Answer: Yes, there are currently 54 online master’s in strategic communication programs offered at schools throughout the United States.

Strategic communication is defined as the various forms of communication management and strategy that further the objectives of an organization, including organizational communication, marketing communication, and public relations. Online master’s in strategic communication programs provide students with the knowledge and skills to tackle communication challenges and initiatives in a variety of organizational settings, including in the marketing, public relations, and human resources departments of corporations, political advocacy organizations, advertising agencies, and at non-profit organizations. These programs teach students the principles of persuasive communication, communication ethics, new media technologies and how to leverage them, social media strategies, marketing campaign design and implementation, and communication research and data analysis.

Graduates of online master’s in strategic communication programs typically pursue careers in marketing and advertising, public relations, human resources, creative media, and advocacy for organizations in both the public and private sectors. Online programs in this field may be beneficial for communication professionals who wish to pursue their degree while maintaining full-time employment. However, these programs are no less rigorous than their campus-based counterparts, and often use interactive elements to ensure student engagement in the course content. Online master’s in communication programs, like campus-based programs, also typically require students to complete a master’s thesis, research project, comprehensive exam, and/or a practicum experience in addition to fulfilling course requirements.

Examples of Online Master’s in Strategic Communication Programs

Currently, there are 54 online master’s in strategic communication programs in the United States. Below are brief descriptions of four of these online master’s in strategic communication programs:

• American University’s School of Communication has an Online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication with courses that cover the principles of strategic communication, strategic communication research and writing, media ethics, digital advocacy, political communication, crisis communication, and global strategic communication.
• The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Media offers an Online Master of Science in Strategic Brand Communication featuring courses in strategic branding, business management, consumer behavior and insights, promotional strategy, data analytics and visualization, media management, and project management.
• The University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers an Online Master’s in Strategic Communication with courses in media management, strategic communication campaigns, risk communication, strategic political communication, leadership communication, strategic healthcare, and copywriting.
• Washington State University’s Department of Strategic Communication offers an Online Master’s in Strategic Communication with classes in professional multimedia content, global crisis communication management, persuasive rhetoric in the workplace, digital content promotion, brand development, consumer behavior, and professional marketing communication campaigns and management.

Most online master’s in strategic communication programs have graduation requirements in addition to the completion of coursework. These requirements may include a comprehensive examination covering core program concepts, a master’s thesis that investigates an issue in strategic communication, an applied project that seeks to address a communication challenge within a particular setting, and/or an internship that gives students the opportunity to apply the concepts they learn in class to work in a real professional setting.

Example Curriculum and Courses in Online Master’s in Strategic Communication Programs

Below is a sample curriculum for an online master’s in strategic communication program. Please note that programs vary in their course content and sequencing, and that the curriculum provided below is only an example.

For a comprehensive list of campus-based, online, and hybrid master’s in strategic communication programs, as well as details on the typical courses and other requirements that these programs entail, please refer to our Master’s in Strategic Communication Programs resource page.

Note: MastersinCommunications.com classifies master’s in communication programs based on program curricula including required and elective courses. The programs included on this page do not have to have a specific specialization in strategic communication, but they must include courses in areas such as strategic communication, organizational leadership, corporate and organizational communication, crisis communication, social media strategy, public relations, and/or marketing communication. Therefore, programs with several different names, including: master’s in communication, communication management, corporate communication, integrated marketing communication, and mass communication may be found on this page.

Directory of Online Master’s in Strategic Communication Programs