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School of Journalism and New Media Set to Host IMC Connect! 2023

Posted on: February 9th, 2023 by msross

Faculty and Students Invited for Second Annual IMC Connect! Event

OXFORD, Miss. – After a successful debut in the spring of 2022, the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media is set to host its annual two-day IMC Connect! event on March 30 and 31, 2023.

IMC Connect! is an event designed to bring together some of the nation’s top communications executives and leading researchers to campus. Its purpose is to provide various opportunities for attendees to learn from expert practitioners throughout a series of collaborative events.

This series of events include workshops, topical panel sessions, and breakout sessions. The lineup of guest speakers and panelists allows faculty and students the chance to network and contribute to discussions involving leading trends in integrated marketing communications.

At IMC Connect! attendees can contribute to discussion topics such as maximizing messages on both social and traditional media channels, 5-minute findings of hottest topics in IMC, crisis communication and corporate reputation management, and sharing success stories from IMC experts.

The 2023 guest list is created and organized to enhance knowledge and best prepare students entering the job market. This year’s event, sponsored by The Boeing Company and The Graduate Hotels, includes:

Marti Powers, Vice President of Communications, The Boeing Company
Stacey Murray, Vice President, Marketing, The Graduate Hotels
Natashia Gregoire, Head of Internal Communications, Worldwide Operations, Amazon
Elizabeth Whittington, Executive Communications Director, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Malcolm Berkley, President Global Network Communications and Reputation Management, UPS
Jeff Motley, Vice President of Communications, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Sonoma Raceway
Jennifer Smodish Anderson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, C-Spire
Hua Jiang, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Public Relations, Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications
Glen Nowak, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, Co-Director of Center for Health and Risk Communication, and Professor, University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Jonathan Schroeder, William A. Kern Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Communication
María Elizabeth Len-Ríos, Associate Director for Faculty and Administration and Professor of Strategic Communication, University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Click here to learn more about IMC Connect! 2022 and what to expect at this year’s event. For more information on IMC Connect!, please contact Asbrads1@olemiss.edu

IMC Connect! panelists take the stage inside Farley Hall during the 2022 conference.

Everything you need to know about applying for scholarships from the UM School of Journalism and New Media

Posted on: December 3rd, 2020 by ldrucker

If you’d like to attend the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media, but you want to apply for scholarships to help fund your education, we’ve created a Q & A that will help you navigate the scholarship application process.

School leaders say you don’t have to be a straight A student to apply for some of our scholarships. We have multiple scholarships designed for a variety of students. So read the information below provided by former Assistant Dean Jennifer Simmons and Associate Dean Debora Wenger to learn why you should apply.

Q. Some students don’t really understand how the scholarship process works. If you are a new or existing student who wants to apply for a scholarship, what steps should you take? Do you apply for individual scholarships, or do you just submit one application from our website?

A. New students to the university must submit the Special Programs and Scholarships Application (SPSA) for consideration for university-level scholarships and school-level scholarships. The School of Journalism and New Media has a tab within the SPSA for students who are interested in applying for scholarships for students majoring in journalism or IMC.

This application covers it all. Students do not have to apply for individual scholarships. The priority deadline for the SPSA is Jan. 5, with a final deadline of Feb. 15. Currently enrolled or continuing students must complete the .pdf application located at the JNM site. The deadline for this application is Feb. 15.

scholarship

Q. What happens after you submit the application? How and when are the scholarships awarded? When will you be notified if you are selected for one? How are the selections made?

A. After the application is submitted, the Scholarship Committee within the School of Journalism and New Media will review the applications and make recommendations for awards. Reviews usually begin after Feb. 1. The committee completes a holistic review of each application received. Factors include, but are not limited to, standardized test score, GPA, journalistic or IMC involvement/experience, hometown/county, and high school.

Students who are awarded a scholarship through the School of Journalism and New Media must be admitted or enrolled in the Bachelor’s of Journalism or IMC degree program and will be notified by the Financial Aid office after April 1.

Q. Do you think there are some students who may be missing out on scholarship opportunities because they didn’t fill out an application? What would you say to encourage them to apply?

