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It’s A Wrap!

Posted by Brandi Snodgrass

The Fall quarter has wrapped up and I have to say that the first leg on the MSC trek has been quite enjoyable and positively life changing!  After convening every Saturday at the Searle building, it was a refreshing change of pace to spend last week together off campus during our MSC Practicum Intersession.  Many valuable lessons were delivered by some of the most respected in the field of communication who came to share their expertise with our group.  We engaged in dialogue about how to respond to a crisis situation within our lives and at the workplace in our Crisis Management session led by Professor Rein.  Then, we explored the complexities involving freedom of speech and expression while in the Dilemmas in the Laws of Free Expression session with Professor DeSanto.

Over the holiday break from school and work, I’m looking forward to reevaluating my online identity with the social media platforms I use – another lesson covered last week in the Identity Management Online session led by Professor Hargittai.   The points made in that session prompted me to think critically about my online presence and encouraged me to bring awareness to those topics more important to me – those things that make me unique.

I really wish we could all have more weeks like this, what a great time to collaborate and learn from these distinguished faculty members and my classmates while refining our skills as we become masters of communication.

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Categories: Grad School, MSC, Northwestern

Top Ten Lessons (Fall Term Edition)

Posted by Matt Sterenberg

1. Talk to as many classmates as you can, as early as you can.
2. Don’t be late to Professor Rein’s practicum session (it wasn’t me).
3. MSC lunches are delicious.
4. Professor Roloff will help you identify the Machiavellian personalities in your workplace.
5. The United States needs updated legislation for consumer privacy (I’m the only one who learned this, but I wrote 20 pages on it…so I might as well give it some air time).
6. Establish a schedule for MSC homework (Monday and Wednesday nights for me).
7. Have a few classmates edit your paper before you turn it in.
8. Learn for learning’s sake. Don’t worry about what it “gets” you right now.
9. Classes/professors are engaging.
10. Before you know it, the term is over.

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Thankful

Posted by Brandi Snodgrass

As I gear up for the holidays and reflect on my MSC experience thus far, I have to say I am thankful. The past three months in the MSC program have been amazing – from the practical lessons learned in my courses,  to the friendships created with my co-hort members,  down to the beautiful drive in from the South on Lake Shore Drive every Saturday morning, it’s all been wonderful.

A few of my students recently asked how grad school was going and how I’m able to balance it all while working full time?  My response was simple, when you love your graduate program, and you love your job it’s a piece of cake!  Once time with the family wraps up this weekend over a delicious thanksgiving feast and Christmas gifts are all set with Black Friday shopping, I’ll hunker down to work on my two final papers for this quarter.  Truly a bittersweet moment as the courses are ending, but excited to see what else is ahead.

To my MSC co-hort members, faculty, and staff, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

 

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Categories: change management, Design of Digital Organizations, Grad School, Holidays, MSC, MSC Value, Northwestern

Around The World In A Day

Posted by Bianca Yarborough

What do you get when you put the MSC Class of 2015 in the same place at the same time? A global learning experience unlike no other. On September 11, the MSC Class of 2015 took the first steps of a year long journey toward completion of the MSC program and getting to know our cohort from so many different walks of lives.

As I sat and listened to my cohort go around the room and introduce themselves, I felt like I was at an United Nations meeting. There were so many countries, cultures, and people of extraordinary character within my cohort. I was in awe of the diverse backgrounds represented in the room; from an  Olympian, to educators, mothers, and professionals in corporate America. As the last introduction came to a close, I felt proud, honored, and privileged to have been admitted to this program and be apart of the Class of 2015.

Throughout the rest of the day, I got the opportunity to travel the globe through conversations with my cohort, gaining knowledge about them,  where they were from, and what attracted them to Northwestern. I discovered my cohorts represents continents like Africa, Asia, Europe, and a large part of the United States. When I departed at the end of the day, I knew that during the next year of the MSC program, I would not only be on a quest of becoming a better communicator, but also fostering international friendships that would last a lifetime. I am looking forward to the rest of what the MSC program and Class of 2015 has to offer.

 

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Categories: MSC

So, What Is It Like?

Posted by Matt Sterenberg

I think it would be fitting to apply what I’ve learned in class to my initial blog post. In Change Management, we learned about elements of persuasion. As it turns out, one element of persuasion is physical attractiveness. It works like this, if you perceive someone as attractive, you are more likely to consider that person as a knowledgeable and trustworthy individual (they call this the “Halo Effect”). Using that logic, I need you to take a moment and imagine the most attractive person you know. Did you do it? Great. Now, imagine that I’m that person.
Without hesitation, I can say that the first half of the Fall Term has been incredible. The cohort is great; so many fun and engaging personalities. The class content is accessible and applicable without sacrificing academic rigor. In particular, I appreciate the interdisciplinary approach each course takes. It doesn’t seem to matter what line of work you’re in (and we do have a diversity of professionals in the cohort), the theories and content can be intuitively applied. I sometimes feel that my coworkers are getting a Northwestern education because of I bring up so much of what we talk about in class. In conversations with classmates, I am not unique in this regard. In short, it’s been great.
If you don’t believe what I’ve said above, remember, I’m very attractive.

