FIU’s Global Strategic Communications Master’s Degree from the Perspective of a Newly Enrolled Student

Florida International University (FIU) and world-renowned Miami Ad School (MAS) have come together to offer this unique graduate degree. The program offers a Masters of Science in Mass Communications. The curriculum is designed to stimulate the minds of aspiring Art Directors and Copywriters. FIU has analyzed the collaboration between the two professions. An insightful description has been posted on their School of Journalism webpage. If one of those two job titles inspires you to further your education then this arrangement of lectures, workshops, and internships can potentially change your life.

After Receiving my Bachelor’s Degree and Establishing a Career

It’s August 2016, the start of FIU’s academic fall semester. This is where I found myself after 20 years of work experience in the world of graphic design. Looking to enhance the disciplines that I have endured to perfect. The love for my trade/talent has matured.

The industry has always been evolving. Yet lately, it had been pushing me into a corner. With a strong and professional background:

• Technology and new generational trends continue to question my schooling and training.
• My boss is no longer a suitable mentor.
• My job duties have become second nature.
• The job postings that I search offer less than competitive salaries for someone with my expertise.
• Young graduates compete for my position at an entry-level salary, while employers are willing to sacrifice quality and loyalty for the sake of cutting down on their operational costs.

Those are the industry challenges and economic disparities among designers. Until the graphic design world establishes an exam that assesses the competency of entry-level designers and veterans alike, that’s just the way things are going to be.  So I figured a solution that might offset this predicament would be FIU’s creative track.

“Searching For Options Wasn’t Easy”

Aside from the challenges of returning to an academic environment, this program hinges itself on being welcoming and understanding to different student needs. It’s also assuring to know that there is a development plan available for innovative scholars right in the heart of Miami. However, I did schedule an appointment with Miami International University of Art and Design before making my final decision. Unfortunately, the school was not a good fit because it didn’t offer a masters degree in art direction. Unforgettably, the counselor that I had the interview with was called into a meeting that superseded my consultation. My appointment was cut short and my decision to attend FIU/MAS was sealed.

To help aid your decision-making process, reading their course descriptions may provide a more thorough break down of this insightful opportunity. For those of you who simply what to extend their college experience before stepping into the workforce read about my friend, Anika’s reasons for enrolling. Her story is also posted on their School of Journalism website.

Student Insight on FIU Creative Track

The creative track experience, in my opinion, put the cool back in school!

Have you ever heard of having to apply for two schools for one master’s degree?

Here’s why: picture feeding your brain exactly the way your brain is designed; MAS feeds the right (creative) side and FIU feeds the left (analytic) side. The creative track experience is just that! At FIU, classes are conducted by “professors” who are accustom to being addressed as rightfully so. At MAS, all professors have been replaced with agency professionals and are often addressed on a first name basis. Your lectures at FIU are conducted in lecture halls with state-of-the-art technology. The workshops held at MAS reflect more of an ad agency or museum-type ambiance.

At FIU you analyze, hypothesize, strategize, and investigate. While at MAS, you create, collaborate, and use your imagination. It’s just that different! The course work is very diverse, ranging from research and communications theories, to specific art direction and copywriting courses taught by top scholars and professionals in the advertising field.

Applied Research Methods in Mass Media & Creative Strategies

Currently I am enrolled in classes under the intuitive guidance of Professor Weirui Wang, and Grizelle Del Los Reyes. Professor Wang lectures me on marketing research methods. Recently, she has persuaded me to work in a group to create a SWOT analysis of the ever so popular dating app named, Tinder. While granted the permission to call her Grizelle, this dynamo of television media, has highlighted marketing strategies of the past and present.

Bringing the class right up to speed with the always-evolving Internet, Grizelle presented us with the honor of meeting Duran Inci, co-founder and COO of Optimum 7, a digital marketing and technology company. I’m not sure what to expect from such a magnificent conglomerate of people but it’s exciting, exhilarating, and full of hope for my future.  If it’s always been your dream to learn techniques of creating stories through video and motion graphics and adopting the skills needed for product creation, account planning, media, and more…then this is where you need to be.

Fast-forward to September 25, 2016 and I just handed in my, first-ever, strategically written, blog. It is loaded with buzzwords that are sure to amp up my blog’s web relevance. By cleverly adding a few web-links to my blog I hope to strengthen my blog’s authority. These concepts are fairly new to me but please visit this blog periodically to read more about my progress. You can also follow me on twitter! After entering this program I’ve been tweeting creative content and links to articles the motivate me. No kittens or dog pics here! If you’re link me, share!