A Guide To: Annenberg’s Progressive Degrees

By Judy Lee ‘17

First thing’s first: I’m not pursuing a progressive degree. However, I was very keen on pursuing one throughout my sophomore year and did an extensive amount of research into the prospect at the time. What primarily drove me towards obtaining a progressive degree was a career panic I had concerning receiving a master’s degree. I had been hearing a lot about how having a master’s degree will increase your competitiveness in the market (especially having one at such a young age) as well as boost your starting salary. In light of this, I did more research on possible master’s I could receive from Annenberg only to stumble upon a very tempting opportunity: pursue a master’s parallel to your bachelor’s and graduate with both degrees.

Depending on time management, you could even graduate on time with your bachelor’s, with your master’s as a bonus. Most times, however, you stay an extra semester or year to finish up the master’s. But, considering that it still cuts the time you’d need to earn a master’s after your bachelors in half, it may be a worthy investment. Here are some things you should know before applying:

Progressive Degrees Offered By Annenberg

Annenberg currently offers five options for progressive degrees, and they start at different points in the school year:

•       M.S. Digital Social Media (Spring Only)

•       M.A. Specialized Journalism (Late-July Start)

•       M.A. Specialized Journalism (the Arts) (Late-July Start)

•       Master of Communication Management (Fall Only) 

•       Master of Public Diplomacy (Fall Only) 

What Will I Need To Do

In order to initiate your process, you must first attend an information session where the progressive degree advisors will brief you on what to expect and other considerations you should take into account before pursuing the degree. However, you can begin your application before the meeting if you’re planning to be on top of it and are pretty sure you will go through with it.

In order to sign up for an information session, click here. Following, you will need to access the progressive degree application. Keep in mind that this is no ordinary application. This is rather extensive and requires you to map out the rest of your entire college semesters to ensure that you will be able to follow through and fit the master’s units into your existing schedule. You will be required to obtain signatures from faculty who will confirm your eligibility to take on the extra workload. 

What Else Should I Consider

If you are planning on pursuing a progressive degree, keep in mind that this will put you on a delayed track in terms of internships. Because of the intensity of the program, there won’t be much time to intern during the school year (or take on other extracurricular as you may have otherwise). Along the same vein, you will also not be able to study abroad—something that may be a make-or-break point for many. Dedication is absolutely imperative to succeed on this track. Ultimately, it isn’t anyone’s decision but yours. However, make sure you are educated in all you want from the degree and the opportunities you may find/miss because of it before making your decision!