There are currently five schools in Maryland that offer a total of six master’s in communication programs, three of which are campus-based programs, and three of which are online master’s in communication programs. Students who select among these offerings can choose specializations in communication studies, organizational communication, communication management, and strategic communications. Students in Maryland also have the option to attend programs offered by schools in Washington, D.C. and online programs offered by out-of-state universities.

All of the schools listed on this page are non-profit educational institutions that have been regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

Campus-Based Master’s in Communication Programs in Maryland

Bowie State University’s Department of Communications offers a Master of Arts in Organizational Communications with concentrations in Telecommunications Policy and Public Affairs Communications. This program focuses on training students to become organizational communication leaders in corporate, non-profit, and governmental organizations, or to pursue doctorate-level studies in human communication. Students first complete core courses in organizational communication, corporate communications, communication for leadership and organizational change, and communication theory and research. After completing the program’s core, students can take elective classes in conflict mediation and resolution, public relations communication, organizational publications, advertising and marketing for corporations, telecommunications and national development, corporate advising, and domestic telecommunications policy. Students are also required to complete a master’s thesis that investigates an issue in communication.

Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Communication Arts Department in Baltimore offers a Master of Arts in Contemporary Communication that gives students a diverse mix of experiences and skills in contemporary communication theory, creative communication strategies, and visual and computer-based communication competencies. After taking core classes in both approaches to and technologies for contemporary communication, students can choose elective courses in areas such as business communication, visual culture, media technology management, public relations management, cross-cultural communication, information systems, data management, ethics in leadership, and multimedia strategies. This program features highly interdisciplinary course options, as students are able to choose select electives from not only the Communication Arts Department, but also the Art, Computer Studies, English, Philosophy, and Interdisciplinary Studies Departments.

Towson University’s Department of Mass Communication offers a Master of Science in Communication Management. This program prepares students for researching, designing, implementing, and assessing communication strategies in organizational settings. Students complete a set of core classes in communication theory, organizational communication and public relations, quantitative and qualitative research methods in communication, and social media content strategy. After completing the core, students can take electives in areas such as mass media criticism, crisis communication, international communication, media ethics, literary journalism, global advertising, public relations for non-profits, mass communication and culture, advertising campaigns, media and health communication, crisis communication, media analytics, and media and politics. For their culminating experience in the program, students can choose between a master’s thesis, comprehensive exams, and a graduate project in communication management.

Online Master’s in Communication Programs in Maryland

Maryland currently has three in-state schools that offer online master’s in communication programs. For students who do not live near Baltimore, Bowie, Owings Mills or Towson and who do not want to relocate for graduate school, online programs provide access to graduate education in the field of communication. They also offer students greater flexibility in terms of accessing lectures and course materials, which is important for students who cannot regularly commute to campus for personal or professional reasons.

Online programs may be ideal for students who live in Northwest Maryland (Frostburg State University does not currently offer a master’s in communication program), students who live in Gaithersburg/Rockville (the University of Maryland only offers a doctorate program in communication and the program does not accept students who are looking for a terminal masters), and students in Frederick (Hood College also does not offer a program). Note: There are also five schools in Washington, DC that offer master’s in communication programs for students who live closer to the District of Columbia.

Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Communication Arts Department offers an online version of its Master of Arts in Contemporary Communication that is equivalent in course content and structure to its campus-based program. Furthermore, Stevenson University’s Owings Mills Campus offers an Online Master of Science in Communication program that is only offered online. This program provides students with communication skills and an understanding of the latest communication technologies that they can apply to a role in professional communication across a variety of industries. Students take courses in communication theory and its applications, research methods and writing, cultures and communication, communication ethics, nonverbal communication, interpersonal communication, communication technologies and society, media literacy, conflict communication leadership, and crisis communication. For their culminating experience, students complete a communication capstone that can either take the form of a professional project or a scholarly thesis. All students must present their capstone work to program faculty as part of their final graduation requirement.

The University of Maryland Global Campus offers an online Master of Science in Strategic Communications. This program features a project-based curriculum that hones students’ communication management skills while also preparing them to sit for two media industry certifications: the Public Relations Society of America’s Accreditation in Public Relations certification and the Global Communication Certification Council’s Strategic Communication Management Professional certification. Courses in this program cover decisive thinking and communication across disciplines, foundations of strategic communication, communication leadership, strategic communication planning, return-on-investment (ROI) measurement and analysis, strategic leadership of communication organizations, international and intercultural communications, crisis communication, and advanced communication tactics and techniques. Students complete a final communication campaign as their capstone experience; through this capstone, students take on the role of a corporate communications director to plan, implement, and evaluate a communications plan for a real organization.

In addition to the in-state online programs described above, numerous out-of-state school offer accredited online master’s in communication programs that accept applications from residents of Maryland. Out-of-state online programs may provide students with additional specialization options compared to the programs offered by Notre Dame of Maryland University, Stevenson University, and University of Maryland Global Campus. For more information about online programs, including a comprehensive directory of programs offered by schools in the United States, please read our Online Master’s in Communication Programs page.

Directory of All Master’s in Communication Programs in Maryland

Campus programs, Campus/Hybrid programs, Online programs (fully online to 2 campus visits per year), Hybrid-Online programs (3 to ~5 campus visits per year)

Bowie State University

(Bowie)

Department of Communications

• Master of Arts in Organizational Communications (with Concentrations in Telecommunications Policy, and Public Affairs Communications)

Notre Dame of Maryland University

(Baltimore)

Communication Arts Department

• Master of Arts in Contemporary Communication (General Program with Electives)

• Online Master of Arts in Contemporary Communication (General Program with Electives)

Stevenson University

(Owings Mills)

Stevenson University Online

• Online Master of Science in Communication (General Program)

Towson University

(Towson)

Department of Mass Communication

• Master of Science in Communication Management

University of Maryland Global Campus

(Adelphi)

Liberal Arts & Communication

• Online Master of Science in Strategic Communications