Certificate in (Business) Communications

Hi everyone, I'm glad I found this forum, and thanks for activating my account, Bruce!

I am looking for DL certificate programs in Communications, Business Communications, Public Relations, Management&Leadership and the like.

I have a Master's Degree in Applied Linguistics/TESOL from an American on-campus program and I am working on my Ph.D. dissertation in Linguistics from my (non-US) home university. A certificate would allow me to work in language-related fields in corporate rather than academic contexts - something I would like to do for a while to earn some good money.

I am looking for a distance program at a well-respected university. It does not have to be Ivy, but neither should the university be entirely unknown. I am considering the following programs:


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Penn State - Certificate in Organizational Leadership (12 cr)

Good
+ Penn State has a very good name
+ The courses are credit classes
+ WorldCampus certificates/transcripts are indistinguishable from on-campus programs

Bad
- expensive at > $5000 for only 12 credits
- certificates at other universities have more classes/variety


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The University of Minnesota - Applied Busines Communications and Leadership (18 cr)

Good
+ Great school
+ Sounds like a fitting, well-structured program
+ More credits than PSU for virtually the same price
+ College credit

Bad
- Good offer but still pricey
- I don't know what certificates from UM say


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LSU - Business Communications Certificate (15 cr)

Good
+ Excellent tuition rates
+ College credit
+ "Friendliest" impression of all schools considered

Bad
- LSU is not as hot a school as PSU and UM
- Lower division classes. Program is aimed at people w/o a degree

I am also considering a non-credit certificate from eCornell. This would be Cornell, but will anyone take this seriously or would a potential employer rather think that I am trying to put Ivy on my resume?

Another option would be the excecutive certificate from Notre Dame. I would just love to have some kind of diploma from the Fighting Irish, but of all programs this sounds like the most like a "Pay for a big name" program. I want a good name, but primarily I want to learn.


Sorry for the lengthy post. *Any* thoughts, comments, suggestions, experiences about these programs will be greatly appreciated. I will also be most grateful for any pointer to other relevant programs. No DL-only schools please.

 

How important is the difference between a credential representing graduate credits, undergraduate credits, or non-degree-level continuing education credits?

Granting that your main motivation is to extend your credentials from the academy into the corporate world, since this is maybe the most obvious difference between the levels, here goes: with enough good graduate credits in a subject, a student can meet minimum baseline requirements to teach that subject at the undergraduate level; 18 graduate semester hours is a common minimum bar for accredited schools in the U.S., so with 18 graduate semester hours in a subject, or a start you could build up to 18 in total, you would have that option. You very likely wouldn't be able to teach that subject alone on a full-time appointment, but might have opportunities like online adjuncting, or to combine that or those subjects in the future with a primary teaching focus in linguistics from your M.A. and Ph.D.

 

No problem!

You've obviously done your research, and have found some excellent programs. It seems like you're only interested in B&M (brick and mortar) schools with distance learning programs? Nothing at all wrong with that, but there are some programs offered by strictly (or mostly) DL schools also.

 

There is the Certificate in Public Relations at Marylhurst University...

...and at ,

UC Berkely, which has an online Marketing Certificate with PR courses,

UMass, which has an online Journalism Certificate,

Rochester Institute of Technology's Professional Certificate in Public Relations,

Rowan University's graduate certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications,

If a Canadian school suits your needs, there is the University of Victoria's Public Relations certificate.

The University of Buffalo's Public Relations/Advertising Certificate program.

 

University of Calgary's Public Relations Management Certificate


Southern New Hampshire University has the online Integrated Marketing Communications Graduate Certificate.

 

Thanks for your replies, everyone, I appreciate it.

Jonathan:

I was aiming at upper division undergrad, simply because they are cheaper than graduate credits and will still give me what I need. On the other hand, if I ever want to get a master's degree in that field graduate credits would save me more in the long term. The teaching is a good aspect, too. I will have to think about that a little more.

Bruce:

I know there are some great full DL schools out there, and there is really not much reason behind my decision against them. I am European and I am fascinated by many aspects of American college culture. I have an M.A. from Portland State, which, especially considering its young age, is a great school and has always been a good place for me. However, Portland is full of people from rural Oregon and the Midwest who don't want to have anything to do with traditional college life like football and such. So, for me it would be nice to be part of something more traditional - even if I see my campus only when I visit to watch a game and take pictures...

TCord1964:

Woah, thanks! These are some great tips, and I will definitely do more research on some of these schools (especially RIT and SNHU).

