Southern Utah University
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Majors & Programs of Study

Master of Arts in Professional Communication

The SUU Master of Arts in Professional Communication is designed to provide graduate education for people seeking careers, promotions or increased competence in communication industries — including those driven by new technologies. As an applied professional degree, it is sufficiently broad-based to span a variety of occupational pursuits. It extends SUU’s top quality baccalaureate program in Communication to the managerial level by focusing on career competencies and applied research capabilities. This is a practice-oriented, applied degree, intended for individuals already working or planning to work in communication fields. Required courses include seminars in communication and media theory, applied research, professional writing, training and consulting, communication ethics, and current issues in communication. In addition to doctoral education, our faculty has decades of professional experience working as business/industry consultants, marketing professionals, sales directors and executives, talent for media outlets, media managers and media owners, event promotion specialists, and public relations practitioners.

POINTS of DISTINCTION

  • Because we offer 3 different capstone experiences we better direct students into a post-graduation career path by offering real world internships and assistantships that give them actual resume building content. Our students have worked in places as diverse as the U.S. Embassy in Brazil and in the head office of the social media department for a 13 million member worldwide organization.
  • We have a specific focus to develop stronger presentational and oral communication skills, a commonly reported skill missing in today’s graduates and workforce. Not only can they learn to manage an image via social media, but they can learn to be as effective in a face-to-face meeting with clients or constituents.
  • While we prefer face-to-face instruction to provide that intimate educational setting that makes grad school such a rich experience, students can complete the entire degree online providing educational opportunities for any student’s schedule or location.

POSSIBLE CAREERS

Advertising & Public Relations, Government, Audience Research, Event Planning & Management, Sales, Marketing Promotion, Family Communication, Health Communication, Training, Consulting, Human Resource Development, Technical Writing and Preparation for doctoral studies.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES

Assistantships, internships and scholarships, Lambda Pi Eta, National Honor Society in Communication, and the campus Speech and Presentation Center.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

  • Participation in Utah City Managers Association events
  • Pi Alpha Alpha the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration
  • Student research
  • Professional Internships

CONTACT INFORMATION

Alumni Spotlight

Name: Robert De Poe

Graduated: Class of 2008

Current job: Indian Self Determination Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs

"The Master of Arts in Professional Communication degree at SUU gave me the credentials to progress as a professional and opened up many opportunities. My greatest experience in the program was mingling and sitting next to other people that were not only students but actual professionals working in a variety of fields. Learning and forging relationships with these outstanding individuals changed the way I do business.

I enjoyed the flexibility of the program and the opportunity to work on projects that I felt would best help me expand my knowledge and experience. I didn’t want my capstone project to be a piece of work that sat on a self and collected dust but I wanted to do something that would make a difference. The professors that I worked with guided me and let me develop the project that I wanted to do. My project is still being used today."

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