Ajman University Now Offers Master of Public Relations and Corporate Communication

Ajman University (AU), all set to meet the needs of local, regional and global labor markets, has come up with an all new Master of Public Relations and Corporate Communication program.

The program, designed by the College of Mass Communication, has received accreditation from the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Education of the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Karim Seghir, Ajman University Chancellor, said the program is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al-Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman and Chairman of AU Board of Trustees, to cope with the needs of the local, regional and global labor market in media, public relations and corporate communication.

“The program, designed to improve the employability of AU graduates and enrich the labour market with competent specialists in public relations and corporate communication, is to start in the first semester of the academic year 2020-2021.”

He added that the all new program provides the society and institutions with specialized professional consultants. “also copes with the rapid transformations, and boosts partnership with institutions and universities locally and abroad.”

Dr. Hossam Salama, Dean, College of Mass Communication, said the 33-credit hour program, is to help merge organizational goals with social responsibility programs in the UAE & GCC.

“Demonstrating and understanding the concepts, theories, and procedures for best practices in Public Relation & Corporate Communication in local and international contexts is one of the key learning outcomes of the program.”

The program, teaching strategic solutions to public relations issues and communication problems, develops a better strategic communication planning to achieve organizational goals, he added.

“Graduates will be able to communicate, interact, cooperate effectively and efficiently in written, oral, visual and combined formats, and apply new technologies in the field.”

The program helps produce effective, accessible, and timely print, digital and multimedia communications, independently and collaboratively, to manage specific stakeholder relations and/or issues and achieve set objectives, he elaborated. “It also develops personal and professional skills through self-learning, for effective and creative decision-making.”

Indicating, Dr Salama said the program is to be tentatively opened for admission on April 14, 2020, as per the academic calendar. “However, the opening date is yet to be confirmed as per the latest updates.”

Applicants need to have a bachelor degree with a directly related discipline with a minimum CGPA of 3.00 on a 4.00-point scale, from a university accredited by the UAE Ministry of Education, Dr Salama stated.

“Applicants also need to clear any of the recognized English proficiency tests, including EmSAT, with min score of (1400 – 1525), IELTS (6) or TOEFL (213 - Computer-Based Test), (79 - Internet-Based Test), or (550 - Paper-Based Test).”

For students to successfully pass the program, they need to complete the study of 33 credit hours, including 5 core courses, 4 elective courses, along with the final thesis, Dr Salama said. “Students can complete their degree in 4 semesters as a minimum and 8 semesters, including the foundation courses.”  

Students have also to complete the core and elective courses with a minimum AGPA of 3.0, and pass the thesis examination with a minimum of 80 percent (B grade) to be eligible for graduation, he underlined.

“Successful graduates will have a wide range of career opportunities, including executive directors, directors, consultants in PR, protocols and hospitality, academic researchers, consultants in event organization, and advertising planners.”