Overview
Point Park's Vision Includes Excellence as a Private, Urban University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Point Park University is in the process of becoming one of the most dynamic, private, urban universities in the United States. Due to its location in and close connections to the city of Pittsburgh, the university and its students are tapping into the extensive resources available in Pennsylvania's second-largest city. To help capitalize on the opportunities present by its urban setting, Point Park has established an academic village, featuring career-driven education, in the downtown district.
Pittsburgh is a city of riverfronts and hillsides, yet it is also a place for dining, shopping, culture, and sports. Students can cheer on the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, and other teams since Pittsburgh has sports teams for every type of fan. Students can easily walk from campus to see theater, opera, movies, plays, and symphonies. Point State Park, just a quarter-mile from campus, offers outdoor recreation, such as cycling and in-line skating at the place where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to create the Ohio River.
With the Carnegie Science Center and Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, Pittsburgh is a cultural center in Pennsylvania. Students also find Pittsburgh to be a business hub with Fortune 500 companies, businesses of all sizes, and growing industries. Point Park University researchers can look to their own impressive library or turn to collections in other universities in the area. When students want to venture outside the city, Pennsylvania accommodates them with Revolutionary and Civil War sites, the Gettysburg Arts Festival, covered bridges, wineries, dips into Amish culture, and much more.
Faculty Industry Experience in the Mass Communication Professions Benefits Students and Helps with Internships
Point Park graduate students receive theory-based education hand-in-hand with practical experience. Students working toward a master's degree in journalism and mass communication receive both hands-on and theoretical knowledge through instructional time with experienced instructors who share their industry experience with them, and through internships. Students seeking their graduate degrees in this program have advantageous access to adjunct professors who also are professionals currently working at major newspapers and magazines, network-affiliated broadcasters, and major advertising and public relations agencies.
This faculty industry experience allows those earning their Master of Arts to be practically and theoretically prepared with advanced and real-life knowledge for positions in their field. Both departmental and adjunct faculty members teaching graduate students have recent or current industry experience in the mass communication professions. In addition to the faculty's experience, most professors hold at least a master's degree in journalism, mass communication, or a related field.
Graduate students are exposed to extensive networking opportunities during their studies. Valuable internships are available within the Pittsburgh area with newspapers, television and radio stations, advertising agencies, and other organizations. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication sponsors guest speakers from major newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, advertising firms, and public relations agencies, and students, in turn, visit these media-related businesses. Just as students at Point Park broaden their skills and experience with career-related internships, some students use internships as tools to broaden their horizons and find new opportunities.
The Excellent Education and Healthy Alumni Relations Help Maintain Strong Job Placement Success
The Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication is designed for the career-oriented student. Students customize their degrees by choosing from courses in print journalism, broadcast journalism, broadcast production, public relations, advertising, photojournalism, and new media. Students with a related undergraduate degree will not be repeating courses of study due to the quantity of specialized and advanced courses that are available. A thesis is optional in Point Park's M.A. program.
Modern facilities at the university ensure graduate students understand the latest technological aspects of their fields. One of Pennsylvania's most progressive production facilities is located on campus, and the university has an award-winning, student-operated radio station. The university is located within ten minutes of multiple television stations where alumni work. Broadcasting internships that assist with future job placement are available at the radio and television stations and production houses in the Pittsburgh area.
Almost all students in the program are working professionals. Many work locally in broadcasting, journalism, and other mass communication professions and are in the process of gaining new skills and knowledge in their fields. The students' professional expertise, when coupled with the current or recent work experience of the department's faculty members, provides the M.A. program's students with unique opportunities to deepen their knowledge, develop further insights, and build networks within the industry. In addition, the department and its alumni relations provide a rich resource for graduate students looking internships or part- and full-time job placement in the mass communications field. The university's Career Services office offers counseling, seminars, resume reviews, and more to students and recently graduated alumni.
