(Edmonton) Two of Alberta's top post-secondary institutions have joined forces to deliver enhanced communications degrees for their students.
With a letter of intent signed Sept. 30, the University of Alberta's Communications and Technology Graduate Program and MacEwan University's Bachelor of Communication Studies program will begin to collaborate on learning pathway initiatives, capacity-building, research and special events, with the intent to enrich the learning environment for students and communities.
"This new agreement represents much more than a collaboration between two excellent academies," said Katy Campbell, dean of the U of A's Faculty of Extension, who signed the letter along with Denise Roy, dean of fine arts and communications at MacEwan. "The commitment on both sides to champion strategic communication will go great lengths toward realizing economic benefits through co-operation, enhancing the excellent curriculums of both programs and establishing our province as a sought-after destination for communications students."
"The letter of intent will set out some ideas and parameters for us to collaborate on things like programming, teaching and learning initiatives, and even research efforts," said Gordon Gow, director of the Master of Arts in Communications and Technology (MACT) program at the U of A. "We are embarking on a new relationship that will look at ways that we can bring our complementary strengths together to enrich and strengthen communication studies here in Edmonton."
"We're very excited about this letter of intent; we believe it's going to bring a lot of value to both these programs as well as to our students and to our profession," said Leslie Vermeer, chair of MacEwan's Bachelor of Communication Studies program. "It allows us to address some of the larger environmental mandates that we face in Alberta today, but it also allows us to do the things that we do best and to draw from our shared strengths."
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications at MacEwan specializes in providing outstanding programs in the visual, performing and communication arts.
The Communications and Technology Graduate Program at the U of A offers a theoretical, historical and practical examination of communications in the era of the Internet, social media and mobile devices. The MACT degree is designed for those who wish to provide reflective and informed leadership in the management and use of information and communications technologies in their organizations, fields and communities. The graduate degree is delivered in a blended format of classroom and online learning. Students can complete it part-time within two years.