A. I think there is a misconception that you have to be a 4.0 student to receive a scholarship, and that’s just not true. We have multiple scholarships based on whether you are studying journalism or IMC, or if you’re from Mississippi, or if you are already working in the fields of IMC or journalism through internships or jobs. We encourage you to check out the list of scholarships we have available to see if you are eligible.

Q. If there is someone out there who would like to establish a scholarship in the name of someone else for our school, how would they do that?

A. We know there are people out there who believe in quality journalism and responsible integrated marketing communications, and we would welcome their help in supporting students who are pursuing those careers. We have a number of existing scholarships, including the Curtis Wilkie Scholarship for journalism students, the Robin Street Public Relations Student Support Fund and the Talbert Fellows Fund, which supports both journalism and IMC students, just to name a few. And, of course, we are always open to new ideas for scholarships, so please get in touch if we can help you support our students.

You can email Associate Dean Debora Wenger at drwenger@olemiss.edu if you are interested in establishing a scholarship at our school. Visit our scholarship page to learn more.

Students Invited to Seek Career Advice from Broadcast Professionals at Annual Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Day March 4

Posted on: February 27th, 2020 by ldrucker

University of Mississippi student Torry Rees speaks with radio broadcaster Jeff Covington during a past MAB event.

Have your resume critiqued and meet hiring managers

School of Journalism and New Media (SoJNM) students can have their resumes critiqued and seek career advice during the annual Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Day on Wednesday, March 4.

Broadcasters from around the state will visit the Student Media Center inside Bishop Hall on the University of Mississippi campus that day to meet students from 10 a.m. to noon, and from 1-2 p.m.

“Broadcasters want to meet journalism students at Ole Miss to help the students improve,” said professor Nancy McKenzie Dupont, who is leading the event. “They get some benefit, too. They get to see our students’ work first, and many internship and job offers have grown out of this day.”

Dupont said receiving a critique from a professional is key.

“Students get critiqued from professors all the time, but getting your work in front a professional is different,” she said. “They tell you what you need do to get a job or an internship. They can also tell what the job demands are. I hope students will get a real sense about what the working world is like.”

Students are encouraged to bring their laptops to show their work and a resume. Other SoJNM professors will attend, including Debora Wenger, Iveta Imre and Roy Frostenson.

“We hope that we’ll see more than just our journalism students at the event,” Assistant Dean Wenger said. “This is a chance for our integrated marketing communications students to network and explore career opportunities, too.”

Job and internship opportunities are not confined to reporting positions. Students who have participated in MAB Day have gone on to work or learn about sales, sports, digital production or news promotion.

For more details on MAB Day, contact Nancy Dupont at ndpont@olemiss.edu. For more information about our journalism or IMC programs visit jnm.olemiss.edu.

UM grad returns to discuss possible creation of Chair of Excellence in Investigative Reporting and Opinion Writing

Posted on: December 31st, 2019 by ldrucker

James Dickerson, head of the publishing company Sartoris Literary Group, recently visited the School of Journalism and New Media.

The 1968 University of Mississippi graduate came to discuss the possibility of creating a Chair of Excellence in Investigative Reporting and Opinion Writing with a focus on newspapers, magazines and books. Dickerson also discussed the creation of a James L. Dickerson Literary Trust, making an endowment for the chair.

Read the full story on Mississippi Today.

Jim Dickerson, author, journalist, musician, music historian, and alumnus of The University of Mississippi, holds up one of his music columns as he talks with students at lunch in the Overby Boardroom. Photo by Michael Fagans.

Dickerson has authored more than 30 books. He worked as a staff writer and editor at three Pulitzer Prize-winning newspapers—The Commercial Appeal of Memphis, Tennessee; the Clarion Ledger/Jackson Daily News of Jackson, Mississippi; and the Delta Democrat-Times of Greenville, Mississippi.

In the 1980s, he published and edited a national magazine titled Nine-O-One Network that made history by becoming the first magazine published in the South to obtain newsstand distribution in all 50 states and overseas in countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal.

The discussion stems from the success of his book Colonel Tom Parker: The Curious Life of Elvis Presley’s Eccentric Manager, an investigative biography.

Originally published in 2001 by Cooper Square Press, Dickerson purchased the book rights two years ago and republished it under his Sartoris imprint.

Dickerson met with staff and spoke during classes with journalism and IMC students.

