The Park Foundation of Ithaca, New York, has awarded a grant of nearly $1 million to fund graduate fellowships in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. The school’s graduate program, one of the first and most innovative in the field of corporate communication, leads to a master of science degree.
"We are very fortunate and deeply honored to have the continuing, generous support of the Park Foundation," said Ithaca College president James J. Whalen in announcing the grant. "This gift has created the first fully funded graduate fellowship at Ithaca and represents a significant advance for our graduate students and the College as a whole."
Beginning with the fall 1997 semester, five Park Graduate Fellowships will be awarded annually. Valued at up to $40,000 each, the fellowships will pay for tuition and provide a stipend to help cover living expenses, books, supplies, and travel. The awards are intended for individuals who have three to five years of relevant work experience; applicants must demonstrate superior academic merit at the undergraduate level as well as provide a clear statement of how they will apply their research interests in the program to their professional goals.
"These very selective and competitive Park Fellowships will further enhance the value and reputation of our graduate program by attracting an even broader diversity of highly qualified and motivated professionals," says Thomas Bohn, dean of the Park School. "The recipients will have an opportunity to work closely with faculty members and industry professionals on a variety of academic, research, and community outreach activities."
Although the field of corporate communication is relatively new, Ithaca College has offered a master’s degree in this area since 1975. The program comprises 36 credit hours of courses and fieldwork, providing a comprehensive education that prepares professionals who integrate and manage the wide variety of communications systems that are the lifeblood of all organizations.
Courses feature both theory and hands-on practice in developing, managing, and evaluating human and media-based communication programs and practices—ranging from organizational, promotional, and learning systems to teleconferencing and multimedia programs as well as the impact of new technologies and cultural diversity on organizational cultures.
Students graduate with a broad theoretical background and the specific technical skills to apply their education in the job market immediately or to continue their studies in a doctoral program in communications.
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