Kyle Eubanks, M.A. Communication
Kyle Eubanks is a 2014 graduate of the communication studies program, which is offered on the Tahlequah campus. This program gives an interdisciplinary approach to communication, and is recommended to those in the fields of journalism, business, education, advertising and public relations to enhance their written, oral and mass communication skills.
My degree was in communication, said Eubanks. I was intrigued by the idea of understanding how we as humans speak to each other, and the particular theories and ideas that go into the way we think and process information. My undergraduate degree was in marketing and advertising, so I thought this would be a great route to further my understanding of people and the proper way to communicate given context within a conversation.
Eubanks says his time as working as an advertising manager for The Northeastern Northeastern State University's student-led online publication played an important role in his decision to pursue a graduate degree.
I was the advertising manager for The Northeastern starting my junior year of undergrad, said Eubanks. At the time, enrolling in a master's program was not on my radar, but after some convincing from my peers it seemed that would be the best way to both further my education and continue my growth at The Northeastern. In between my first year of grad school, The Northeastern transitioned to a fully online publication, and I was very instrumental in that transition. I was the last grouping to get to see an actual printed copy of the paper. I was both sad and ecstatic that we were moving with the times by producing an online publication.
Eubanks said he will always remember the peers he interacted with in his graduate classes who challenged his way of thinking.
In undergrad, you are grouped with people who may be taking those classes you are in just to graduate or it is required, said Eubanks. In most graduate programs, you are with a group of people who are striving for more and want to learn. I was pushed in a way that I never thought was possible. Conversely, I was able to see viewpoints from others that I may not have even bothered to recognize in undergrad.
Professors in the Communication Department were also a memorable part of the graduate school.
The communications program has a great group of leaders who I know are still pushing students for excellence, said Eubanks. Dr. David Scott and Dr. Mike Chanslor are a few of my professors that I will always remember. I believe they are both still teaching at NSU, I highly recommend both of them if you are looking to be pushed and understand things in a different way. Additionally, Dr. Bill Wallace was a great professor and a huge asset to NSU. I believe he is retired, but those guys shaped my way of thinking to a whole different level of understanding.
While graduate school is anything but a walk in the park, by developing skills in their chosen field, students can expand their skillsets and knowledge on topics they want to explore, like Eubanks. Students can carry this information with them for the rest of their lives, and it can even help them succeed in their careers.
I had no idea how many research papers I was going to write before getting accepted into the program, but I am glad I did it, said Eubanks. I still remember several papers I wrote and reference them to this day. I had the freedom to pick my topics as well. From applying a feminist leadership theory to Phil Jackson's coaching style with the Chicago Bulls, to developing a new theory on how people lie to each other based on specific information from deception in human theory, to analyzing Ted Kennedy's Chappaquiddick speech based on Kenneth Burke's pentad analysis. You may think I am a crazy nerd for still knowing that, but I found it so interesting at the time that it really stuck with me.
When considering applying for graduate school, Eubanks advises current undergraduate students to make their decision for the right reasons.
Make the right choice, said Eubanks. Don't just go to grad school to get a master's degree, find your niche, reach out to others, ask questions and try to figure out the core curriculum for that degree plan.