National religion columnist named senior fellow at Overby Center

Posted on: December 12th, 2019 by ldrucker

Veteran journalist Terry Mattingly, known for his 31 years of work as a national religion columnist, has been named a senior fellow at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi.

His appointment, effective Jan. 1, 2020, was announced by Charles Overby, chairman of the center.

“I have followed Terry’s work for many years and consider him the premier religion columnist in the country,” Overby said. “He is a keen observer of how religion affects politics and public policy, and he will add another voice and perspective for our programs dealing with First Amendment freedoms.”

The Overby Center is housed in Farley Hall.

He writes a daily blog, GetReligion.org, which for 17 years has offered a daily critique of mainstream media coverage of religion news and trends. With his appointment as a senior fellow, that blog will now be based at the Overby Center. The blog also includes essays by Richard Ostling and other veteran religion-beat professionals. Ostling was nationally recognized for his religion reporting at Time Magazine and The Associated Press.

Terry Mattingly

Mattingly also will continue to write his weekly “On Religion” column for the Universal syndicate, which distributes the column to about 300 newsrooms in North America.

“It’s impossible to do journalism about the American South, or anywhere else, without talking about the role that religion plays in the lives of millions of Americans,” Mattingly said. “I am honored to get to work with Charles Overby and the fine team at the Overby Center and the university.”

There are two other senior fellows with distinguished journalism careers at the Overby Center. Curtis Wilkie, longtime political reporter for the Boston Globe, has been a fellow since the Center opened 12 years ago. Greg Brock, who was an editor at The New York Times and Washington Post, became a senior fellow last year. Both Wilkie and Brock are graduates of Ole Miss.

Mattingly grew up in Texas and graduated from Baylor University with a double degree in journalism and history. He then earned an M.A. at Baylor’s Church-State Studies program, with classes in theology, history, political science and law. He has an M.S. in journalism and mass communications from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Mattingly has worked as a reporter and religion columnist at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver and the Charlotte Observer and Charlotte News in North Carolina.

During his academic career, he taught at Denver Seminary, Milligan College and Palm Beach Atlantic University before founding the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. In 2015, the program moved to The King’s College in New York City, where it joined the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute, led by veteran journalist Paul Glader.

The School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi is one of 40 college and university partners of the New York City Journalism Semester in journalism program.

Shoemaker’s legacy in Mississippi newspapers and civil rights reporting will be remembered

Posted on: October 29th, 2019 by ldrucker

W.C. “Dub” Shoemaker – journalist, businessman, philanthropist, friend – died Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, at the Arbor in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

A native of Simpson County, Shoemaker was born on Nov. 19, 1931, to the late Ezra and Saleta Shoemaker. He was the eldest of the five children, all of whom preceded him in death: Virginia McNeese; Jean Shoemaker; Hollis Shoemaker; and Carolyn Wightman.

Dub was married to Nell Slade Shoemaker from Sumrall, who died Jan. 5, 2007. Nell was a nurse and started the nurse education program for Holmes Community College. In October 2017, HCC dedicated its nursing school facilities at the Attala Center in Kosciusko, naming it the Shoemaker Nursing Wing.

W.C. “Dub” Shoemaker. Photo from Mississippi Press Association.

Sisters-in-law Sylvia (Sam) Shoemaker, Lina Fortenberry, Peggy Barclay (Johnny), and Dorothy Regan survive him, along with a number of nephews and nieces and other family.

In the fall of 1949, Shoemaker became a staff member of the Jackson Daily News, where he worked for the next 16 years except for a two-year break for Army service during the Korean War. He began as an office boy and quickly rose to the position of reporter.

For 10 years beginning in the mid-fifties, he covered many of the Civil Rights issues in the South. One of the notable stories he covered was the Emmett Till murder and the trial of the accused murderers in the Mississippi Delta in 1955.

In 1963, he visited with Medger Evers about 9:30 p.m. following a rally Evers’ group held at a Jackson church. Evers was shot and killed later that night.

Shoemaker went to University Hospital to check on Evers’ body about 1:30 a.m. He was with the police the next morning when they found the rifle which supposedly killed Evers.

In addition, he published the serial number on the rifle, which led police to the man who was charged in the murder of Evers.

