[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/mcm_flynn_russell.jpg” caption=”Terry Flynn of McMaster Univerisity and professor and academic director Maria Russell of Syracuse University.”]Two of North America's leading universities have combined their resources to offer Canada's first jointly conferred Master of Communications Management degree program, designed specifically for working public relations professionals.

The program, the first of its kind in Canada, brings together the top professional public relations school – the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University – with one of the leading business schools in Canada – the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.

“We believe this partnership with Syracuse University puts the DeGroote School of Business on the forefront of communications management and public relations education in Canada,” said Dean Paul Bates. “This innovative and unique program will provide graduates with a distinct competitive advantage in the marketplace and rightly position the profession as a strategic management function.”

“Having created America's first executive graduate degree program in communications management in 1995, we recognized that Canadian public relations professionals had limited opportunities to pursue graduate studies,” added David Rubin, dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. “We believe that this program will be the new degree of difference in Canada.”

The program will be administered by Terry Flynn, industry professor of communications management at DeGroote – a twenty year veteran of the Canadian public relations industry and a graduate of Syracuse University's communications management program.

Recognizing the specialized needs, interest areas and professional time limitations of today's public relations practitioners, the program combines an intense and challenging educational experience with flexibility and an opportunity for students to set their own pace for acquiring their degree.

“Our objective was simple,” said Professor Maria Russell, Syracuse University's co-academic program director. “To provide Canadian public relations professionals with a unique limited residency, distance learning executive master's degree program that was developed by public relations professionals, taught by leading public relations scholars, and delivered in a format that enables the students to stay focused on their workplace commitments.”

The program is designed so that participating students can complete their degree in two years. To do so, students attend three on-site residencies per year (October, February and June) and register for two courses each term. During the week-long residencies, faculty members present an overview of their entire course and guidelines for specialized study. Upon return to their jobs, they will complete readings and assignments, meeting pre-determined deadlines, with ongoing access to professors via a dedicated web-based student portal.

“Our new Master of Communications Management degree program combines the best of graduate-level public relations education with the best of master of business administration courses to offer Canadian public relations managers a new degree of difference and a workplace competitive advantage,” says Flynn.

Graduates of the program will be awarded a joint Master of Communications Management degree from McMaster University and Syracuse University and will be eligible to participate in alumni programs and activities at each university.

Classes will begin once final approval is received from OSSGS.

More information on the program is available at http://mcm.degroote.mcmaster.ca, mcm@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ext. 23603.