In the public relations program at Quinnipiac University, students have the opportunity to complete a thesis or a professional project. I was initially attracted to this program because I could choose which one to complete. I felt myself leaning toward completing a professional project, but I wanted to keep my options open because both have many benefits. My courses this semester really helped me to make the right decision.

This semester, I am taking a research design course. My fellow classmates and I have picked out our thesis topics and have been writing it in sections with the guidance of our professor. We actually conduct the research and analyze the results. Our class meets nontraditionally so we have a lot of time to conduct research and write our papers outside of class. It has been a huge help. We even get to submit our papers to a conference for a chance to be published!

At the same time, I am taking a strategic planning course. In this class, we are writing a campaign plan for a real client! We had to find our own clients, which sounds intimidating, but all of us were able to find one without a problem. I am actually writing a campaign plan for my church, Catalyst Church. It's really awesome because we conducted primary and secondary research for the client and create communication strategies. It has been so rewarding and really awesome to work so hands-on with clients.

For me, the choice was easy. I believe a professional project better suits me and I plan on doing that this summer. I only know of one other people who may do a professional project so far. For some of my classmates, writing a thesis is the way to go. Some of my classmates want to get doctorates some day. Most doctorate programs require you to have written a thesis. Plus, if you want to teach a master's level course someday, you do need a thesis in most cases.

So it really does come down to your personality and your future plans, but Quinnipiac helps you to figure out which selection is best. I am glad I was able to learn how to write a thesis and a professional project because it helped me to make my decision!

--Randi Iaco

Randi graduated in 2009 from Central CT State University with an undergraduate degree in Marketing. Subscribe to our feed for more posts from Randi.