Recruiters, alumni and corporate executives alike have been consistent in their call for developing more effective business communication skills. FAU’s College of Business (COB) has a unique program to fulfill this need because it emphasizes integration, which has been nationally recognized as developing more effective and more lasting communication skills in graduate business students.
The Business Communications Program (BCP) is designed to improve the written and oral communication skills of students in the College of Business master’s degree programs. The BCP and its dedicated faculty have been nationally recognized by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB International), the premier international accreditation agency for business schools.
Welcome to our website where you can learn about our program, its faculty, the accreditation recognition, and the feedback from students.
The BCP
Graduate
FAU’s College of Business (COB) graduate students must take the Graduate Business Communication Applications (GEB 6215) course during their first semester of graduate work. In this course, the graduate students acquire and refine their interpersonal, presentational, and written communication skills through a variety of assignments. These intensive, skill-building simulations are designed to teach COB graduate students to communicate both individually and as a group. The students are also taught how to present information dynamically, win support for ideas, and adapt communication to international audiences.
An equally important goal of GEB 6215 is to empower students to assess their own communication abilities and to identify areas of communication strengths and weaknesses. Upon completion of the course, students receive an incomplete or “I” grade. In the next step of the program, students must demonstrate their ability to use and maintain these higher-level communication skills throughout their graduate curriculum. Working in collaboration with the graduate course professors, the BCP faculty reviews and critiques academic and professional papers written for other graduate courses. Students must also be certified for a discipline-specific course presentation.
Note: GEB 6217: Communication Skills for Business Professionals substitutes for GEB 6215 in the Executive Education programs. It is a letter-graded, one- semester course with on-going support for students as they progress through their content courses.
The BCP Faculty
BCP faculty members possess advanced degrees in English, communication, and/or English as a second language and come to the program with business backgrounds. They provide communications training to local businesses and speak at local, national, and international meetings.
The BCP faculty is trained and dedicated to providing interactive, performance-based experiences. They are equally committed to providing one-on-one coaching to students as the students demonstrate their communication skills within their program-specific courses.
AACSB Recognition
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB International) is the premier international accreditation agency for business schools. When the GBCP was part of the COB evaluation for the first time, the AACSB International report stated, “The most noteworthy innovation is the Graduate Communications Program. This program involves an intensive experience designed to improve student oral and written communication proficiencies. The accolades from students and faculty for this program were unanimous. The team applauds this fine effort.”
The second AACSB International accreditation report, stated, “The extension and involvement of communication faculty (beyond the graduate communications course) in the evaluation
The third and most recent AACSB International Accreditation report (2007) stated, “The COB has developed a very effective and unique business communications program at the graduate level that utilizes first class facilities and teaching resources and fully integrates the skills learned in that course with the other courses in the curriculum – both written and oral. It is a model for other schools to follow.”
Student Feedback
A number of former students found the communication component to be one of the most valuable aspects of the entire graduate program. Feedback from former students also indicates that the BCP improves the marketability and promotability of COB graduate students.
“I wanted to tell you how much your communications program continues to help me. My boss continually comments on how well I write and think… both traits I developed as a direct result of my MBA training at FAU.” —Wayne Foraker
“Of all the classes I’ve taken in the MBA program, the one class I’ve found most beneficial was GEB. The knowledge I gained from GEB can be put to use every day.”—David Cantwell
“GEB 6215 has been one of the greatest classes I’ve taken in terms of skills and knowledge that I use on a daily basis.” —Rachel Vigness
“Your [GEB] class has helped me in every aspect of my work, in fact, if I ever moved back to Boca I would want to take it again!” —David Corsover
“I really learned a lot from the graduate business communications program. I use the Effective Use of Language skills when I’m preparing footnote disclosures to financial statements at work. I cut the deadwood and write to express rather than impress. I am also very careful now about the tone of my e-mails and how I express myself electronically. When I write an e-mail, I always think that my message might be forwarded, so I’m especially careful. I also share many of the skills that I learned in the program with my co-workers—they like to learn too! Finally, as a business person, I want to thank you for running such an excellent program [The BCP] is definitely improving the quality of the graduates at FAU, which in turn helps the entire business community. “—Joseph Trainor