BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Elnor Kinsella, PhD
Hello all MABC and BABC students,
Autumn is upon us, with its annual theme of change. As the leaves transform themselves, many of you may have thoughts turning to new goals and objectives for career and professional success. I hope you find it encouraging to know that JIU is focused on the same subject: your career path and how we can contribute to you achieving your goals.
Some of you may be wondering what value a degree in business communication offers to you individually. Aren’t communication skills valued in all careers? The answer is definitely, “Yes!” But, by placing emphasis on the special communication needs of business, you are directly contributing to the bottom line of your company’s profits. Your degree in business communication can contribute to your business’s profitability in a measurable way. And, as a student, your specialization choice can lead you into a specific job arena.
MABC
- Organizational Leadership: Are you destined to lead others? The MABC degree provides you with the opportunity to refine your own leadership skills and focus, including your professional goals and objectives.
- Corporate Communication and Education: The MABC degree is specialized, providing you a way to apply your interests in human interaction and organizational science into a polished set of business skills and abilities valued in today’s marketplace.
- Organizational Design and Leadership: Does your present position require you to work closely with customers? Businesses continue to change from a product-centered to a customer-centered point of view, and the MABC program offers specialized knowledge in customer management, adding to your value as you become skilled in change management.
- Consultancy: Some would say that business itself is changing to a focus on self employment. The MABC program offers you the ability to design your own small business or consultancy, should you wish to be more independent.
A master’s degree that reflects a mastery of communication that is centered on business goals and objectives enables the JIU MABC graduate to participate at high levels of authority within any chosen profession.
Example: One recent MABC graduate is now developing corporate training for his organization and has just been given a promotion and salary increase.
BABC
Perhaps you’ve been working very hard for a number of years in your profession. You have experience, but not the degree that opens doors to higher levels of organizational awareness and professional responsibility. The BABC degree at JIU prepares you for advancement by enhancing your abilities and awareness, while giving you the skills required for organizational communication success. The degree currently contains two specialization areas to hone your professional direction.
- Sales and Marketing: Are you interested in or already participating in a sales or marketing career, but not exactly sure of the potential areas of expansion within these professions? These courses will increase your awareness and offer you the opportunity to tie your existing job activities into new areas so that you practice the principles you learn.
- Communication Management: Is a management job waiting for you? Most managerial jobs involve motivating and organizing teams of people to work in an efficient manner. If you are already managing people, these courses will increase your rate of success as you apply the methods and tools offered.
Even if your organization does not require a degree for advancement, the employee who is proactive and obtains a degree demonstrates initiative to those who make promotion decisions. You are positioning yourself to be noticed and promoted when you complete your degree.
Example: A BABC student who will graduate in two months has just been promoted to a managerial position as a result of the initiative he showed in pursuing his degree.
If you are still wondering what your degree will do for you, ask your faculty members to tell you their stories. This is the highest compliment you can pay them, and they are very glad to help you with their expertise.
I hope to feature more stories and data on our degree programs in future newsletters. In the meantime, our students are demonstrating that hard work and perseverance really do pay off! I look forward to your success as you progress toward your degrees.
Happy autumn!
Dr. Elnor Kinsella
Academic Chair
Business Communication