UNM's newest online program targets accelerated degree completion

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Aug. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of New Mexico launched its fully online bachelor's degree in strategic communication on August 20, 2018 – but interested students can still enter the program in mid-October when the Fall semester's second half begins.

"This managed online program allows students to take 12 eight-week courses in a little more than a year," said David Weiss, chair of UNM's Communication and Journalism Department. "The program is designed for people who are busy, but still want to finish their education or branch out in their career."

The program covers media theory, history, law, and ethics while maintaining a clear focus on development of job skills for strategic communication fields. Its design also allows entering students to acquire additional core education credits online if they do not have the requisite 60 lower-division course hours to enter the major immediately.

C&J Associate Professor Judith McIntosh White, who helped create the new program and who has taught at one of the Historically Black Colleges, added that the UNM program brings unique institutional strengths to serving targeted populations, including Hispanic/Latino and Native American students, as well as military personnel. The University of New Mexico is one of a handful of federally recognized Hispanic-serving institutions, with a student body in which over 50 percent represent underserved populations and has been recognized among the most veteran-friendly U.S. campuses.

"I see our program as fitting the needs of Hispanic/Latino and Native men and women who want to finish their BA's or get a boost for career transitions," she said. "At the same time, the program is well suited to the needs of veterans and military dependents. Military life often involves many moves or deployments which may interrupt pursuit of a traditional college education. Our program bridges that gap."

UNM's Communication & Journalism Department has offered a face-to-face strategic communication program for more than seven years; before that, the Department taught campus based public relations and advertising courses for over two decades. Success stories from the face-to-face strategic communication program include placement of students with NASA, in public relations and advertising agencies, at institutions such as UNM athletics, and in graduate and professional programs.

"Our online program will strive to mirror the success of the F2F version," White said.

For more information, contact program faculty adviser Dr. Judith White at 505-264-8382, stratcommonline@unm.edu or visit the program website

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SOURCE University of New Mexico