Everything You Need to Know about Joining WVU’s Marketing Communications Online Programs

Whether you’re admitted and getting ready to start the program, or you’re contemplating your next steps, our instructors joined in to answer any questions you have. Matthew Cummings, Dan Dipiazzo and Amy Teller give you some insider tips and tricks to starting your master’s degree in either Data, Digital or Integrated Marketing Communications.

What recommendations do you have for someone returning to get their master’s after being out of school for a while?

Dan Dipiazzo: When I joined the M.S. Data Marketing Communications program, I was out of school for about 30 years myself. I had kids in college myself at the time. I was able to quickly get back into the cycle and I think the way the programs are designed, there is a rhythm set for the working practitioner. When you begin each class, you’ll receive all of the materials upfront and the deadlines are consistent throughout the program. You’ll be able to settle into a schedule that works for you.

Matthew Cummings: We see students in three different areas. Recent graduates, mid-career professionals, as well as those who have been out of school for 20+ years. The beauty is that everyone is learning from each other. So don’t worry, you’ll provide a perspective that other students will benefit from, and vice versa.

Amy Teller: I agree with both of you. The foundation of adult learning theory is that we’re learning all of the time, it just might not be in a formal context. You likely have the skillset needed and the ways to organize your time and work. You’ll do a lot of reading and absorption, then complete the writing assignments based on what you have learned. There is time to set your structure in place. All of the courses have the same cadence. You’ll develop a rhythm in the first few weeks.

Don’t stress! We also have a lot of resources available. Many students who have been out of school for a while might struggle with the APA format, but WVU offers a virtual writing center, and we also have resources available in orientation.

Can you expand on the course structure?

Amy Teller: The courses are broken up into weeks and early in the week you’ll start a new week with required readings and lessons. There will be something from a textbook and articles. You’ll have a weekly discussion board prompt with a post due by the end of the day on Wednesdays. You will have until the end of the day on Fridays to read, review and reply to three of your peers. Then you’ll have the weekend to work on your written assignment, which is due by the end of the day on Mondays. You’ll then start a new week. That’s the usual structure of the courses.

Matthew Cummings: Like Amy said, that holds consistent. Routine is so important. You’ll likely set up your discussion days, respond to discussions days, and writing assignment days. Once you have that down, you’ll carry that through your time in the program. It’s a unique characteristic of the program.

With receiving all of the materials upfront, is it possible to work ahead or adjust as needed?

Dan Dipiazzo: People have vacations, travel for work, or other obligations that can make a week different. Receiving the materials upfront allows you to work ahead and work on assignments before you’re commitments.

Can you submit assignments in advance?

Dan Dipiazzo: Yes. I know different instructors may have different preferences for that. I would say for discussions, there is a lot of back and forth, so we don’t want someone to just post to that and vanish, but if you need to get something in early, generally I don’t have a problem with that. Discussions are really important in terms of being able to have that learning experience wit your classmates. So participation in that is important.

Matthew Cummings: I often have students that submit assignments early. You can turn an assignment in the Thursday or Friday of the previous week if you’re ready. The assignments are due Mondays at 11:55 p.m. ET. I’ve seen students complete their assignments early to have some time for themselves, especially with the final assignments before the next term begins.

As you continue in the program, it’s not always written assignments. Some courses will have projects or real-world assignments, with many courses using technology used in marketing roles, allowing you to experiment and learn about the different technologies. Some classes have a video presentation or a PowerPoint presentation. You don’t do it live because we know our students are all over the place, in different time zones with different work commitments. We try to build a lot of real-world activities into the courses.

Can you discuss the introductory courses a little more?

