Thinking about Masters in Communications

[starstruck]

Hi Guys!

I'm new to the forum. I'm currently going into my senior year at UC Berkeley, majoring in Economics. I want to get my MBA in the future, but after graduation I want to go into either consulting/management or marketing. I have a pretty low gpa (<3.0) but I think by the time I apply for grad schools I can get it above a 3.0, and that is why I am considering graduate school in communication as opposed to simply starting to work. I may get a job after undergrad, but I really feel like I would enjoy getting another degree.

I don't quite know all the communications programs, and I tried researching today, but it would be helpful if someone could tell me some programs/schools to apply to. I don't want to go into journalism, but rather more toward the management/communications side of things. I looked at USC's program and it looks great. After graduation, does anyone know if the USC graduates usually go on to do consulting? I read one of the testimonials and someone worked at Deloitte, but I would really like more information about success rates of people going to graduate school and then going into consulting or management-related jobs.

Thanks so much and sorry for the long post.

[rparkerV]

It's really important that you bring your GPA up to a 3.0 or higher before you apply. Most programs require a 3.0 at the lowest. After that, a good GRE score and intruiging resume could make up for a low-ish GPA. I am assuming you are taking summer classes, since most app deadlines are in January...I guess you could bring up your grades in the fall as well if you send in your transcript right after grades come out.

[socialcomm]

If you're interested in USC, you might want to contact current or past students -- often schools have a list on their websites.

What kind of management consulting do you want to do? You might want to look at I/O psychology programs and MBA programs (I know you said this was in the future...) as well.