West Chester University’s reputation. Ranked 209 in National Universities according to the U.S. News & World Report 

Affordable tuition. Tuition is less than the average cost of in-state tuition in Pennsylvania (U.S. News & World Report) 

Online classes available for Masters & Certificate Programs allow for more accessible education to a wider range of students.

Little diversity in Master’s programs. Students can master in Communication Studies, but not Media & Culture. 

West Chester University recognized more for majors in Business, Education or Marketing. 

Located on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Many schools in Philadelphia including UPenn, Temple, and Drexel which offer similar programs.

Accelerated Program from B.A. in Communication Studies or Media & Culture. Grants students already enrolled in a B.A. program easier access to enroll in a Master’s program. 

Located in the Philadelphia area, but not directly in the city, therefore providing opportunity for students to live in the outskirts/suburbs. 

Communications and Media is a growing field, therefore more students will be studying these fields.

Universities in the area such as Temple or Penn State also offer Masters programs in Media Studies and Communication Studies. 

Possible recession/Stock Market crash could make it hard for students to attend university or find jobs in the field. 

Possible lack of student interest/participation in the program.

Having 3 diverse graduate program options helps cater to a wide range of student needs

WCU has affordable tuition which makes the department's offerings accessible to more people

Emphasis on on small, discussion - based classes which can be enticing to those wanting individual attention

From personal experience, the wide range of the M.A. program and the specialization of the certificate creates an overlap that caused a little confusion on which path was the best course for me

Smaller classes and programs might face budget or resource constraints

The growing demand for communication and media skills by companies and businesses should mean that in time there will be more students studying these fields.

As WCU is located outside of Philly so there is the threat of other universities in the city such as Drexel, Temple, and UPenn that might draw students

There is definitely an enrollment decline in graduate education which could lead to fewer applicants, which would make it harder to grow a department's program

With an emphasis on small, discussion-oriented seminars and papers/presentations, WCU instructors are able to foster an engaging environment for students to thrive academically. This method of learning allows students to connect and interact with their peers and instructor, get insightful feedback and participate in meaningful discourse. 

Offering prospective students three graduate program options enables the opportunity for flexibility and choice. Because professional experience varies within those enrolled in the program, students will be able to choose a program that serves their personal lifestyle and professional objectives. 

A comprehensive curriculum allows for students to receive a well-rounded education that covers a wide variety of topics. The curriculum strongly incapsulates both the theoretical and contemporary approaches to communication. 

The options for elective courses available from other departments are not clearly defined. Prospective students may experience confusion while registering for courses for the first time, as they may be uncertain of the choices they have regarding the varying academic paths they can take. 

Students have the choice of earning a Digital Media Marketing certificate in addition to their master’s degree. This offers those interested in social media, digital marketing and visual communication an opportunity to apply their expertise in professional settings.  

With collegiate institutions shutting down, particularly in Philadelphia, prospective students closer to the city may prefer taking courses at the Philadelphia campus. The commute from Center City to WCU is roughly one hour long, depending on traffic conditions. The closure of the program offered at the Philadelphia campus along with the distance to the main campus may contribute to a decline in enrollment. 

Competition from other educational institutions offering more specialized communication programs could impact the program’s appeal and student recruitment. 

West Chester University is a respected university in the state of Pennsylvania. It offers unique services that satisfy the needs of its students. For example, it waives the registration fee of previous students who are starting their graduate program.

They work with students who don't meet the program requirements, that includes, offering classes that help you meet the program.

Tuition is affordable, they provide you with information about loan companies that could assist you with your tuition.

With effective promotion, the accelerated program could bring more students from undergrad into the graduate program.

With other colleges nearby, WCU has a chance to attract students seeking to complete their degrees elsewhere.

The growing demand for digital media marketing is an opportunity for students to get into the field and grow their expertise by joining the program.

There are couple of limitation in the graduate program, that include, non-degree students earning nine credit before getting into admission.

Online and in person don't have the same style of learning, some students finds it difficult adjusting to the online learning.

WCU offers a program to help students study abroad and expand their learning experience in different countries. Students can study in places like England, Ireland, and Latin America.

The Department of Communication provides courses like, interpersonal and intercultural Communication, and mass and public relations.

Internships are available for students who meet the department's requirements. The department encourages students to take internships to build up their work experience, and it's one of the experience options for media and culture majors.

The University is overpopulated, due to that, they have limited classes, because there aren’t enough professions for the students who are enrolled, there aren’t enough housing for students who want to attend.