Does anyone know how the UMass Amherst online certificates look like? I wouldn't mind them saying "online" but "outreach" would be a no-way for me. The same goes for "extension" which I why I wouldn't want to get a certificate from any US school.

 

Weird...sometimes I can edit my posts and sometimes I can't. Anyways, the last sentence in my last post is supposed to say "UC" (as in University of California) not "US."

Right now, UMN and RIT are my favorites. But I also thought more about Jonathan's comment, and maybe graduate credits would be better. I may want to get a master's in the field one day (such as the one Gonzage offers http://www.gonzagaonline.com/online_COML.asp) and would be able to transfer some of the credits in.

Again, if anyone has attended one of the schools on my list, I'd be grateful for any input. I know there are some PSU World Campus students here, maybe someone even took the Organizational Communications certificate?




Edit: Ah! Seems like one can edit their posts only for a limited time after posting...

 

Jan,

I've been thinking about doing a Cornell certificate when my MBA is finished, primarily to get a strong US name on my CV. (I am a Brit working for an American multi-national). I don't have time to find the thread (Ted?!) but these courses were discussed previously and somebody posted this useful comment below in italics which I kept.

Here is another (Kelley) that caught my eye:

http://kd.iu.edu/programs/certificates/smc/overview.htm

All the best,

Dave C.

An ECornell course is in my opinion, a very well thought out and created course and is of high quality. It requires online class participation and case studies that are usually chosen by the students with guidance from the instructor. There are timebound assignments that must also be completed by due dates and also the required participation and involvment within the exercises is monitored to fullfill course completion.
I thoroughly enjoyed the courses I have taken through them and it is an additional credential that enhances one's skillset.

The course is active for I believe 6 weeks, however, the required course participation is usually completed within the first 2-3 weeks. From my experience, a course can be completed in within 20 hours of active study.

 

I attend RIT mostly as a ground student but have taken a few online courses during my degree plan. They use the Desire2Learn suite for their LMS and it is branded as myCourses within RIT.

RIT is a great regional school with a goal to grow into a nationally recognized/ranked University. I think you would have a good experience their.

 

I thought I'd toss in my .02.

First, LSU is a big name school depending upon where you are. Trust me when I say this, a BS from LSU will get you further in Shreveport than a BS from Penn State regardless of Penn's reputation. There are a ton of LSU alumni in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and surrounding states. And of course just like Penn State, LSU is a household name. So I guess it depends on location.

I researched the Ivy offerings and Notre Dame and have written about them quite a lot at one point, even going so far as to interview some of the admissions people. The offerings are actually taught by a 3rd party, like Thomson-Prometric or some such, they are generally ACE reviewed and you can receive college credit for the programs, however they are professional development programs and not an academic program such as a 15 credit hour certificate would be. As such in my view they carry less weight as they actually require less.

 

Thanks for your input, guys!

Dave, I have heard only good things about the eCornell programs, so if I weren't looking for college credits I would definitely consider their programs. The Kelley School would be an excellent choice, too, of course. Unfortunately, their certificate is half the price of a Master's Degree in Leadership from Gonzaga...

Same goes for RIT. It's still on my list because, as cklapka says, it just seems like an excellent school, and where else to take online classes from than an institute of technology. I am just not sure if I want to pay their 8000 something dollars in tuition.

Very true. Plus, the only thing that is relevant for most people is the quality of instruction and that a school is known and respected. Both is the case for LSU, and from my communication with that school I have a much more positive impression than let's say, Florida, a school that somehow seems not able to communicate with their prospective students.

Well, kind of. World Campus is hosted at University Park, as far as I know. So I assume the professors teaching the WC classes also teach at UP. But if a course is well taught, I do not care much about which campus my professor is from. I live in Portland, OR, so I will hardly be able to convince my future employer that I actually went to Baton Rouge or University Park...

 

Too bad, you'd love Baton Rouge.

 

I honestly don't think this matters much anymore, except to a few employers who fail to realize that we now live in a global economy. Borders don't matter much anymore when it comes to doing business, and I think that employers are coming around to the fact that they don't matter much when it comes to education, either.

One day, out of the blue, my employer (who, as far as I know, doesn't know I frequent DL boards or write a DL blog), said to me "you know what the best thing going right now is? Distance education. The fact that someone can take courses from another state or another country without leaving home and earn a degree online is just fantastic." I know his view isn't universally embraced by all employers, but I think over time more will come to realize an employee who has bothered to upgrade their skills, whether it be at the local university or online, is a valuable asset.