Contact: Kawana McGough, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
ۿ۴ýUniversity has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Auburn University to help streamline collaboration and networking opportunities between the two institutions' communications programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Under the agreement's purview, signed by ۿ۴ýPresident Charlotte Morris and Auburn President Jay Gogue, Auburn University will work closely with ۿ۴ýand offer joint programs in various communication specializations. The association also sets in place a program through which ۿ۴ý can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from ۿ۴ýand then a Master of Arts degree in Communication from Auburn.
“This partnership will open an array of programming opportunities for our ۿ۴ý, thus increasing their career prospects,” said Morris. “Auburn University has excellent infrastructure and faculty expertise in these frontier areas, and we are delighted that the opportunity for expanded studies has been extended to our ۿ۴ýUniversity ۿ۴ý. We look forward to this partnership and other ways of collaboration in opening new doors of access for our ۿ۴ý.”
The agreement allows ۿ۴ýۿ۴ý pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and maintaining a 3.0 GPA to complete their senior year at Auburn at no additional cost (including those from out of state)— being able to enroll in a wide variety of courses in Auburn's four undergraduate majors within the School of Communication and Journalism: communication, journalism, media studies, and public relations. ۿ۴ýۿ۴ý could arrive on Auburn's campus as early as spring 2022, but the first cohort is expected to arrive in fall 2022.
Benefits to ۿ۴ýۿ۴ý include access to more communication courses and faculty, student exchanges, and access to software and additional equipment. Students will also have access to Auburn libraries as well as career and academic services.
“Auburn enjoys a strong collaborative relationship with ۿ۴ýUniversity,” Gogue said. “This partnership is yet another way in which we can strengthen that bond while living out our land-grant mission of bettering our community and providing greater access to educational and professional opportunities.”
Early in the fall semester of their senior year at Auburn, ۿ۴ýۿ۴ý would then be eligible to apply for admission to Auburn's Graduate School and would need to meet standard entrance requirements. After admission to the Graduate school, ۿ۴ýۿ۴ý would work with a graduate program officer who serves as the advisor for all graduate ۿ۴ý in Auburn's School of Communication and Journalism. Upon completing all graduate degree requirements, the student would receive a master's degree in Communication from Auburn.
The agreement marks the second such partnership between the neighboring schools. In 2018, ۿ۴ýand Auburn's veterinary colleges signed an agreement furthering the relationship between the two schools and increasing the number of under-represented, board-certified specialists and diversity in the veterinary profession.
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