Temple University offers an online Master of Science in Communication Management through the Klein College of Media and Communication. An entirely online program, the master’s degree can be completed without making any in-person visits to Temple’s campus in Philadelphia. The program uses both synchronous and asynchronous instruction, with some classes having live scheduled weekly classes that students must attend in the evening. For online instruction and program management, Temple uses the Canvas learning management system. Students attend lectures through the platform, access other course materials and assignments, and communicate with instructions and classmates.
The Master of Science in Communication Management is a 31-credit program that can be completed in a single calendar year. The curriculum emphasizes data analytics-informed communication strategies that also employ emerging media technologies, organizational communication tactics, and audience analysis. The degree revolves around strategic communication within the public and workplace settings. Through the program, students develop skills in strategic communication campaign design and deployment, resolving employee conflicts, conducting public opinion research, and analyzing audience and consumer behavior. Through the master’s curriculum, students can also complete requirements for three graduate certificates that they can feature on their resumes post-graduation: Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution, Strategic Communication and Cross-Cultural Leadership, and Public Relations.
The ten-class curriculum provides students with a foundational understanding of both advanced communication theory and research methods. Students take Communication Management Research Methods, Organizational Communication, Social Responsibility in Corporations and Not-for-Profit Organizations, and Communication Theory for Professionals. These courses give students a strong foundation in advanced communication theory and research methods, organizational communication and leadership, and business communication ethics.
From there, students take six additional courses, Communicating Organizational Leadership, Leadership in Crises and Conflict Management, Leading Diverse Teams, Cross-Cultural Leadership, Conflict Management Processes in the Workplace, and Designing Workplace Dispute Systems. These courses give students advanced training in negotiation and conflict resolution, fostering intercultural communication and cross-cultural leadership, and designing team and organizational structures to ensure strong lines of communication and management. Students also learn how to identify and analyze the elements of success in a diverse teamwork environment, and how to develop and hone these elements in ways that are tailored to employees’ needs and their organization’s mission.
The program culminates in a final project that allows the student to synthesize what they have learned and apply it to a real-world communication problem. Students create a strategic management plan that addresses a critical communication problem in an organizational setting. The project includes a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation that is video recorded and submitted to the program’s evaluation committee.
Temple University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Online Master of Science in Communication Management
Overview
Department: Klein College of Media and Communication
Specializations/Concentrations: Optional Certificates in Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution; Public Relations; Strategic Communication and Cross-Cultural Leadership
Websites: Department
and Program
Program Format
Structure: Online program with no required campus visits
Instruction Methods: Program uses both synchronous and asynchronous instruction depending on the course
Campus Visits Required: No
Program Length: Program can be completed in 1 year (full-time) - students have up to 4 years to complete the program (part-time)
Start Dates: Fall and Spring admission
Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
Credits Required: 31 credits (10 courses)
Thesis Required: No
Capstone Options: Capstone project in communication management (paper)
Example Courses: Data Driven Insights; Organizational Communication; Social Responsibility in Corporations and Not-for-Profit Organizations; Communication Theory for Professionals; Communicating Organizational Leadership; Leadership in Crises and Conflict Management; Law and Ethics in Public Relations
Admission Requirements
Application Requirements: Bachelor's degree; two letters of recommendation; statement of goals; resume or curriculum vitae; professional or academic writing sample
GPA Requirements: Minimum GPA 3.0
Testing Requirements: GRE not required - submitting GRE scores is optional (scores above 65th percentile recommended)
Tuition Costs
Estimated Tuition*: ~$36,146 + fees (in-state); ~$48,515 + fees (out-of-state)
Cost per Credit Hour: $1,169 per credit hour (in-state); $1,565 per credit hour (out-of-state)
State Authorizations: Program accepts students from all 50 states
