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Communication, B.A./M.A. (4+1 year)

Program Description

The 4+1 year BA-MA program builds on our successful undergraduate major and our 20-plus years of graduate education to provide students with advanced training in professional and business communication, leading to the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication.

The Communication major blends theory with practice, built on a liberal arts education and supplemented with experiential learning opportunities within and outside the classroom. This approach is captured in our program motto: Think. Do.

The 4+1 year program allows students to dive deeper into communication issues, research, and contexts, and to apply that understanding to organizational contexts. Students are also able to earn graduate credit for internships.

Regardless of which concentration students pursued at the Bachelor's level, students can take graduate courses during their undergraduate career, thus enabling them to finish the M.A. with just one additional year of school.

Students then can pursue tracks in Advertising, Interpersonal Communication, Media and Journalism, Public Relations and Sports Communication. These concentrations provide the communication knowledge and skills needed for meaningful personal, professional, and social relationships.

The major seeks to develop graduates who engage in informed civic participation and progressive leadership in professional and community settings. This goal reflects the Lasallian tradition of providing a practical education in the service of the greater good.

Why Take This Major?

In addition to the various reasons for pursuing a Communication major, the 4+1 year BA/MA in Strategic Communication offers the following advantages:

  • On average, people with a graduate communication degree start at salaries that are considerably higher than those with just a Bachelor's degree.
  • The unemployment rate for people with a graduate communication degree is half of that for those with just a communication BA.
  • Ninety-four percent of La Salle's One-Year MA graduates landed advanced jobs in the field soon after graduation.

In addition to those career benefits, there are some advantages for staying in school for a fifth year:

  • BA/MA students are eligible for program scholarships
  • BA/MA students will be able to earn an advanced degree after just 5 years of college
  • BA/MA students will be able to take graduate courses during their undergraduate experience
  • BA/MA students will continue to be eligible for financial aid their 5th year