The murders of three young Civil Rights workers in Philadelphia in 1963 was also a story reported by Shoemaker.

In 1965, he and partner George Keith bought The Star Herald in Kosciusko. Dub and Nell moved there that year. Later, Mr. Keith sold his share of the paper to Dub. He also owned newspapers in Pontotoc, Mississippi State, Forest, Morton, Mendenhall, and Madison.

He owned and operated a printing business in Kosciusko, which produced newspapers and newspaper inserts throughout most of the nation. As well, he was a partner in a typography shop in Jackson and partnered in the Bluff Springs Paper in Kosciusko at its inception.

Shoemaker served as chairman of the Mississippi Economic Council, chairman of the Mississippi Job Training Council, and chairman of the Kosciusko-Attala Chamber of Commerce, along with a similar role in the community economic development foundation.

For many years, he served on the Board of Directors of the Holmes Community College Foundation. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi State University Foundation and a former member of the State Board of Education Accreditation Committee.

For 28 years, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of Merchants and Farmers Bank, a $1.6 billion financial institution, which was headquartered in Kosciusko and served areas in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Dub served as president of the Mississippi Press Association and was elected to its Hall of Fame. He received citations in journalism from the University of Mississippi, The University of Southern Mississippi, and the Mississippi University for Women.

Dub was active in the Rotary Club and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was well-known for his devotion to the betterment of Kosciusko, Attala County, and the state of Mississippi. He was also a member of First Presbyterian Church of Kosciusko. Dub was known for never saying “No” to any request for help from anyone.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 and 11-2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Jordan Funeral Home in Kosciusko. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. on Wednesday in the Jordan Funeral Home Chapel with burial in the Parkway Cemetery. The Rev. Phillip Palmertree and the Rev. Barry Corbett will officiate.

Memorials to French Camp Academy, One Fine Place, French Camp, Mississippi 39745-9989 would be appreciated gifts.

Online condolences can be made at jordanfuneralhome.com.

UM School of Journalism and New Media establishes scholarship in professor’s name

Posted on: September 13th, 2019 by ldrucker

The University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media has established a scholarship in the name of a journalism professor who spent almost three decades teaching media law and educating students about the First Amendment.

Jeanni Atkins, Ph.D. said the school’s dean gave her the good news. “I’m very honored that Dr. Norton wanted to establish a permanent endowment fund in my name that will help Honors College students pay for their education,” she said.

Atkins said Will Norton Jr., Ph.D. was very supportive of her as a faculty member, and she appreciates his friendship and encouragement.

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She said the scholarship has been created as a University of Mississippi permanent endowment fund of $25,000 that will increase over time. Full-time students in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College majoring in journalism or integrated marketing communications will be the recipients.

A committee in consultation with the dean determines who receives a scholarship. The amount of the grant each year depends on interest earned and additional contributions. Former students are among the contributors.

Norton said the scholarship committee will decide how much money to provide. There could be more than one scholarship awarded annually.

“Dr. Atkins was the intellectual strength of the graduate program here for decades,” he said. “She taught courses with rigor, and outstanding students graduated with her as mentor. There are leading media professionals who will tell you that she is the reason they have done so well in the business. The scholarship is in honor of a dedicated teacher who made a difference in students’ lives for decades.”

Atkins earned a bachelor’s of arts degree from Maryville College in East Tennessee, where she grew up. She worked as a full-time secretary at the college while taking courses part-time.

She earned a master’s of arts degree and a doctorate from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. While there, she worked full-time as an office manager/researcher for Professor Paul Fisher, executive director of the Freedom of Information Center, a national FOI clearinghouse in the journalism school. Fisher influenced her career path, she said.

“My dissertation was a comparison of the development and legal interpretations of open meetings laws in the 50 states,” she said.

The positions Atkins held between her master’s degree and Ph.D. gave her valuable research experience. She worked as the chief of research for Legis 50/The Center for Legislative Improvement in Colorado.

She worked as a research assistant to the director of the Communication Research Division for the Young & Rubicam Advertising Agency in Chicago. And she was the editor of two media law newsletters: Access Reports/FOI and Access Reports/ Privacy based in Washington, D.C.

She was also a research analyst for the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Law Firm in Kansas City.

