Southern Utah University's Department of Communication - Online Master of Arts in Professional Communication Program

Southern Utah University (SUU) offers an online Master of Arts in Professional Communication through its Department of Communication in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. A 100 percent online degree, the program can be completed without any required in-person visits to campus. SUU uses the digital platform Canvas for online instruction. Through Canvas, students access their class materials, interact with instructors and classmates, submit assignments, participate in class discussion boards, and more.

The Master of Arts in Professional Communication requires 36 credit hours, which takes approximately 24 months of study to complete. The program’s curriculum allows students to select one of three Emphases: a General Emphasis, a Digital Media Emphasis, and a Strategic Communication Emphasis. Through this program, students can gain insight into and advanced skills in media production, social media strategy and content creation, organizational training, audience analysis, advertising and public relations campaigns, and more.

The 36-credit curriculum is divided between core courses (18 credits) and electives (18 credits). The core curriculum includes courses in Communication and Professional Development, Applied Communication Theory, Qualitative Communication Research, Quantitative Communication Research, and Professional Writing and Presentations. Through these courses, students learn about the fundamentals of communication theory, research writing, presenting and professional development, and qualitative and quantitative research methodologies for practical communication applications. Moreover, they learn how communication theories apply to the development and assessment of effective media materials, such as press releases, web content, training manuals, and social media content.

Upon completing their core coursework, students progress to their electives. The General Emphasis allows students to devote all 18 course credits to electives of their choosing, which can range in topic from mediated communication in relationships to contemporary communication issues, sports communication, and social media strategies. The Digital Media Emphasis requires students to devote 9 of their 18 elective course credits to courses in visual literacy and it application, pop culture messages, professional social media, and communication and digital culture. The Strategic Communication Emphasis requires students to complete 9 of their 18 elective credits in advertising and public relations, professional social media, sports communication, and strategic brand management. After fulfilling their Emphasis requirements, students focusing on Digital Media or Strategic Communication can fulfill their remaining elective credits by taking courses according to their other interests in professional communication.

The program culminates with a capstone learning experience, which can be completed as a Master’s Capstone Thesis or a Masters Capstone Project. The thesis is a structured, scholarly paper discussing original research that explores a specific communication event, phenomenon, pattern, or issue. Students develop a research proposal under the guidance of a faculty committee, and present both their proposal and later their final research results before this committee.

The Masters Capstone Project demonstrates the student’s grasp of advanced communication concepts and applied industry skills. This option results in a product such as a documentary, a public relations campaign, or an ongoing social media action plan that can be applied to a real company in industry. Students can also fulfill the Capstone Project through a professional internship that meets specific requirements and receives faculty advisor approval. Similarly to the thesis, students are required to present their work to a team of faculty advisors.

Southern Utah University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.