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Time is ticking for the fall quarter…

Posted by Ta'tiana Jere' Gardner

As midterms swiftly pass and the quarter continues to speed by, the MSC Class of 2015 works diligently to have a successful end to their first quarter. Change Management with Professor Michael Roloff is providing the students with an adequate amount of information to get their minds thinking one step ahead of the game! Professor Roloff provides real world examples while he instills the valuable concepts of change management to the class.

Iesha Mitchell, a current MSC student stated, “I thoroughly enjoy the Change Management course because the topics are relevant to everyone in the class.” Being able to relate to the students is very important to continuously grasp their attention. This is a successful strategy that Professor Roloff utilizes!

An informative think and apply paper was recently due for their midterm, and the students are thrilled to have completed such a huge assignment in a Masters program at Northwestern University! As the end of the quarter approaches the MSC Class of 2015 buckles down even harder because they are fully aware that time is ticking and every second counts towards success!

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Categories: change management

MSC 30th Anniversary Symposium

Posted by ajh558

The 2014-2015 academic year marks the Master of Science in Communication program’s 30th anniversary. In honor of this milestone, the program is hosting a symposium of academic engagement, exploration of emerging ideas and networking for alumni on Saturday, October 11, 2014. The symposium will feature faculty and alumni sharing innovative practices and inspiring stories. Attendees will hear from industry leaders, participate in interactive sessions, and learn about leading ideas in communication. This full-day event will culminate in a cocktail reception for alumni, faculty, and current students.

The symposium is open to all MSC alumni and there is no cost to attend. Click on the link below to register.

For questions about the symposium or registration, contact Tova Vance, MSC class of 2010, at tovavance@gmail.com or 773-510-6307.

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Categories: alumni, experiences, MSC, MSC Value, Northwestern

MSC Professor Irving Rein’s New Book is Now Available

Posted by ajh558

MSC Professor Irving Rein, together with Ben Shields and Adam Grossman, has recently published a new book titled: The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders for a High-Performance Industry. This book blends authors’ extensive industry experience and academic expertise to provide a comprehensive view of leadership strategies that will position readers and their organization for sustainable success in the industry. The Sports Strategist features numerous case studies that help to frame pressing issues within the sports industry and also identifies best practices from other industries and applies them to the sports world.

 

 

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Categories: communication strategy and competitive advantage, Communications Insights, Competition and Strategy, Contemporary Media, Corporate Social Responsibility, Crisis Management, culture, Irving Rein, Leveraging Networks, values

Tuesday: Fourth day of the GMCS in London and the agenda is getting more and more exciting!

Posted by Alejandro Marin

Fourth day of the GMCS in London and the agenda is getting more and more exciting!

It´s 10 AM on Tuesday, March 24th in London and our communication´s cohort is fully dressed up and ready for another exciting day of learning, exploring. We started with an interesting lecture about the myths of media institutions. The lecture was very engaging and connected to current communication scenarios.

Being an international GMCS student in London represents not only an opportunity to meet new people and to learn about relevant communication issues, but also to understand more about other cultures and to try new food. For instance, today we went to a very nice Italian restaurant, where the food was incredibly delicious. It´s always exciting to taste new flavors and to eat some international delicacies!

I wanted to engage more with all my classmates, so I sat in a different seat everyday. Interestingly, I ended up having an intriguing conversation with three intelligent senior students about the current legal and ethical issues in social media. Such a great discussion and lunch!

With a happy tummy and our hearts content, we moved to the next activity in the agenda, which was visiting two of the most successful and well-known communication and advertising agencies in the world, Starcom MediaVest and Deloitte Consulting.

It is impressive to see how powerful and supportive our “bleeding purple alumni community” is around the world. For instance, Starcom MediaVest featured NU alumni Kristen Kelly, who literally made us feel at home. She not only prepared a high level “marketing model plan” for us, but also coordinated a panel of eight experts in the field that provided multiple perspectives of current communication challenges. The experience was amazing and really reinforced my passion for communication.

Finally, we went to Deloitte Consulting, where we where we had a 15-minute exercise developing promotional product definition for a sample client. The exercise was fun and challenging! In addition it was very interesting to see how different the organizational culture at the Deloitte Consulting was in comparison to Starcom.

The day was included a great mix of education and real world experiences. GMCS has been great example of how the ideal concept can be possible. Thanks Northwestern University for this opportunity! Alejandro castaño marin(President of NU Shapiro, LSE Director Craig Calhoun, VP for Alumni Relations and Development Bob McQuinn, Dean of the School of Communication Barbara O’Keefe and the MSC candidates: Emily Vernon, Dan Hui, Tiffany Lieu, Andrew Hinds, Martina Smith and Alejandro Castaño Marin.)

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Categories: MSC