Five reasons communicators need the UNC MATC
1. Engage with like-minded and driven peers.
The MATC admits small groups of talented students who experience the program together. Students interact with and learn from one another online and in person, fostering camaraderie through a shared desire to retool for digital media. This tight-knit support group is a professional asset and adds depth to the learning process.
“The relationships that you form in this program really are amazing,” recent MATC graduate Darin Dillehunt says. “It’s a wow factor. After just one semester of classes, it’s amazing how you can recognize somebody right away by how they contribute to a discussion, how they interact with each another, and the feedback that they give. I think the biggest thing for me is that you really develop strong bonds with people you’ve never met face to face.”
2. Learn what you don’t know.
The MATC program aims to train leaders in digital and strategic communication. Through its innovative curriculum, the MATC offers a convergence of changing communication skills and practices that cannot be obtained through other programs. Many communicators are still trying to master analytics, multimedia, visual storytelling and leadership in digital media; don’t be one of them.
“You challenge yourself academically, professionally and even personally with the MATC program,” says student Meg Crawford. “I gained a knowledge base that I obviously didn’t have before that lets me go into my professional endeavors with a confidence to lead projects and to try innovative things, knowing that I have the educational background to do so.”
3. Practice and refine your skills with applied learning experiences.
Throughout the program, students combine previously acquired skills with new knowledge to sharpen their communication practices. Challenging courses with practical research opportunities allow students to test their ideas in an interactive learning environment. Students complete a final project that studies an issue or challenge facing an organization or business with a digital media focus. It emphasizes both scholarly and practical application, and many students use the project as an opportunity to further their professional work.
“My final project grew out of an interest I developed in the law class about issues relating to the use of social media institutionally and by school system employees,” says Andy Cagle, who directs marketing and communications at Richmond Community College. “I examined policy guidelines as well as legal cases where North Carolina public education employees lost their jobs for things they did or said on social media. Then, I crafted a social media policy for the college I work for. It has been implemented and received positively by faculty and staff.”
4. Use your master’s to advance your career.
A master’s degree in technology and communication is a career booster. At commencement, 88 percent of graduates reported a new job or increased salary that they directly attribute to the MATC. Employers are looking for communicators who understand and can manage both traditional and modern strategies. With confidence in their up-to-date skills, students emerge as leaders in their organizations and fields.
“If you are interested in taking your career in communications to the next level, I think it’s a great program for that,” says graduate John Zhu. “That’s what I was expecting going in, and I definitely feel like that’s what I got coming out. I have definitely seen my career take an upswing. I got a new job right after I finished the program; it was a good step up. The MATC helped me land that job.”
5. Join the UNC network.
The MATC is brought to you by the premier UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Our program helps link students with each other, esteemed faculty, industry professionals, and alumni that they see as colleagues, connections and support throughout the program and after completion. The UNC network is a powerful resource for graduates as they continue working in the world of media and journalism in the future