Belmont Abbey College Announces a New Graduate Degree in Communications

January 23, 2024

Belmont Abbey College Announces a New Graduate Degree in Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Belmont, N.C. (January 23, 2024) – Today Belmont Abbey College announces a new Master of Arts in Communications degree. With this new in-demand Graduate program, Belmont Abbey is committed to developing a pipeline of qualified Communications professionals to join the professional world. The new values-based MA in Communications program aligns with the college’s mission to “provide students with an education that will enable them to lead successful lives and be a blessing to themselves and others.”

The college will welcome its inaugural MA in Communications cohort in the Fall of 2024. Dr. David Williams, Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Belmont Abbey College, speaks to the timeliness of this program launch. “Over the past 15 years, we have seen the Communications field grow by more than 35,000 job roles. This is in large part due to the versatility of the discipline, and the fact that Communications is a necessary skill in so many industries. We’re introducing this Master’s degree in Communications now because we believe that Belmont Abbey offers a unique lens with which to study Communications that will enable graduates to thrive as leaders in the workforce.” The new program embodies the Benedictine Hallmarks of community, hospitality, and stability by having students engage in active listening and communication with each other, nurture learning and actively seek truth, and build lasting relationships through open communication practices.

Dr. Erin Jensen, Program Director of the MA in Communications at Belmont Abbey College, says that this degree is designed intentionally for students to apply their learnings outside the classroom. “Communications is something that we all actively engage in daily, whether we realize it or not. We want to enable our students to effectively communicate in their professional and personal lives, and this starts with learning how to appropriately apply theory to real life. To achieve this, we developed a holistic program of communication studies that is rooted in ethics.”, Jensen said. The program incorporates specialized fields such as mass and digital communication with courses like Social Media Communication, User/Audience Research, and Visual and Digital Communication Studies. The MA in Communications is well-suited for both individuals with a Communications background looking to move up and those who are new to a variety of professional fields.  

Developed for working professionals, the MA in Communications is affordable, asynchronous, and 100% online. Unlike existing programs in the marketplace, courses are divided into 8-week sessions, allowing students to complete the degree within 12 months. Earning an MA in Communications is a critical step forward for professionals seeking a career in the field. Graduates with an MA in Communications are highly sought after by employers for their proficiency in organizational communications, research, and writing. These individuals qualify for critical job roles such as Marketing Communication Managers, Market Research Analysts, Fundraising Managers, Editors, Administrators, and more. For more information about this program, click here

Belmont Abbey College is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2024 semester while the Master of Arts in Communications awaits final approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Apply here

Press Inquiry Contact: Julia Long, Director of Enrollment Marketing, julialong@bac.edu or 423-827-8727

Download the press release.