Alumni Spotlight: Elizabeth Smith (’23 and ’25)

Derek Brewer | Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Elizabeth Smith
B.A. Music Business and Industry (’23), M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications, (’25)

In this Alumni Spotlight, we are lucky enough to get a chance to speak with WVU Online’s very own Marketing Analyst, Elizabeth Smith! Elizabeth is a two-time WVU alumna, having earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Business and Industry. This semester, she completed her online master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media. She is now using her skills to research and analyze the performance of WVU’s online programs to turn actionable insights into data-driven marketing strategies.

Elizabeth Smith poses with Woodburn Hall behind her on WVU's campus.

Photo: Elizabeth Smith poses in front of Woodburn Hall on WVU's campus.

What specifically led you to WVU Online?

I completed my undergrad degree through WVU’s main campus. After that, well, I don't want to say I didn’t know what I was doing with my life, but I guess we'll call it that. I had a marketing minor in my undergrad, and I wanted to further my studies in that topic, and I was looking for something flexible and more affordable.

I wanted to continue at WVU because I was already living here, and all of my friends are still here. I had a really good experience completing my undergrad, so I knew the credibility of the university and faculty.

What program were you studying?

The M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Did you enjoy it?

Very much so!

What made you choose this program over other business and marketing programs?

There were a lot of elective options and different areas that I could study. Especially for someone who didn't have that much of a marketing background, it was nice to have a big variety of things I could study and not be stuck to one specific curriculum. I had a lot of flexibility, and I could make it my own.

In as few or as many words as you would like, how was your experience in the program?

Good, but stressful! It’s been nice that I could select how many classes I wanted to take a term/semester, so my life didn’t have to revolve entirely around school, but have school fit in around my work.

It’s been a good experience. It's definitely a big commitment, but I'm proud of that. A difficult curriculum kind of makes you work harder and gives you a better outcome. I graduated this year and am very grateful for the program!

Do you feel that through the classes you’ve taken, you’re prepared for your new role? Is there an opportunity to take the things that you've learned and directly apply them to what you're doing now?

Yes! It’s been rewarding to apply what I’ve learned, especially here working with WVU Online! 

How does it feel to have come full circle, going from taking these courses to now being part of the team that showcases them to prospective students?

Yes! I like being able to help people and hopefully make our programs better and more competitive compared to others. I can’t wait to work with other parts of campus and make these programs even better. 

What were some of your favorite classes?

Creative Strategy and Execution was one of my favorites!  Internal Brand Communication, that one was good. Research and Analysis was also pretty good. I also really liked Crisis Communication. Sorry, I’m trying to recall all the courses that I’ve taken, there were about 30 of them! I do want to give a special shout out to some really great professors, though. Thank you to Dr. Amy Teller, Dr. Grace Gao, and Dr. Larry Stultz! 

How long did your whole program take, start to finish?

I did it in a year and a half!

Is that a standard timeframe?

Mine was expedited. I took almost two courses every eight weeks.

How were the courses structured? Did you have synchronous lectures, or was it a lot of asynchronous modules to work through on your own time?

There were a lot of modules to work through on your own. We had deadlines every week that we had to meet, but you were able to read through the lectures by yourself. Some professors would even provide presentations that you could listen to. The expectation really was just to have everything completed by the next week, so there was plenty of time to get things done. There definitely was structure, but it wasn't too much structure that you felt like you couldn't do anything else in your free time.

With the way the courses are structured, were you able to find a nice way to balance your work and life?

I think not having everything due all at once is very helpful because you can kind of work through it periodically. An example would be with certain courses and how discussions are set up. You would have the initial discussion board post due one day, and then two days later you would have the responses due. Then, you would have three full days of no assignments to work on your big project.

So, it was more like you had some smaller assignments coupled with larger ones?

Yeah. What was nice is not all of the time, but most of the time the discussion posts would align almost perfectly with your actual big assignment. These discussion board assignments directly apply to what you were working on.

What was a challenge that you had to overcome during your time at WVU?

My first semester I broke my hand and I got a concussion. My professors were very accommodating and flexible to make sure that I was still able to, not only finish the course, but also succeed in it.

After having gone through the process of completing an online program, do you have any study tips that you found particularly helpful?

The WVU Library where all of the databases are and the extra articles that are all peer reviewed, is a huge help. Those databases are super nice because you know you're getting factual information to put into your reports, which is important because not everything is up to date. And you can also find a diverse range of topics.

Also, just ask questions! Sometimes, especially in an online program, you can be kind of scared to reach out to people because everything is virtual. But, you know, you have to understand that it is their job to help you through this process, and they want to help you, but they won't know you need help unless you reach out.

As far as connecting with classmates and faculty, were there opportunities to do that?

Yeah! A lot of professors hold weekly or monthly meetings just for students to come and ask questions. They also have office hours too, which is super helpful. Some professors would even put their personal calendar in the curriculum so you could go in and schedule an appointment with them outside of their set office hours to ask questions and interact more face-to-face instead of just connecting over email.

You can even connect over LinkedIn. Even through other social media! I know some of the other girls that I was in courses with, we would reach out through Instagram if we had questions about certain things, but it was nice. You have to reach out, basically. Don't be scared to connect is the name of the game. Get out of your comfort zone.

Any additional advice want you pass on to any prospective students?

Take a course that you don't know anything about. I took a Healthcare Marketing course, and I didn't really know anything about healthcare marketing. I learned a lot, and I think you can apply those things even if it's not directly in your field. You can still apply the knowledge that you learned from other courses and apply it towards your career. Try courses that you're not necessarily super comfortable with. That way you can kind of get the full experience.

Do you have any online student 'life hacks' you’re willing to share?

Probably the library databases, again! There’s so much good information in there with a lot of other great resources. The WVU Library and the staff there are awesome. They’re happy to help with any question about research you could think of.

What's on your study playlist?

Jazz music or some classical vibes. Oh, yeah, also those binaural beats. Those really help me focus.

When you say jazz, are you listening to the old school stuff?

Usually pretty mellow jazz or big band jazz. It’s sometimes old school and sometimes not. Honestly, anything that pops up on the Apple Music Focus Station is what I'm listening to.

Are you the type of person that music with lyrics throws you off when you're studying?

Oh. Big time.

Any last-minute parting words or anything you'd like to share with us?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors and peers to connect! This is a safe place to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Oh, and Let’s Go Mountaineers!

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