Matthew Cummings: In the Introduction to IMC course, you’ll work on a real-world client, creating a 20-million-dollar IMC campaign for this client. All of your classmates will be working on their campaign for the same client. You’ll build out the brand background, situational analysis and do some market research for the first assignment. Then from there, you’ll identify target audiences you are going to focus the campaign around. You’ll develop measurable campaign objectives and anticipate what your campaign will accomplish for your client using IMC strategies. You’ll also learn how to develop a creative strategy statement and creative brief, as well as plan out earned, owned and paid media. Once the class is completed, you’ll submit a final project of the full IMC campaign, coming out with a nice portfolio piece and a handle on creating IMC campaigns.

Amy Teller: In the Introduction to Digital Marketing Communications, you will be able to choose a brand for your campaign. Similarly to IMC, you’ll conduct internal and external research. In the first assignment, you’ll come uo with a broad approach and structure toward a potential digital marketing campaign. Through each week, you’ll build upon that with email marketing, content marketing and keyword strategy. You’ll have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned and get direct feedback to apply to your assignment. By the end of the course, you’ll have part of a campaign together and learn a lot of the fundamentals on a deep level and directly apply them.

Dan Dipiazzo: The Introduction to Data Marketing Communications is a little different. You won’t pick a brand to stick with through the course. The intro is really designed to be a sampling of all of the courses to come in the program. There is variety in the assignments, a couple of written papers, a couple of interactive labs that are real-world simulations and the final assignment is more of a presentation, bringing things together.

What kind of research should we be doing for our campaign? What kind of goals will we have built into the campaign?

Matthew Cummings: It’s yours to define. You’ll define the problem you want to solve based on the research you conduct. I’m not going to be overly prescriptive of that. I think you’ll identify what the opportunity will be for the brand. It allows you to be competitive and creative, with flexibility.

How much math is part of the Data Marketing Communications Program?

Dan Dipiazzo: That is the biggest question everyone always has about the Data Marketing Communications program. I’ll tell you, I’ve avoided math myself, in my undergraduate studies as much as I could. I’m not a math person. The Data program isn’t math. You won’t be doing heavy computations, you’re not doing real data science. The program is really about how you apply data to marketing communications, understanding the concepts rather than the calculations. You’ll receive templates to figure out the return on investment — lessons explained in your readings. The calculations will do the math work for you.

How much of the assignments involve practical work in the Data Marketing Communications program?

Dan Dipiazzo: We try to make the assignments as practical as possible. Most of them rely on a real-world example or brand. You’ll learn how to use databases for things like loyalty marketing. Your final assignments are often like a business presentation, a pitch to a client, bringing together all of the concepts we talk about.

Are there exams in the programs?

Dan Dipiazzo: You will not have any exams, it is a writing-based program. For the Data Marketing Communications program, there are two interactive labs, but you are graded on completing them, not as a test of correct answers.

Are there any specific applications required for the Data Marketing Communications program?

Dan Dipiazzo: There are some applications used, but you will receive templates and everything you need for making the calculations. You will primarily use Excel.

How many hours are required per day?

Dan Dipiazzo: That kind of depends on how quickly you read and absorb the information, as well as how deep you want to go into the lessons. It kind of varies, but generally we estimate 8-10 hours per week, which includes your assignments. You can certainly do a little bit each day, or pick a few days to really focus on the assignments.

What should I do to prepare for the first class?

Amy Teller: Two ways of setting yourself up for success is to connect with your instructor and connect with your peers. Forming those connections are critical, especially in the online space. Distance learning can create a sort of digital disconnect. If you reach out to your instructor, set up a time to meet with them and get to know them, in doing so you’ll be able to learn about their expectations, and how they grade and instruct. I’m currently teaching students in Germany and France, with some students also in the Caribbean and on the West Coast. Some are recent graduates, some have experience and some are trying to get into the industry. Connecting with these peers will give you a unique perspective to learn from and allow you to both create value and support each other.

