From Graduate Study to Employment Advancement

1. Dr. Jim Parker Dr. Frank Parcells Master of Arts Degree in Communication Arts: All Online, Graduate Study in Corporate Communication Robin White (left) & Whitney Darden Coppinger (right) Dr. Pamela Gray From Graduate Study to Employment Advancement •Moderator: Dr. Frank E. Parcells, Professor of Communication, Austin Peay State University Participants: •Dr. Jim Parker, Assistant Professor of Communication, Austin Peay State University •Dr. Pamela J. Gray, Associate Professor of Communication, Austin Peay State University •Robin White, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Communication Arts M. A. Program, APSU •Whitney Darden Coppinger, APSU Communication Arts M. A. graduate (Retirement Communication Associate @ BPS&M LLC)

2. Studying Corporate Communication @ Austin Peay • Who? APSU Communication graduate faculty and graduate students (current and alumni) of the M.A. in Corporate Communication (an all-online Master's program) discuss their preparation for managerial careers in integrated marketing communication industry. • What? At Austin Peay, graduate study in Corporate Communication means integrated corporate communication including course options in advertising, communication ethics, communication law, feature writing, Internet technology (e-commerce, web design & content management), integrated marketing communication, leadership, marketing communication, mass media management and economics, public relations, and many more.

3. Studying Corporate Communication @ Austin Peay • Why? To enjoy practical and advanced learning to achieve faster advancement into leadership positions within the communication industry OR to better prepare individuals for teaching or doctoral study in the area of communication. • How? Through conveniently delivered, easily accessible, highly relevant professional graduate study online for those individuals seeking to advance their skills of entry-level employment or enjoy more upward mobility when already employed in the communication industry.

4. D2L Online Learning Environment Accommodates Working Students • It's an all online learning opportunity set up to accommodate students who are working full time in the communication industry. • All classes are offered in the D2L online learning environment with Discussion Boards, real-time Chat Rooms, PowerPoint and video lectures, and the DropBox for Word document research paper submissions. • Every academic term is available in two 8-week sessions so working students in graduate study can take two classes a semester without any duplication or overlap of course content. Learning Environment @ APSU

5. Faculty Available & Ongoing Feedback Provided to Students • The convenience of online examinations offered in hourly formats of one-hour testing available from Fridays at 10 AM until Sundays at 10 PM really helps our busy, working students. • Our graduate faculty are available for advisement, academic counseling, and graduate student engagement through many online technologies. • Students complete either a research paper (3 semester hours) or a thesis (6 semester hours) as part of their graduate study experience. • Research papers are projects completed working with a single graduate advisor while theses are "full blown," original research experiences where each student works with a committee of three graduate faculty members.

6. Graduate Study in a Convenient Engaging & Professional Online Environment • Graduate students are engaged through a variety of teaching approaches and methods. • Graduate students are advised by email, telephone, and in-person by their faculty advisors whom they select based on research interests and areas of coursework undertaken. • Our graduate faculty have "been there and done that" in the communication industry having "hands-on" experience in many relevant areas (advertising, broadcast media, corporate communication, Internet technology, marketing and organizational communication, & public relations) which helps them guide our students through a productive learning experience.

7. Graduate Study in a Convenient Engaging & Professional Online Environment • Our graduates are employed and do communication work as community college or university teachers, continuing graduate enrolled in doctoral communication studies, or are business professionals in the world of Corporate America in the communication industry. • Typically our students enrolled on a full time basis complete our M. A. degree in three terms (Fall, Spring, & Summer) and for a part time basis students most frequently finish in six terms (2 Fall, 2 Spring, and 2 Summer sessions). • Ask our graduate coordinator Dr. Jim Parker about graduate study in communication at Austin Pay State University by email him at ParkerJ@APSU.edu or visiting our graduate website http://CCMA.APSU.edu.

8. Some Interesting and Useful Information About Nashville’s Communication Industry Nashville’s Growth Due In Part to Its Communication Industry Nashville Has A Vibrant & Growing Communication Industry • Nashville still has a just-a-bit smaller than Memphis city population. • Yet Memphis is the 52nd Designated Market Area in the nation, while Nashville is ranked 29th in the U. S. by Nielsen with a video viewership of 1.75-million population extending well north into Kentucky, all the way west through Jackson, and east to Crossville. • Nashville’s two greatest areas of corporate communication include financial services and health care businesses. • Nashville also has a thriving music industry involving many additional corporate communication positions including record labels, CMA, the CMT & GAC networks, sound recording studios, and much more.

9. About Today's TCA 2013 Convention Program • In keeping with this year’s TCA student-centered convention theme: Two members of our graduate faculty will talk with two graduate students: one who is currently a graduate teaching assistant and one who has graduated from our Communication Arts program and is employed full time in corporate communication. • Following their discussion about graduate study in Corporate Communication at APSU, we'll open up the floor for any questions you may have about our online graduate program or the corporate communication industry today in Tennessee and the nation.