i have to think about*
- the graduate program itself
- the university's credentials and reputation
- cost
- scholarships
- tuition wavers
- graduate assistantships
- internship opportunities
- housing
- location
- application requirements
*this list is far from comprehensive...
i've started this research over a year ago by researching graduate programs, requesting information, and communicating to schools via email.
however, this past weekend i made an even bigger step in my search for graduate schools: i visited DePaul University in Chicago.
DePauls's MA in public relations and advertising has been my favorite program that i've researched. it involves both public relations and advertising in a synergistic way that i believe the two disciplines should be. the program blends both strategy and application of PR and advertising in a way that allows its students to succeed in the professional world and in the academic world. plus, the campus is in the heart of Chicago, a city with lots of opportunities for advertising and public relations practitioners.
on Thursday, I met with the Admissions Director for DePaul's College of Communication. She gave me a lot of great information and answered many of my questions. I then took a tour of the Lincoln Park campus, located in a beautiful part of Chicago. next, I met with a professor of advertising at DePaul, who gave me a good idea of what life could be like for me as a PR/ad graduate student at DePaul. lastly, I sat in on her class and listened to a guest speaker talk about a career in media planning, which I found especially interesting given my internship this summer with media buying and negotiating.
visiting DePaul and learning more about the graduate program in which I'm interested really answered a lot of my questions about my decision (see above). now that I've visited the campus, I know that I am definitely interested in applying to this program.