WCU is renowned for its name in the region. It is one of the best public universities in Pennsylvania.

This Department has a clear focus in the three programs available; there is not an oversaturation of degree options for students to select.

Wide breadth of professors with degrees and experiences that could draw in students and enrich their learning.

The cost of attendance at WCU is more affordable than competitors in the space.

When you think of Communication Departments in Graduate Schools, names like Annenberg and Klein come to mind. Unfortunately, the WCU doesn’t have a recognizable identity that students can embrace like competitors in the region.

While WCU is renowned regionally; it could expand its visibility to reach other students via digital and physical ads.

Online education and virtual leaning are booming. This Department could expand on its distance education offerings and include a fully virtual option like the MBA to boost interest and participation.

The courses offered could also be expanded to include newer concepts like AI in the world of Comm, Cross-cultural Communication and more

There has been a decline in the number of students going to college, which could potentially shrink the pipeline of future students going to Grad School (Source).

Although Graduate student enrollment has been slightly trending upward despite the undergrad decline, Communications is not one of the top 10 master’s programs that people enroll in.

The threat of another pandemic could impact WCU

The price of the tuition which can appeal to many audiences, especially in the current economic state

The accessibility and convenience of most classes being asynchronous or if classes do meet, they are usually later at night after the usual 9-5 job that many graduate students hold.

The student led discussion classes engender an environment where the students think for themselves and develop leadership and critical analysis skills

The lack of classes offered. The courses offered each semester are limited and make it hard for a student to complete a fast track grad degree

There lacks extracirricular activities for students to further their graduate interests (i.e Syracuse has many clubs/departments for grad students to further their careers/interests)

The only 3 classes offered make it hard for it to be accessible to all if one class is synchronous or in person

Although the tuition is more costly, many other graduate programs within the area offer a more appealing education through courses offered or ways students can still participate on campus with their chosen degree

Because of how small the program is, interest and enrollment

could start to decline even more

With lower tuition but still amazing professors with a lot of experience and is beginning to offer classes that deal with new and upcoming technologies or societal issues that nurture critical thinking

West Chester University already has a good reputation and can expand it through the poised graduate alumni

3 different programs allow students to choose the right one for them/meet students’ specific needs

Classes are flexible with online, asynchronous options perfect for students with other responsibilities like jobs and family

Emphasis on student collaboration/discussion facilitates conversation, idea-sharing, learning, and networking

Small class sizes help students get “face time” with professors and peers

The accelerated program specifically is a strength, because it means that undergrads at WCU studying media and culture and communication studies can get their M.A. in communication studies much more quickly (and for less money) than if they tried a different grad program. I was able to take four classes towards my M.A. during undergrad and have those 12 credits count towards both of my degrees (and pay undergrad tuition for them). 

This is kind of a small program, so there are few classes available each semester. This means there’s less room for choice when it comes to which COM classes we want to take, as well as not really opportunities to specialize in something unless you want to get a grad certificate in digital media marketing or write a thesis.

I think the communication studies field has changed and developed a lot over the past decade, especially when it comes to digital media. I think this presents WCU and the communication and media department with the opportunity to lean into digital media studies more deeply than we do now. The digital media marketing certificate program could increase its class offerings to meet this opportunity, or we could offer more specific niches for students to delve into. 

I think one outside threat to the department of communication and media’s grad programs is other school’s programs. When it comes to its graduate programs, WCU is best known for its education program and not the M.A. in communication studies or graduate certificate in digital media marketing. (This is the same for undergrad.) Other schools are more well known for their communication programs, like UPenn or Penn State. This is a threat because these outside forces (other schools) have an advantage over WCU when it comes to name recognition and popularity. 

One of the strengths that the graduate program has is that it offers three different paths to achieve get a higher degree in Communications

Another strengths is how a student who was interested in doing a masters can start that masters while they are in undergrad by doing the accelerated program

With graduate programs becoming more and more expensive WCU remains one of the more affordable options for graduate programs in the area

One of the weaknesses of the programs is that there is no specialized area that students can seek out. Unlike other programs like finance or business communications does not have a specific track that a student can specialize in.

Not every student will be able to attend in-person classes they could be at different points in their careers. This can be a point of contention because it can cause a student to look somewhere else because they would have to do in-person classes which isn't possible for them.

An opportunity for this program is possibly adding a concentration to the program just like the business school does. Instead of having a certificate making the digital media marketing a concentration in addition to a master's could be beneficial.