Matthew Cummings: That's great advice, Amy. I asked the students in the last week of their class to give me advice for the next incoming class. A common theme that comes down is finding a routine and balance to stick with. Another I see is to embrace incremental time. Do an hour here and there, dedicate your lunch hour to your lessons and assignments, and an hour before work. If you do the math, you’ll easily have 10 hours right there where you would then free up your weekend. The beauty of asynchronous learning is you can do it on your own time. For me, I grade discussions on Saturday and give myself Sunday as a day to myself. If an email comes in, I of course respond, but I mention this as a good practice for my students as well.

What networking opportunities are there in the program? What can I do to prepare to market myself when I’m graduating?

Matthew Cummings: As mentioned, make sure you connect with your fellow classmates. During the introduction week of each class, you’ll post an introduction about yourself. It really encourages students to get to know each other. Connecting with your peers will also give you opportunities to find out about job openings and learn more about a city you want to move to. Build your network starting in the introductory course, and continue building it over time.

Dan Dipiazzo: I’d also like to mention the mentorship program. I had the opportunity to mentor a student that I never had in class. We’re still connected and have stayed in touch.

We also have a lot of alumni to connect with! Many own their own business or have a high-up position. They often share jobs with us and we list them on our Job Board. We also offer Integrate Online sessions and other networking opportunities.

Are we able to visit campus, although it is an online program?

If you’re in town, we’d love to meet you! Visit our space, we’ll show you around. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you're going to be in the area.

Am I able to switch programs if I need to?

You can, but the sooner you do, the better. Some of the courses cannot transfer between programs, meaning you could end up taking more courses. We wouldn’t want you to not be able to transfer your courses near the end. Let your advisor know as soon as possible to determine your best path moving forward.

What advice do you have for students?

Amy Teller: Don’t hesitate to ask questions! If you are ever unsure, I would rather you spend all of your time and bandwidth on learning the concepts instead of trying to figure out what we’re looking for in terms of the assignment prompt. Even if the question feels silly, send an email, we’re here to help. We want to facilitate your learning process as much as possible.

Dan Dipiazzo: I second that. I had the opportunity to rewrite a couple of courses and even though I think the assignment sounds crystal clean, it can still be interpreted differently. Chances are, everyone could be confused, but afraid to ask. Please don’t hesitate to ask.

Matthew Cummings: There are no gotchas in the programs. We want you to embrace and understand the material. We’d rather answer your questions on the front end than in the feedback later. And don’t hesitate to rely on the team. They are committed to your success and I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with them.

Are there retakes in the program if I fail a course?

You must obtain a C- in a course to pass at the graduate level. If you receive a lower grade, you will need to retake the course.

What are the class sizes like? How many other students will be interacting and working with?

Our classes are capped at 20. We keep the class sizes small, so you have the opportunity to get to know your classmates. We’ve seen so many friendships come out of this program and love seeing them meet in person at graduation.

For the DINFOS + IMC program, there is a cohort that students follow, primarily with fellow DINFOS students and graduates with designated sections. We do understand that our active-duty military personnel sometimes need to go off of the prescribed cohort due to military orders. In those cases, we may put students in courses within the general IMC course offerings to get them back on track. If you have a question or concern, contact your advisor. She’ll work our an individualized schedule with you, following your current challenges. We want the program to balance with your duties. We try to keep the cohort together, from the intro course to the capstone because we have instructors familiar with working with military personnel and public affairs.

Are there live lessons?

There are not live lessons. Many instructors do host Zoom sessions, some will have a speaker or hold a study session, but we do realize that everyone can't join at the same time. These are recorded and made available in the course.

Dan Dipiazzo: I’d also like to add that I have done video lessons because I know many students would rather hear the lessons. I also try to expand on some of the concepts a bit more.

Additionally, there is a new tool in all of our courses which will read the lessons if you prefer. It may help to have it read to you and could be a great time saver.

Looking for more information?

Reach out to our enrollment specialist, Shawn Henry. He’s available to answer any questions you may have.

If you're looking for application ifnromation, visit our How to Apply page. You may also want to visit our Tuition and Financial Aid pages for more information about the fees and structure.

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