GCU School of Business Changes Name, Expands Academic Offerings
The School of Business at Georgian Court is now the School of Business and Digital Media. The name change, effective immediately, reflects the growing use of digital technology in new product development, business promotions, marketing, and e-commerce.
“We are developing more integrated programs and presenting multidisciplinary programs that meet the needs of businesses in diverse fields,” said Joseph R. Marbach, Ph.D., president of Georgian Court University. “Employers are actively recruiting students who have knowledge digital arts, digital communication, technology and business—skills that cut across a wide variety of positions in so many industries.”
Dr. Marbach joined Janice Warner, Ph.D., dean of the GCU School of Business and Digital Media, in announcing the name change at a recent GCU business leaders breakfast, one of many inaugural events planned to celebrate the start of Dr. Marbach’s tenure as GCU’s ninth president.
Digital communication and digital media faculty members, whose courses were formerly housed in GCU’S School of Arts and Sciences, have worked together with the School of Business for years and share responsibility for the university’s minor in social media marketing, Dr. Warner explained. They are also developing an e-commerce program and expanding the school’s global reach through partnerships in Bhutan, El Salvador, Mexico, and the Netherlands.
Name Change Reflects Market Demands
“Our focus is on helping students apply what they learn in the classroom to their career goals, no matter where that career takes them,” said Dr. Warner. She added that all coursework in the School of Business and Digital Media requires student internships with clear learning goals and student reflections tying the experience to their professional plans.
GCU faculty members, who work closely with industry professionals, also said the name change is timely and relevant, especially as organizations seek to hire talented content creators.
“Integrating our programs in graphic design and multimedia, digital communication, and digital design with the School of Business conveys a business-oriented sense of professionalism to these majors,” said Edmond Salsali, Ph.D., assistant professor and chair of the Department of Communication, Graphic Design, and Multimedia. “This reorganization also allows students to be more aware of the marketing and industry-related aspects of their fields.”
“Digital communication majors blend skills of journalistic writing with the aesthetic of design to add real value to modern-day organizational marketing and promotion efforts,” said assistant professor Gina Marcello, Ph.D., who leads GCU’s digital communication program. “We recognize we need to prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist.”
Students in the GCU School of Business and Digital Design will also have access to necessary tools of the trade, including GCU’s high-technology International Collaboration Center, which allows for team-teaching and collaboration with peers worldwide; a dedicated Mac lab; PC labs; and digital photography studios.
“The inclusion of four new majors in the School of Business and Digital Media provides more opportunity for our students to develop the skills required to create, manage, and distribute innovative content for diverse audiences,” said Dr. Marcello. “The business community continues to demand graduates who are able to manage all aspects of organizational growth with a heavy emphasis placed on digital content creation skills.”
The GCU School of Business and Digital Media offers the following degree programs:
B.A. in Digital Communication
B.A. in Digital Design
B.F.A. in Graphic Design and Multimedia
B.S. in Accounting
B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance, Management, Marketing, and Sports Management
M.B.A., Master of Business Administration
In addition, the school offers minors in digital communication, graphic design, accounting, business administration, management, marketing, social media marketing, and sports management. At the graduate level, students can also pursue GCU certificates in business essentials, nonprofit management, and parish business management.
What can you do with a degree from the GCU School of Business and Digital Media? Learn more about business, digital media and digital communication offerings at our Open House.