Another opportunity could be adding classes that deal with media more than communication. With the world becoming more and more media centric it could be a good idea to have classes that implement on how media can be used in future careers.

The threat that comes with these programs is that compared to other masters programs the other program blows them out of the water. Other masters programs are able to offer more media classes and more on that side of communications. Other schools might be able to offer specialized tracks that WCU might not be able to offer making them more appealing to students.

DMM approach is interdisciplinary, making it of interest to students in other majors and to professionals of various backgrounds.

MA curriculum combines theory, research and practical skills across a spectrum of communication contexts. This is distinctive as other universities eliminate graduate communication degrees or lean solely into a professional masters focus.

Accelerated program still offers opportunities for hands-on experience and courses outside of the major. Balances a desire to jump start a MA with flexibility to explore.

DMM ‘official’ courses don’t seem inline with focus of similar certification programs. Digital media marketing seems like it should be a hybrid of business/marketing and communication—perhaps there is an opportunity to work across colleges to achieve this. I remember when I enrolled in the certificate that the four classes listed seem a little arbitrary and didn’t track with what I saw elsewhere.

The MA program is very focused on theory/research which is fine for those who want to pursue a doctorate and overall seems geared more towards students who are currently getting their bachelor’s or who have recently graduated, and not as attractive for older students who want to progress in their careers. Career resources are also extremely limited to those just entering the workforce.

DMM could be promoted within the MBA students as a valuable add-on. In a similar vein, some certificate within the business/marketing disciplines could be offered to MA Communication students.

Opportunities for grad students to get involved with communication/media-related extracurriculars would help them to feel more involved in the WCU community, particular if they are primarily taking online courses or live a significant distance from campus.

Similarly, groups for older students (whether just in the Comm department or across all of the colleges) may be helpful for professional networking and for support.

The Department News section hasn’t been updated since 2022; communicating profiles of success stories, new courses, etc, would be beneficial. Many competitors publish stats about their programs’ outcomes (% who receive a promotion after program, avg salary increase, etc.). Some communication about your stats would highlight the graduate programs are a worthwhile investment.

WCU should aggressively pursue professionals looking to further their skills through a grad certificate or a Masters. The accelerated option is great for capturing younger folks, but to grow its numbers despite demographic trends, WCU will need to revamp its offerings to capture professionals.

Many institutions are offering certifications and microcredentials at a fraction of the cost, often partnering with for-profit online education providers. For example, Elizabethtown College, well-known in Pennsylvania for its communication programs, now aggressively markets its “Etown Edge” microcredential catalogue, offering discounts to employers as well as to Elizabethtown graduates. Some of their programs include communication, design, data analytics/statistics, and they offer a Digital Marketing Certificate/Bootcamp for $729. https://www.etown.edu/sgps/edge.aspx

There is no highly-recognized credential related to digital marketing, although some are becoming more popular. As an example, the Digital Marketing Institute has partnered with the American Marketing Association to offer a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) credential, marketed as graduate-level coursework, and this credential is recognized by both associations and globally. WCU’s DMM certificate doesn’t result in any designation, and if some of the current credential programs gain more traction, the DMM program’s competitiveness will decrease.

Among the three grad programs, there were 19 who completed in 2022-2023 and 25 in 2023-2024. While this leads among the College of Arts and Humanities, it is low compared to most of the programs in the university. Budget may not be available to support program growth.

Online courses allow students like me to take classes and earn their certificate or their Masters while still working a full time job

Having three different tracks within the grad program allows students to choose which track will work best for them

Classes place emphasis on student back-and-forth discussion, even within an online setting, which helps foster a sense of community and collaboration

At least for the Digital Media Marketing certificate, the classes needed aren't offered every semester, so students can't always be sure when they'll finish/graduate

As others have mentioned, a lack of diversity among class if someone wanted to specialize in something specific, not just general Communications or Digital Media Marketing

WCU being near a big city like Philadelphia offers students better access to opportunities within the city like internships and jobs and experiences than a more rural school might, like Millersville, for example

The Comm department's wide array of internship opportunities can help students begin their journey in the world of communications like it did for me

WCU faces some big competition within the Philadelphia area with the likes of Temple, UPenn, Drexel, and even beyond Philly into the whole of Pennsylvania with Millersville, Pitt, or Penn State

WCU is not known as a communications school, so its graduate program may not be the first that comes to mind when someone is considering pursuing their Masters or a grad certificate

The lack of specialization options may turn potential students away from the program in search of a school with a wider variety of learning opportunities