Academic Partnership Lets Students Earn Bachelor’s/Master’s in Communications in Five Years

Assumption Business Studies and English departments and Regis College have established an innovative collaboration designed to make higher education more enriching and affordable for students pursuing advanced degrees in the competitive field of communications.

The agreement between the two schools allows qualified Assumption students—majoring in organizational communication, marketing, and writing and mass communications—preferred admission into the Master of Science in Organizational and Professional Communication degree program at Regis as well as the opportunity to complete a master’s degree in one year. With an estimated savings of $4,200, the agreement with Regis makes a master’s degree more accessible for qualified students, who will not only save money but also pursue an accelerated course of study. Holding a graduate degree could give them an advantage when searching for employment.

“This articulation agreement provides a seamless and economically feasible pathway for Assumption graduates with majors in organizational communication and marketing to obtain their master’s degrees in their undergraduate specializations,” said Assumption Business Studies Professor Arlene DeWitt. “Professional written and verbal communication skills are universally valued by corporate, non-profit, government and entrepreneurial organizations. Employers tell us that these highly transferable communication competencies are the number-one skill they are seeking in new hires.”

Said Professor Becky DiBiasio, Ph.D., chair of Assumption’s English Department: “Earning a graduate degree may seem daunting to undergraduates, because it usually requires two more years of college and extra tuition. As such, we are pleased to offer Assumption undergraduates an opportunity to shave off a year of graduate school in an exceptional program at an institution with a mission similar to Assumption.”

“This agreement truly fosters a spirit of cooperation between our two educational institutions with Catholic traditions and a similar liberal arts focus,” said Colleen Malachowski, Ph.D., assistant professor of communications and graduate program director at Regis.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the public relations field is projected to grow 12 percent from 2012 to 2022. Advanced communications professionals are needed in all specialty areas—not limited only to public relations but also including journalism, editorial, strategic communication, media relations, crisis management, government relations and marketing. A graduate-level education in communications prepares students to be leaders in their chosen discipline.

Earlier this year, Assumption and Regis announced that qualified Assumption students may receive credit toward a Master of Arts degree in Heritage Studies from Regis for up to two qualifying undergraduate history courses at Assumption.

Assumption offers over a dozen similar articulation agreements with other degree programs at colleges and universities across the country. These agreements, with respected institutions of higher learning such as the University of Notre Dame and Duke University, offer students numerous opportunities for guaranteed admission and/or accelerated degrees or intensive study.