After noticing an advertisement in the Kansas City Star for a Graduate Professional Opportunities Fellowship funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for women and minorities to pursue a Ph.D. in journalism at the University of Missouri, Akins applied. The fellowship and a graduate assistantship enabled her to begin a career as a teacher.

“Samir Husni, a friend in the Ph.D. program with me, was hired by Ole Miss Department of Journalism Chair Dr. Will Norton to start a magazine program,” she said. “Samir told me about a faculty position opening, and I was hired in 1986.”

Atkins has presented many peer reviewed research papers at regional, national and international conferences of journalism, intercultural and mass communications associations.

Her articles on government secrecy, open meetings and public records laws have been published in the University of Missouri Freedom of Information Center FOI Digest and Center Reports. Others that have published her work include Access Reports/FOI and Access Reports /Privacy, FOI Spotlight and various newspapers.

“My experience at the Missouri FOI Center national clearinghouse led to a passionate interest in the First Amendment and the public’s right to know,” she said. “Teaching media law and educating people about their rights of access to government meetings and records and the problems secrecy poses through the work of the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information (MCFOI) made it possible to continue to indulge that passion at Ole Miss.”

In 1998, Atkins said Mississippi Press Association president and Oxford Eagle Assistant Publisher Dan Phillips appointed a committee of a diverse group of journalists, attorneys, representatives of government agencies, and journalism academics to discuss establishing an organization to further more open government in the state.

“I served on the founding committee and wrote a proposal for the Ole Miss Department of Journalism to monitor and report on problems of access to government information,” she said. “MPA awarded Ole Miss a contract to handle administrative tasks and write and distribute a newsletter. I served as editor and publisher of the FOI Spotlight for 15 years and also as executive director.”

Atkins said her teaching philosophy has been to assist students in preparing for life after college, not just for a job. That means helping students broaden their horizons and develop better understanding of others with different life experiences and diverse cultural backgrounds. In addition to media law, she taught classes in media ethics, history, research methods, mass communications theory, public opinion and advertising copy writing.

“During 17 years of serving as graduate program director/student advisor, I chaired 29 committees and was a member of 25 others,” she said. “This position offered opportunities to get to know students on a personal level and learn from their research.”

Atkins said student feedback has been essential to understanding which teaching approaches facilitate their learning and growth. Even though she struggled with how much to push students and how demanding to make courses, she said she has learned good students welcome a challenge. And teaching has helped define the meaning of her life.

“Teaching is an incredibly challenging enterprise and a privilege,” she said. “Seeing the spark of interest and understanding in students whose minds are opened to knowledge and insights that helped them see people and the world in a different light and in the process know themselves better was a great source of pleasure.

“Following the career paths of former students and seeing their achievements continues to be rewarding. So many wonderful and interesting students—many I count as friends—enriched my life over the course of 29 years of teaching, and for that I am grateful.”

Atkins said she hopes the scholarship will help students achieve their goals.

“Since I worked my way through college and graduate school, I know how much scholarships can mean to students who can’t afford to further their education without this kind of assistance,” she said. “But a scholarship means more than financial aid because it helps to relieve the stress financial worries impose and bolsters confidence in oneself. My hope is that it will help enable outstanding students to attend Ole Miss.”

To request an interview about the scholarship, contact Assistant Dean Debora Wenger at 662-915-7912 or drwenger@olemiss.edu.

University of Mississippi Student Media Center gets a new look over summer vacation

Posted on: August 21st, 2019 by ldrucker

The Student Media Center operates year-round at Bishop Hall, and staff and students were even busier than usual this summer. The SMC spent more than $70,000 on equipment and software upgrades. Websites were redesigned. Broadcast engineer Steven Miller and media tech manager Jared Senseman worked hard to install everything for the start of fall semester. Here are a few highlights:

NewsWatch Ole Miss has a new switcher, monitors, cameras and related accessories. The newscast should now be much more vivid, and viewers will see more details in true HD quality. A plus is that the new equipment takes up less space and uses less electricity. The student staff will begin training this week to learn how to use the new equipment.
New software was purchased for all lab machines, including Adobe Creative Cloud for more than 25 computers and Microsoft Office 2019 for all lab machines.

The NewsWatch Ole Miss TV studio.

