Marketing Communications FAQs
(News/Information and Strategic Communications FAQS coming.)

For more information about Marketing Communications, visit our blog at kumarcomm.wordpress.com.

How long will it take to graduate?
If you take three credit hours per semester, it will take four years of year-round attendance to graduate.

Can I take more than one class per semester?
That’s up to you and your work schedule, as well as other obligations. Most Marketing Communications students take one course per semester. A few take two. In recent years, the typical student averages 4.3 credit hours per semester.

FYI: Classes in the summer run for eigh weeks, two nights per week. Most Marketing Communications students find it difficult to commit the time for four nights per week.

Who will help me with my course plan?
Associate Professor Tom Volek is the Interim Graduate Director. He will help you determine how this course of study can best accomplish your educational and professional goals. He also can provide information about course scheduling, about your thesis/project and how to put your committee together. In addition, you should seek advice from the faculty members teaching your classes and serving on your thesis/project committees.

Cindy Nesvarba is the Graduate Records Coordinator. She serves all graduate students as the “technical” adviser: what counts, hours left to complete, courses needed, etc. She is available by phone and email and she visits the KUEC campus several times a year for student appointments. Cindy also advises students on the admission and enrollment processes and on submitting the thesis/project.

Can I attend classes full-time?
Most students attend part-time. A full-time enrollment for graduate students is nine credit hours, which, for most working professionals, is not an option.

Tell me about the faculty.
Faculty members of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications teach all classes. This faculty is known for its dedication to teaching, for its focus on professional accomplishment and for its pioneering work in curriculum development to prepare students for multimedia workplaces.

FYI: You can view faculty member biographies here.

Who is teaching which class?
The teaching schedule changes each semester. You can see faculty assignments at the time enrollment begins. The online timetable is usually posted the week of fall break in October and spring break in March. The School offers two to four classes each semester at KUEC currently. The summer schedule is posted in March

FYI: Certain graduate classes have limited enrollment. We strongly encourage you to enroll as soon as enrollment begins to secure your choice of class or section.

What do I get out of the graduate degree in Marketing Communications?
Marketing Communications serves media, corporate and non-profit professionals who plan careers in media marketing and management. It combines the specialties of mass communications, marketing and management. In addition, it offers students specific skill sets: writing, finance and technology.

Here is what a former student said about the M.S. in Marketing Communications:
"The coursework was directly applicable to the current challenges and competitive forces we face as marketers. The program opened my eyes to consider the 'big picture' and taught me the strategic skills and planning processes needed to make an impact." — Tonya Mangels, Class of 2001, Fall, Pizza Hut Inc., Marketing & Sales Leader