical and theoretical levels. The program, however, does more than teach students to recite theory; it teaches students how to apply and expand on it. The communication management program teaches students how to identify objectives, and then how to apply a combination of theory, analytics, and data collection to build an effective strategy. In essence, the program teaches students how to solve problems in the workplace, and it provides them with the tools needed to do so.
In addition to building a foundation of effective communication, students will also learn crucial leadership skills, such as how to constructively delegate responsibilities and consequently build efficiency within an organization. Thanks to some ventures into social and behavioral psychology, students will also learn how to identify potentially destructive behaviors in the workplace, as well as how to intervene and solve problems related to their staff.
Finally, students of communication management will gain an education in marketing. Throughout the program, they will learn how to build and deliver a marketing communications plan that they can deliver using several channels, such as digital media, social media, and more. Students will also learn how to hone in on an organization's target audience and conduct the research necessary for understanding and tailoring campaigns toward members of that audience.
At every point in this program, students will participate in practical, experiential learning that goes beyond the virtual classroom. This type of learning prepares students to actively prepare for their future careers and imbues them with the confidence needed to effectively perform their future responsibilities.
A Gathering of Distinguished and Diverse Faculty
Professors and faculty members hail from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, and includes distinguished scholars, editors of prestigious academic journals, leaders in national and global organizations and consultants in both the private and government sectors.
Such a range of faculty allows students to experience the diversity of the communication management field and provides students with mentors that can help them reach their unique goals. Students are able to work with those who are building the field of communication management and who are capable of teaching students how to make significant contributions of their own.
Opening the Door to a Variety of Career Opportunities
The careers available to those with a Master of Communication Management degree are not limited by field. Businesses and organizations across all fields and sectors need employees with the advanced communication and data analysis skills that the program teaches.
Students who are interested in entering the business sector can find many open doors with a degree in communication management. In a business environment, graduates work with teams to identify problems in communication with employees, stakeholders, and consumers. They have the opportunity to build a business by improving its practices and solving problems that would otherwise limit company growth.
Graduates who want to put more of their creative skills to use should consider working in marketing, advertising, and public relations, all of which welcome those with a master's in communication management. Graduates in this field focus on delivering written and oral messages to a target audience. In order to build effective campaigns, communication management experts will also conduct extensive research that will allow them to understand their audience.
The flexibility of the Master of Communication Management degree allows graduates to pursue their passions and transcend the limits that other, more specialized fields create. That flexibility guarantees that a student will not waste his or her investment in a master's degree.
An advanced education in communication management prepares students to not only navigate an evolving business environment but also to forge the paths that others will follow. After completing the program, graduates will have the connections, knowledge, and skills necessary to bring innovation and efficiency to the field of their choosing. Visit USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism to learn more about the online masters in Communication Management, a program that sets the standard for communication professionals around the world.
Sources:
The Right (And Wrong) Reasons to Get a Master's in Communications
What Can You Do With a Communications Degree?
Three Reasons Why Innovation is All About Communication
How the Master's Degree Became the New Bachelor's in the Hiring World