New M.S. in International Communication Offers Opportunities for Study Abroad and Overseas Internships

August 05, 2009

Beginning this fall, students interested in pursuing a career in global communications will be able to specialize in the growing field of International Communication at St. John’s University.

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A newly approved Master of Science in International Communication will provide graduate students with opportunities to study overseas and to obtain internships in places such as Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Rome, as well as with The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (AESAN) institutions in Indonesia.

The brainchild of Basilio Monteiro, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mass Communication in the College of Professional Studies, the graduate program was recently introduced at a ceremony on St. John’s Manhattan campus, where an enthusiastic group of 80 mingled over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in Saval Auditorium.

“This program will equip our students with the necessary tools to become true ‘globalists’ with the acquisition of foreign languages and better understanding of other cultures,” says Dr. Monteiro. “We must all come to terms with the fact that "globalization" is here to stay, and we have to find ways to live with it both as professionals and as responsible citizens.”

During the spirited occasion, prospective students who wish to study international communication and its impact on a global society, academics, media professionals, and corporate and Wall Street executives contributed to the energetic conversation on the importance of communications and contemporary global issues involving culture, human rights, advocacy, war, economy and technology.

A panel discourse themed “International Communications: A New Paradigm of Global Communication” moderated by Aseem Chhabra, a New York-based freelance journalist and correspondent, followed. Panelists included industry experts Loretta Ucelli, Former Assistant to the President and Director of White House Communications for President Bill Clinton; Kirk Stewart, Executive Vice President and Leader of the Corporate Communication Practice at APCO Worldwide, J. Max Robins, Vice President and Executive Director of The Paley Center’s Media Council and International Council and Asif Khan, Managing Partner, DFG Investment Advisers.

An Emerging Profession
“With the presence of advancing technologies, all countries now live a global village,” says Frank Brady, Ph.D, Chairman of the Mass Communications Department. “It becomes necessary learn to communicate on a global level. Our new M.S. degree will prepare students to become more effective communicators in a humanistic way within the 21-century.”

According to Dr. Monteiro, the M.S. degree fits perfectly with the University’s Vincentian mission. Students receive a greater understanding of human dignity and development through engagement, service and academic excellence.

The program’s courses examine the functions and operations of various media outlets, encompass a range of theoretical and historical studies, and explore the understanding of international communications. The curriculum will include Media, Communication and Public Policy, International Communication, Crisis Communication, International Communication and Global Development. 

“I am enthused about this graduate degree program,” states Kathleen MacDonald, Dean of the College of Professional Studies. “Given the University’s mission of global education and the Vincentian zeal for service, it really is ideal. The launch was an extremely exciting event with experts in the field offering support of the program and its goals.”

For more information about the M.S. in International Communication program contact:

Basilio G. Monteiro, Ph.D
College of Professional Studies
Division of Mass Communications
718-990-6807
monteirb@stjohns.edu

or
Graduate Admission Information
Office of Graduate Admission
(718) 990-1601
gradhelp@stjohns.edu