Corporate Communications or Strategic Relationship Marketing

[principsd]

Hi guys,

I`ll try to keep it short and simple.
I`m in dilemma which college and program to choose. I`ve been accepted into Seneca`s post-grad Corporate Communications / PR program and at George Brown`s Strategic Relationship Marketing program. Corp.Comm. only offers CO-OP to about 20% of the students, so I`m not even counting on it. The good thing about Seneca`s program is that after graduating, you can get a Masters degree in as little time as 4 months!
The downside, in my case, to Seneca`s post-grad Corporate Communications program is that oral presentations take up 80% of the total workload. I just hate it - I hate speaking in front of 30,50,100 people. I love the Corp. Comm., but hate oral presentations.

On the other hand, George Brown offers Strategic Relationship Marketing program with a 4 month CO-OP term. I`ve been trying to find employment stats for this program, but not having much success so far. Employment seems to be difficult with the Corp. Comm. as well, so I suppose the decision should be made on the grounds of which of the two options I prefer - but....

I do not want to spend another year, or possibly more (if going for Seneca`s "fast-forward" masters` degree) and be jobless at the end of it all!
Any ideas with which program it is easier to get a job?

[jeffroach]

Hi principsd--

I've just read this post and I must say your homework is sdaly lacking.

I coordinate Seneca's Corporate Communications Program and I can tell you categorically that at least 75% of the students in it get a co-op gig if they want one. Co-op seats are available to at least half of the 80 odd students who join us every September, and all 30 of the students who join up in Januaryget a co-op seat if they want one. The co-op assignments last four months.

The notion that 80% of the Program workload entails presentations is also ludicrous. Presentations account for no more than 40% of the load and most of them are team presentations. The ability to present ideas cogently and engagingly is a key career success factor in any field. Try getting anywhere if you can't present well. We also put a lot of emphasis on team skills, writing skills, planning skills, research skills, priority-setting skills, and critical thinking/analytical skills because they also are critical career success factors.

And for the record, at least 80% of our grads are employed within four-five months after graduation.

We now have eight masters partners -- two in the US, three in Australia, and one in each of Scotland, England and South Africa. All of them grant our grads advanced standing in their programs. Two of our Australian masters partners credit our grads with having completed half their programs. In both cases, a Seneca Corp Com grad can enrol in the programs they offer and be back in Toronto with a masters degree in four months.

May I suggest that the next time you decide to write about us, do your readers and us a favour and check with me. I'm sure you mean well, but that's no excuse for getting the story wrong.