The SMC classroom has a new projector with a number of improved features.
Summer Daily Mississippian editorial staff and adviser Greg Brock worked with Jared to redesign theDMonline.com. It will launch this week. The website has a new theme and is easier to use, with better aesthetics and improved security. The DM site was moved to its own private server, which will increase speed and response times, with a cool mobile version. The old website will be renamed thedmarchives.com, and will be available for as long as we want. It includes previous archives; articles as far back as 2009 will continue to be accessible.

SMC media tech manager Jared Senseman and Daily Mississippian Editor-in-Chief Daniel Payne, putting the finishing touches on the new DM website.

The DM print edition has also undergone a major redesign. The first print paper of the semester, which includes our annual Back to School special section, will be distributed August 26. The DM will have a print edition three days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays).
Rebel Radio’s website is undergoing a major redesign and theme upgrade, led by Hannah Vines and others on the professional staff working with Rebel Radio student staff.

Steven Miller, SMC broadcast engineer. The NewsWatch Ole Miss TV studio.

If you didn’t check out the yearbook website last year, please do so this year. MacKenzie Ross, editor of the 2019 yearbook, redesigned the site, and it includes some awesome drone footage and content that complements the printed yearbook. This year’s yearbook staff will continue to modernize the website.
Graduate assistant Ingrid Valbuena is redesigning our recruiting materials.

Steven Miller and Gracyn Ashmore, NewsWatch Ole Miss student manager, in the SMC TV control room.

TheDMonline.com had 450,000 page views this summer (very unusual for the summer; we’re already close to 1.2 million for the year), and the electronic newsletter has more than 1,100 subscribers.

Be sure to check out the website redesigns, and stop by Bishop Hall to take a look at the new equipment in the studios and newsroom.

School of Journalism and New Media Assistant Dean Wenger receives the Burkum Service Award

Posted on: August 9th, 2018 by ldrucker

School of Journalism and New Media Associate Professor Deb Wenger, assistant dean for innovation and external partnerships, and her co-author Deborah Potter have been honored by the Electronic News Division of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication. They received the Burkum Service Award for their work in serving the journalism industry and journalism education.

School of Journalism and New Media launches new IMC online graduate degree program

Posted on: April 24th, 2018 by ldrucker

Interested professionals can earn a graduate degree in integrated marketing communication completely online through the Meek School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi starting in August.

This program is designed to give mid-career professionals an opportunity to learn how to use communication to connect people and organizations, without having to uproot their lives to become full-time students on a college campus. It also is opening the school’s programs to students around the world.

The master’s program in integrated marketing communication allows online students to take the same courses as residential students, with the only differences being the flexibility of delivery and the sequence of the courses.

“Demand is high for advanced study in how to integrate communication efforts to influence people’s behavior, but moving to Oxford to complete a graduate degree is quite difficult for people who are working full time and have other obligations,” said Robert Magee, program director and assistant professor of IMC.

Students can complete the 36-credit-hour degree program in two years by taking courses throughout the fall, spring and summer semesters.

“Because the online program is designed for people who are working full time, courses will be offered one at a time in the half-semesters and summer sessions,” Magee said. “This will enable a student to focus energy on each course and advance in a systematic way.”

The curriculum combines theory, insight and real-world application in the areas of audience research, analytics, creative production and brand strategy.

The demand for more education in the constantly changing industry of IMC is national and international, and this is the most effective way for professionals to pursue this degree, said Will Norton, UM journalism dean.

“We have partnerships in other nations with universities and schools that would like their graduates and students to be able to pursue our graduate degree program in integrated marketing communication,” Norton said.

Graduates are prepared for leadership roles in advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, media, nonprofit organizations, health care, political communication and sports.

The university’s IMC program was introduced in 2012 for undergraduate and graduate studies. Ole Miss is one of just a few institutions to offer this type of specialized degree, which has resulted in tremendous increase in student enrollment within the journalism school during the last six years.

Faculty members hope this program will offer unique opportunities for students, no matter where they live.

“People around the world will gain access to the knowledge and skills they need to influence behavior,” Magee said.

The application deadline is July 31. To apply for the program, click here. To learn more about the journalism and IMC programs at Ole Miss, visit https://jnm.olemiss.edu.

By Christina Steube