<p>I am certainly looking into Graduate programs in the PR/Comm/Media industry. I am getting ready to graduate with an undergrad in English and here is what I am working with. </p>
<p>-Major GPA:3.77
-Overall GPA:3.45
-Two Campus jobs since in college. (Department Office Assistant and Book Store)
-Multiple summer jobs (one was a learning externship)
-Research Experience (Research Assistant)
-One Year of ROTC
-Undergraduate full ride scholarship receiver
-Multiple Dean's List recipient
(2 clubs/organizations that I am a part of and pay dues too, but do not go to many meetings due to schedule). </p>
<p>I have recently applied to DePaul in Chicago, Columbia Chicago, and UW-Milwaukee. (I am from this area per say). Do you think I have a chance of getting into these? (They did not require the GRE)</p>
<p>If so, do you think that I could even try for more competitive schools? (If this is the case, I will work as an intern for a year or maybe find a job to save money and take the gre; a lot of deadlines for schools like Boston Uni, NYU, Brown deadlines have passed so I would have to try for next year. (I name these because this is what I meant by more competitive, and are just some schools I was interested in).</p>
<p>I really hope someone can help calm my soon to be in the real world soul :) with a little advice and personal experience.</p>
<p>Perhaps you should speak with hiring professionals in the PR/Comm field and see how much they (i.e. employers) value a grad degree in that field. With journalism collapsing, there seems to be a flood of PR/Comm/media people in the market. I would think that scrapping to get a great internship/job experience will be immensely more valuable than another few years in the cloister of Grad school. I would imagine that many people in the programs are already working in the field and hoping to shore up their resumes, not people getting degrees hoping to eventually land a job in the field.</p>
<p>I say to spk w/hiring managers b/c they have real world, real time perspectives – unlike an admissions office who just wants you to enroll.</p>
<p>Some fields value real experience more than grad degrees. I think PR/Comm might be one of them. Good luck</p>
<p>Well contrary to what some believe is important, I find a MA to be something I want to seek. Not only do I want to work in that field, I plan on getting a Phd later on. (And yes I know jobs in higher education are limited as well). And I have spoken to professional’s in those fields and while a English degree is good they all say it will not get my feet in the door in that field. </p>
<p>As for Northwestern, they don’t have a MA in the direction I’m trying to go just a PhD. I looked into it :)</p>
<p>Mona: I’m just offering advice. Among college grads is sometimes the knee-jerk reaction to go to grad school rather than face the hurricane of a tight job mkt. I clearly suggested to spk to hiring managers if it fit your case. Since it doesn’t, fine. But you can certainly understand why I posed the “maybe not go to grad school” advice.</p>
<p>O I certainly understand your point, and appreciate your post. But I’m not seeking a master’s as a way to avoid work or because I do not feel there are jobs out there. Like I stated earlier if I can go I want to go.</p>