Engagement with the Industry
As a professional program, Mass Communication strives to build enduring working relations with the communications industry in the UAE. MCM students are provided with opportunities for on-site internships that run up to 120 hours as part of their program completion requirements. Internships are conducted in summer for Junior II students who are passionate about practicing their creative skills in a professional context. Around 100 MCM students attend internships in the UAE and abroad, thus gaining first-hand exposure to real-world working media environments where they get to know about what it takes to be a professional communicator. Many students take internships as opportunities for greater networking with industry professionals, giving them an advantage in searching for jobs after they graduate.
The MCM Department’s engagement with the communications industry also takes the form of inviting top-notch professionals to meet our students and provide them with valuable insights and ideas about market trends and requirements. Invited professionals included those working in journalism, online media, social media, marketing communications and government communication. In many cases, guest speakers are later able to reconnect with MCM students about to graduate and recruit them to work in their organizations.
Finally, the Department bolsters industry relations through the establishment of an Advisory Board made up of leading media and communications figures. The mission of the MCM Advisory Board is to advise the Department on curricular development, student internships and training and professional media development. The Board held its first meeting in March 2017 with the participation of members from leading online and print UAE-based media and key PR and advertising agencies.
