Rooted in the tradition of academic excellence of WVU, the Reed College of Media's Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) graduate program has developed a national reputation for hands-on, industry relevant education. The program was named the "Outstanding Online Program" for 2015 by the Online Learning Consortium, the leading professional organization devoted to advancing the quality of online learning worldwide. The program was also named a finalist in the PRWeek US Awards 2016 "Education Program of the Year" category and was named a "Program of Excellence" by the WVU Board of Governors in 2020.
The IMC program is offered exclusively online with no on-campus classroom attendance required. The program is constantly evolving to reflect our changing industry and ensure a relevant, highly-customizable graduate experience for students. At the center of the curriculum are an introductory course and three core courses, which provide all students with a solid marketing communications foundation. The degree is enhanced by selecting two of four "specialty" course options and three of nearly 30 elective course options. Through the extensive specialty and elective courses, students are able to focus their graduate studies on their individual areas of interest or to position them for a specific career path. The capstone course is taken in the student's final term. In this final course, students apply their knowledge to create an IMC campaign for a real-world client. They can choose to work on a client of their preference or on a national client provided by the instructor.
The program offers specializations in the following Areas of Emphasis:
- Creative Strategy
- Data Marketing Communications
- Digital and Social Media
- Healthcare
- Higher Education Marketing
- Management
- Public Relations Leadership
IMC instructors are recognized leaders in their fields. These scholar-practitioners provide a carefully balanced blend of academic theory and practical skills. They teach our "learn-it-today, use-it-tomorrow" curriculum, which provides valuable, practical knowledge that can be immediately applied to a student's current career. Most WVU IMC students continue to work full-time while earning their degree.
All IMC courses are asynchronous, allowing students to participate at any time, from anywhere in the world. While no on-campus residency is required to complete the degree, the program hosts an annual Integrate conference to provide students and faculty an opportunity to network in-person and explore the latest innovations in the ever-changing IMC landscape. Learn more about the program's Integrate Conference.
Graduate Assistantships
Students in the IMC program who secure a graduate assistant position at any academic or non-academic unit on campus will be eligible to receive a waiver equivalent to the University tuition portion of their total tuition for IMC coursework, as well as any stipend/compensation offered by the unit hosting the position. Payment of the remaining Program Tuition and Online Learning Fee is the student's responsibility.
Program Format
The program's academic year consists of five accelerated terms: Early Fall (August–October), Late Fall (October–December), Early Spring (January–March), Late Spring (March–May) and Summer (May–July).
Due to the rigor of IMC program courses, students should register for no more than two courses in any IMC term. Most students who work full-time indicate that one to two course(s) per term is manageable. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to create a customized a course schedule that fits their life and supports their professional aspirations. Most students complete the IMC master's degree in approximately two years. However, University policy allows students up to eight years to complete a master's degree; the IMC program model supports students in taking terms off as needed to balance their graduate studies with personal and professional obligations.
Those who wish to complete IMC coursework but either already have a master's degree or are not planning to pursue a full master's degree are invited to apply to one of the college's online certificate programs in integrated marketing communications, creative strategy, data marketing communications, digital & social media, healthcare, higher education marketing or public relations leadership.