Medill IMC: A Niche Master’s in Marketing and Communications

MBA in Marketing: Medill Integrated Marketing Communications program

The world of business is changing rapidly, and so is the Marketing function. Digital Media and Communications strategies play a big role in shaping external perceptions about businesses today. This is why specialized Master’s programs like the Northwestern Medill IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) program are gaining more and more relevance and importance. The IMC program, and others like it, are ideal for professionals who wish to specialize in this niche area and do not feel the need for broader business education they can gain through an MBA. Applicants with bachelor’s degrees in business, management, or commerce find this program especially appealing as it allows them to build on the basics of business (as learnt during their bachelor’s) and also receive advanced instruction in marketing and communications.

The Medill IMC program is distinguished for a number of different reasons:

– It is offered by Northwestern University. While Northwestern is already very well known for its business school (Kellogg), it is equally renowned for the Medill School of Journalism, which offers different programs in journalism and integrated marketing communications.

– The program is rare – it is one among only a few that offers graduate instruction in marketing communications. Check out this link for an in-depth perspective on insights from the IMC program [the renowned Vitamin IMC initiative].

– The components of the program are very contemporary. Students can choose to specialize in Brand Strategy, Content Marketing, Digital and Interactive Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Media Management, or Strategic Communications.

– The Medill IMC program is offered in not just a Full-time, but also a part-time and an online format. Applicants looking to get the most of the program, however, are suggested to go for the full-time option.

The deadline for the full-time IMC program is January 15, and for the part-time IMC program is July 1.

What does Medill look for in prospective applicants?

Due to its very nature, the IMC program admissions committee looks for evidence of exceptional communication ability (written as well as spoken skills) in student applications. Students must demonstrate this in their written applications as well as in their interviews.

While work experience is NOT required to apply for the program, some contextual experience can be beneficial for applicants, and will help them appreciate the nuances of the program more.

Bachelor’s education in business is not required, and students in the current class have backgrounds as varied as Theatre, Law, Biology, and Engineering.

The Medill class has students from 15 countries around the world, and the median age of applicants is 26 years. Medill does not state a minimum or range for GMAT/GRE scores or GPAs, but instead says that it evaluates each application holistically.

This provides a great opportunity to students with lower GRE/GMAT scores to demonstrate the uniqueness of their profiles.

Ananya’s story – accepted into the IMC program

Ananya Gupta received her Bachelor’s in business (Marketing and Finance specialization) from a UK-based institution.

She was highly interested in a marketing career, but felt that she might not be in a position to apply to top MBA programs with little experience under her belt.

Although Ananya took up a position with a recruitment specialist firm, her heart still lay in Marketing. Ananya worked with GyanOne on her Medill IMC application.

Ananya’s key challenges lay in communicating how her background and professional experience had led her to choose Medill and the IMC program. Her statement of career goals too needed to be forward-looking as the experience she had carried little relevance to what IMC taught.

Working with GyanOne, Ananya explored and discussed various aspects of her profile. She was not only able to make a strong connection with her academic and professional background, but also state how IMC’s academic options would help her excel at the career she envisioned.

She sought out GyanOne’s help and advice to understand all the options offered by the IMC program fully, gain a great understanding of what each entailed, and also comprehend in detail which career options within the marketing and communications fields would be most suitable for her profile after the graduated.

Once these connections were made, creating the application became easy. Ananya submitted a winning application and received an admit from the Medill IMC program within two months.

GyanOne has worked with hundreds of MS and Master’s applicants looking at specialized programs in business, engineering, and finance. If you want to understand how they can help you, or are looking for admissions consulting to help you truly express the power of your profile in your applications, contact us at: info [at] gyanone [dot] com