“There’s no end to what you can do if you have creativity and patience.”

Words of wisdom offered by alumna Amy Eisman, SOC/MA ’76, who, as a graduate student, wrote WAMU news scripts under the guidance of famed CBS journalist and founder of AU’s broadcast journalism program Ed Bliss.

After serving as a managing editor at AOL during 9/11 and as an editor with Gannett for 17 years, Eisman follows Bliss’ footsteps to lead the next generation of communication professionals through the AU School of Communication’s new master’s degree program in media entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Kogod School of Business.

“This is not a job for me, because I find AU incredibly engaging,” says Eisman, acknowledging that she is no stranger to evolving the minds of communication students. She already leads SOC’s MA in Interactive Journalism program and has served as director of SOC's basic writing classes.

Eisman regards the MA in Media Entrepreneurship as a prime opportunity to inspire communication professionals, evolve basic skills, and develop ideas into entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial successes.

“American University is poised to be on the cutting edge of intrapreneurship,” a concept Eisman defines as creating new concepts and products for a larger organization versus starting a new business venture.

The MA in Media Entrepreneurship is designed to support the schedules of working professionals as it offers 10 courses over 20 months and classes that meet one night per week and every other Saturday. The program offers rolling admissions; but to be considered for merit-based awards, prospective students should apply by August 1.

“We want to collate and build the media industry in the Washington D.C. region, and we are developing a committee of advisors from the corporate community to help us do it,” says Eisman.

As the only master’s degree program in media entrepreneurship based in the region, AU’s MA in Media Entrepreneurship is sure to offer a fresh and competitive advantage to professionals seeking an edge in the ever-changing media landscape.