West Virginia University will showcase its Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) masters degree program for Washington, D.C.-area professional communicators at a special Feb. 28 event at the National Press Club.

The informational reception will be from 6-9 p.m. Communications professionals in public relations, advertising and marketing who are considering pursuing a masters degree are encouraged to attend to learn about the exclusively online graduate program.

Prospective students will have the opportunity to network with leaders in the communications industry and hear from IMC students about their experiences in the program. WVU P .I. Reed School of Journalism Dean Maryanne Reed and IMC faculty also will be available to discuss the program and how it can professionally propel communicatorscareers.

The IMC faculty members are experts in their fields and understand the rapidly evolving communications world,Reed said.This program focuses on cutting-edge principles driving change in the communications industry. It offers insight and real-world strategies that give IMC students an edge in the industry.

Prospective students will learn how IMC courses are designed with alearn it today, implement it tomorrowphilosophy at the networking event. This ensures that students can execute new strategies and ideas learned through the program immediately in their professional careers.

There will also be discussion of employer reimbursement and support of the program. Many employers offer tuition reimbursement or partial compensation for enrolling in the WVU IMC masters degree program.

Programs like WVU s IMC program give young professionals a leg up in the field,said Mike Fulton, executive vice president, GolinHarris International.I support that kind of professional growth and reward it.

WVU s IMC program is the first such masters degree program in the world to be made available exclusively online. Created specifically to meet the needs of busy professionals, the program offers students the opportunity to continue working while receiving a masters degree from a respected institution with seasoned communications faculty members.

The program was originally launched as a certificate program in 2001 and became a masters degree program in 2003. Since its inception, the program has grown from 17 students to more than 200 from 32 states and numerous countries around the world.

For more information, visithttp://www.imc.wvu.edu/.