This year, the West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism’s online master’s program in integrated marketing communications (IMC) is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The first online IMC program in the nation, the WVU IMC program has seen significant growth and continued innovation throughout the last 10 years.
The WVU IMC graduate program began in 2001 as a 15-credit hour certificate program. The full 39-credit hour master’s degree program officially launched in the fall of 2003 with 17 students in its first class. Just three years later, in 2006, the program exceeded 100 students. Today, the IMC program has more than 400 students enrolled from 41 states and five foreign countries, as well as more than 500 graduates representing 46 states and countries on five of the seven continents.
“The growth of the IMC program is a reflection of the excellent curriculum, faculty and administration,” says school of journalism Dean Maryanne Reed. “We have become a national leader in quality online graduate programming, and our pioneering efforts are a model for competitors in the field.”
As other universities launch online programs, WVU IMC is proud of its history and how far it has come since its inaugural class of 17.
“In the online program space, the WVU IMC program is a seasoned veteran,” says Chad Mezera, online programs director at the P.I. Reed School of Journalism. “But the trick to our success is that we don’t take that for granted. We’re still constantly thinking about what’s around the corner, what we can do better and how we can best update, and add to, our curriculum to make sure we’re offering the most relevant master’s degree for communications professionals.”
While the growth of student enrollment is certainly a strong benchmark, the IMC program is equally proud of other milestones, including the addition of flexible electives – now totaling 20; the launch of a graduate certificate in digital marketing communications (DMC); the recruitment of expert faculty – now totaling 59 – from across the country; the launch of an online professional development series; and the continued growth and success of the program’s annual INTEGRATE conference.
You can access a special 10-year anniversary website page at http://imc.wvu.edu/community/10th-anniversary.
