Answering the demand for multifaceted communication professionals, DePaul University is implementing a master of arts degree program in advertising and public relations through its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S) beginning in the Fall 2002 quarter.

The new program is the second graduate degree program to be added to the DePaul’s College of LA&S’ department of communication, which began offering a master of arts program in corporate and multicultural communication in 1994.

According to Timothy Cole, acting director of the program and associate professor of communication, the department began taking applications in January, and has received wide interest among DePaul’s undergraduate students as well as the broader graduate school market that looks for communication programs suited to its diverse needs.

“Our pre-existing graduate program draws heavily from those employed in the business sector,” explained Cole. “However, we expect our new program to attract DePaul undergraduate students who have majored in communication and related fields, and have a strong interest in journalism, advertising and public relations.”

DePaul’s master’s program in advertising and public relations is designed to create a highly marketable profile for students, as it not only provides them the opportunity for advanced study of advertising and public relations but supplements that training with specialized offerings.

“Our survey of current job descriptions in the field indicated that organizations are in need of communication professionals who are able to perform a number of specialized information-delivery roles within organizations,” said Carolyn Bronstein, assistant professor of communication. “In today’s market, an individual can expect to juggle several different communication roles within a single organization, from writing advertising copy to editing corporate publications to executing a fund-raising campaign.”

To earn a degree in the program, students must complete 12, four-credit courses, six of which are in a core curriculum of courses: strategic communication, public relations, advertising, research methods for the communication specialist, media law and ethics, and a final project/examination.

“We think that our program will appeal widely to professionals in the Chicagoland area,” said Bronstein. “This is an exciting area of study, and our curricular approach will allow students to learn professional skills as well as a context for understanding the effects of advertising and public relations on our global society.”

More information about the program, along with application materials, can be found on the DePaul University communication department Web site at www.depaul.edu/~comweb/ or by calling 773/325-7587.