A communicative business partnership – Darla Moore School of Business

New opportunity for Moore School, College of Information and Communications students
or alumni creates a direct pathway to master’s programs

The Darla Moore School of Business and the College of Information and Communications
are collaborating to offer direct admissions into select Moore School master’s programs
for CIC undergrads and CIC master’s programs for Moore School undergrads.  

Moore School Dean Rohit Verma and CIC Dean Tom Reichert recently celebrated the formal
agreement for the direct admissions pathway at an event at the Moore School.

“Partnering with the College of Information and Communications so that our graduating
students can be directly admitted into their master’s programs greatly benefits our
school, especially our marketing students who often minor in communications or take
communications courses in their undergraduate studies,” Verma said. “This partnership
also provides a great opportunity for CIC grads to directly enroll in the Moore School’s
master’s and One-Year MBA programs so they can learn the business side for future
communications careers.”

According to the agreement between the Moore School and CIC, students in either program
can apply at the start of their senior year to gain admission for the fall directly
after they graduate. CIC students can enroll in the One-Year MBA, Master of Science
in Business Analytics, Master of International Business or the Master of Arts in Economics.
Moore School students can enroll to any of the CIC’s master’s programs. Alumni for
both programs are also encouraged to apply and will be given priority.

“We’re very excited to partner with the Moore School to help our students gain a competitive
edge in the communications market,” Reichert said. “Students with business acumen
are hyper-competitive when their skillset also includes how to communicate and work
with information. Business, communications and information education are closely aligned.
The CIC looks forward to working with the Moore School so that students get this robust
educational exposure in only five years.”

Students enrolling in either program must have a 3.5 GPA or higher, meet the general
admissions standards for their master’s program and complete an application. Faculty
recommendations can replace the formal interview for the Moore School applicants.

“I’m most excited about the opportunity this program provides our students and the
skills they will gain,” said Lyda Fontes McCartin, director of the CIC’s School of Information Science. “This program will benefit
our students in being very successful, and the Moore School’s master’s programs allow
them to start thinking and planning their career path earlier — having all their hard
work pay off sooner.”

This partnership aligns with USC’s mission to create graduate program cohorts that
serve the state as a pipeline to South Carolina companies and organizations.

“I think this is an opportunity for two well-regarded programs to come together for
students, so they get the best of both worlds. So, they’ll get the writing from communications
and the creative strategy from the business school,” said Damion Waymer, director
of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. “By wedding these two programs
together, students prepare for the industry and the 21st-century workplace.”

This is the Moore School’s second internal USC partnership established this spring
after a similar agreement was approved for the College of Engineering and Computing. That agreement offers combination degrees for students who want to pursue a One-Year
MBA or Master of Science in Business Analytics degree after their undergraduate degree.

“Academic alliances like these are a priority for me and for the Moore School to fully
take advantage of all of the resources at USC while offering great degree options
for undergraduate Moore School students who want to continue their education and add
to their overall portfolio,” Verma said.