MCCC President Dr. David Nixon and Siena Heights University President Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD.

MONROE, Mich. – Students at Monroe County Community College can now earn a bachelor of arts degree in professional communication from Siena Heights University right on the MCCC campus.

At a news conference in the La-Z-Boy Center April 11, MCCC President Dr. David Nixon and SHU President Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD, officially announced the launch of the new program offered through the SHU Degree Completion Center, which is located in the Life Sciences Building on the MCCC campus.

The professional communications degree meets the needs of people who are interested in or who have prior learning or work experience in a communications-related field. MCCC students can transfer up to 90 credit hours – the equivalent about three years of full-time course work – toward the 120 hours required to complete the degree. Classes are offered in the evening and in online formats.

“We are pleased to partner with Siena Heights University to offer students the opportunity to earn a four-year degree right here on our campus in a high-demand field that is broad and evolving,” Nixon said. “MCCC offers numerous pathways into a communications field through course work in journalism, radio and television broadcasting, English, graphic design, web design and development, and many more.”

“We are seeing a greater demand for communication skills in our workforce, and this opportunity provides students a seamless transition from Monroe County Community College to Siena Heights,” said President Albert. “This collaboration in professional communication is yet another fine example of the strong educational partnership we have with Monroe County Community College.”

The program of study for the professional communication degree is focused on equipping students with the oral and written communication skills to succeed in career paths such as advertising manager, sales manager, broadcast station manager, community relations director, copy writer, creative director, director of corporate communications, human resources manager, labor relations representative, marketing director, media buyer/planner, negotiator, news director, news writer, public information officer and more.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, from 2010 to 2020:

• Employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow 23 percent and will be driven by the need for organizations to maintain their public image in a high-information age and with the growth of social media.
• Employment of technical writers is expected to grow by 17 percent. Job opportunities, especially for applicants with technical skills, are expected to be good.
• The demand for broadcast news analysts will spike by 10 percent, and the employment of editors is expected to experience little or no change, while the employment of reporters and correspondents will decline moderately by 8 percent.  This job outlook is due to the consolidation of news organizations and changes in how people consume media, as well as strong pressure being placed on printed newspapers by online publications.
• Employment of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is expected to grow by 14 percent because these fields will continue to be essential for organizations as they seek to maintain and expand their share of the market.

Coursework required for this degree path includes Communication Skills for Managers, Leadership, Business Ethics, Technology and the Human Condition, and the Professional Communication Seminar-Capstone Course.

In addition, there is a professional communication degree elective requirement that enables students to focus their major on their goals and interests. 

In keeping with the mission of Siena Heights, graduates are also grounded in ethical communication skills that adapt to a variety of business situations.

According to Deb Carter, dean of SHU’s College for Professional Studies, students who complete the bachelor’s degree in professional communication are better prepared to succeed in their fields of interest because they have an enhanced ability to express themselves orally and in writing. In addition, they are able to assess leadership styles and their role in developing effective supervisor-employee relationships.

“It’s exciting that residents of Monroe County have this new option for obtaining a bachelor’s degree – in the broad and growing field of communications – without leaving home,” said Dan Shaw, MCCC assistant professor of humanities and journalism.

“While the journalism world is in transition, it certainly isn’t shrinking. Some jobs are going away as readers switch to the Internet, but others are being created. The census showed there were more journalism jobs in 2010 than in 2000, and I would expect that growth to continue.”

For more information about the Professional Communication program, please contact SHU's Monroe Center at 734-384-4133 or monroe@sienaheights.edu. Or click on the More Info button below.