May 2006

ALUMNI NEWS

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While all alumni know and value the benefits of their American University education, many don't realize how accessible advanced degrees are at AU. Most of the schools and colleges offer executive-type master's degrees that allow students to attend classes in a compressed time period, giving them the opportunity to still have a busy professional and family life.

"Many alumni have such a great undergraduate experience that they are excited to pursue their graduate work here. AU offers a variety of programs, so it's easy for working adults to find a program that suits their needs and talents," says Vanessa Yost, director of alumni programs and a Kogod MBA 2008 candidate.

The School of Communication, School of Public Affairs, and School of International Service all offer these specific executive master's programs.

"Our weekend programs are terrific. In fact, they're the only weekend programs in D.C. offering full-fledged master's degrees in journalism, film, and public communication," said Jane Wilson, director, Media and Marketing in the School of Communication. SOC offers professionals the opportunity to take a 20-month weekend program that runs three Saturdays per month.

"The knowledge I gained in my SOC classes was enhanced by my real-life experiences in the field. It was so valuable to get the theoretical perspective behind what I did every day," said Amy Fox, SOC/BA '98, and a 2004 graduate of the Public Communication weekend master's program.

The School of Public Affairs also offers several executive master's programs, including the Key Executive program, the Office of Personnel Management program, the Federal Managers Practicum, and the AU/NTL master's, which trains professionals in organizational development.

The School of International Service gives students the opportunity to study a wide variety of disciplines within their executive master's program. The school also allows professionals who have more extensive skills in their field of study an opportunity to reduce their credit hours and apply their experience to independent study.

While the Kogod School of Business and the College of Arts and Science don't offer specific executive-level master's programs, both offer advanced degrees that help professionals move forward in their chosen career. Kogod offers full-time and part-time MBA's, master's degrees in taxation, accounting, management, and information technology, and dual-degree programs such as the MBA/JD and MBA/MA.

CAS also allows working adults the opportunity to pursue degrees in their discipline of choice. They offer part-time options in many of its master's programs, from arts management to public anthropology, education, the professional science master's program, and more.

-Mary Mazzuca

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