Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Degree Program
The Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s (ABM) degree program offered through the Department of Communication Arts is a rigorous and streamlined program that enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts and a Master of Arts in Communication Arts degree in as few as five years.
Why an Accelerated Degree Program?
Students can complete two degrees in 143 hours (113 undergrad + 30 grad) rather than the 156 (120 undergrad + 36 grad) required of a traditional consecutive undergraduate and graduate program. An accelerated program results in a lower cost as well as time savings for students because they may take up to 9 hours of graduate courses in their fourth year as part of the banded tuition. Students may declare the ABM in Communication Arts as their major as early as their first semester at UIW. They can switch into the ABM program at any point before their senior year begins. To remain in the program and move into the graduate-level portion, students must maintain the required GPA set by the Communication Arts program.
Qualifying students can apply for the program and indicate their choice of one of three concentrations:
In the Media and Culture Concentration, students explore the study of media and its applications throughout communities, the country and the world. Its historical, cultural and intellectual impacts are emphasized, as is the media’s relationship to technology and society. In their senior year, ABM students begin their first graduate-level courses, earning credits toward their master’s degree as they complete their bachelor’s. In their fifth year, students continue their study with exclusively graduate-level courses in research methods, practicum and the capstone or thesis course, in addition to electives.
Designed for students hoping to pursue careers in media, the Multimedia Concentration offers three tracks through which they may tailor their studies. Each track offers courses that sharpen practical and technical skills while also emphasizing production and media theory. Students will also work and build from a strong ethical foundation and approach to media production and presentation. In their senior year, ABM students begin their first graduate-level courses, earning credits toward their master’s degree as they complete their bachelor’s. In their fifth year, students continue their study with exclusively graduate-level courses in research methods, practicum and the capstone or thesis course, in addition to two electives related to their preferred multimedia specialization track.
In this program of study, students will explore persuasive, purposeful and results-oriented communications such as public relations, organizational communication, strategic communications and elements of production. The Strategic and Corporate Communication concentration provides students with an in-depth knowledge of the corporate environment. Students will study and analyze organizational dynamics and corporate communication. In their senior year, ABM students begin their first graduate-level courses, earning credits toward their master’s degree as they complete their bachelor’s. In their fifth year, students continue their study with exclusively graduate-level courses in research methods, practicum and the capstone or thesis course, in addition to strategic and corporate communications electives.
Careers in Communication Arts
The ABM prepares students for a multitude of careers across industries. Graduates of the UIW Communication Arts programs have gone on to work in a variety of roles, include journalists, producers, on-air talent, media relations professionals and organizational spokespersons, just to name a few. Advanced study further sharpens students’ skills and deepens their understanding of their responsibilities and role as professional communicators, readying them for more senior positions when they enter the workforce.
Admission Criteria
Find out more about requirements, standards and processes to begin your journey in the School of Media and Design as a Communications Arts graduate student.