Communications Innovation M.S.
Robert Regan, Program Director rregan@ithaca.edu
At Ithaca College, we’re helping accomplished professionals and high-potential leaders get ahead of the communications curve with a blended learning two-year master's of science degree in Communications Innovation.
The Roy H. Park School of Communications' asynchronous courses allow you to collaborate with other professionals and professors online while maintaining your full-time job. While the majority of this executive-style program is delivered online, students will also participate in a several intensive on site classes, held over long weekends at various locations throughout the world.
The curriculum provides a foundation in media economics, systems modeling, human perception, storytelling, consumer behavior, research methods, product/interface design, global leadership, and relevant legal and ethical issues. The courses are a platform for engaging in problem-based learning, stimulating original ways of thinking, and promoting new connections across nations, technologies, platforms, industries, and constituencies.
This highly collaborative coursework culminates in a capstone research and development project that provides immediate value to the graduate cohort and their employers. Students graduate from the program with a fully researched business plan, and are ready to introduce new entrepreneurial visions into the world.
Program Time Frame
It is expected that all students will be enrolled full-time and complete the program in 24 months.
Admissions Requirements
To be eligible for the master’s in Communications Innovation students must meet the following qualifications;
- Have an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or equivalent from an international college or university (applications are reviewed on an individual basis and GPA is reviewed in conjunction with all other aspects of the application).
- Have five or more years of professional work experience or equivalent expertise.
- Complete the Ithaca College application form, and submit a current resume with a nonrefundable application fee.
- Arrange for two letters of recommendations to be submitted from the applicant’s immediate supervisor and/or an individual qualified to assess the applicant’s ability to pursue an executive graduate degree.
- Arrange for official sealed transcripts from all institutions of higher education that the applicant has attended to be sent directly to the Ithaca College Office of Admissions, which includes a full transcript for the required bachelor’s degree and any other degrees earned or coursed taken.
- Participate in a required interview (in person or via teleconference) with the Program Director.
- Demonstrate English language proficiency (for non-native English speakers) by submitting official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 114 (Internet-based test) or equivalent.
- Maintain an up-to-date passport for international travel.
Academic Policies
Students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and may not earn less than a grade of B in 10 or more credits. Any documented pattern of unprofessional behavior will be addressed by the Director and may be subject to dismissal from the program.
Graduate Assistantships
Students enrolled in the blended distance education program are not eligible for graduate assistantships.
Academic Advising
The Director of the M.S. in Communications Innovations serves as the academic adviser for all students, and oversees the capstone research and development project, which culminates in a final presentation in Ithaca.
Degree Requirements
Students complete 32 credits over a two-year period and graduate with a master’s of science in Communications Innovation.
Most courses are offered in a highly collaborative, asynchronous online environment, allowing students to interact with peers, professors, and the course material in a convenient setting. Typically, students take one course at a time over a five-week period, and the degree culminates in a final research and development project.
The blended learning program begins and ends with a three-day on site intensive class in Ithaca, New York, each August, providing a welcome and introduction for new students and an opportunity for graduating students to present their research and development projects to the entire student and faculty community.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EXCO 50000 | Innovation and Collaboration | 3 |
| EXCO 60000 | Emerging Media: Principles and Theories | 1 |
| EXCO 60100 | Interaction and Interface Design | 1 |
| EXCO 60200 | Transmedia Storytelling | 1 |
| EXCO 60300 | Ethics of the Media | 1 |
| EXCO 60400 | Government Regulation of Communications | 1 |
| EXCO 60500 | Intellectual Property and Business Contracts | 1 |
| EXCO 60600 | Audience Research Tools and Sources | 1 |
| EXCO 60700 | Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis and Decision-Making | 1 |
| EXCO 60800 | Consumer Behavior: Theory and Application | 1 |
| EXCO 60900 | Communication Economics and Entrepreneurship | 2 |
| EXCO 61000 | Communication Theory for Global Leadership and Product Development | 2 |
| EXCO 61101-EXCO 61199 | Selected Topics in Communications Innovation (2-3 credits) 1 | 10 |
| EXCO 61200 | Research and Development Project I | 3 |
| EXCO 61300 | Research and Development Project II | 3 |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
| 1 | 10 credits total required |