Master of Arts in Strategic Communication

Program Overview

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Strategic Communication online program is designed to help you advance your business career by adding creative content creation skills to your portfolio. With this program, you'll gain the skills needed to become a creator of digital content on various social media platforms.

Strategic Communication Career Opportunities

• Content Media Director
• Content Strategist
• PR Director
• Creative Director
• Communication Consultant

Tuition

The M.A. in Strategic Communication online program tuition is $19,500, with a pay-by-the-course rate of $650 per credit hour.

Calendar

The program features 8-week courses and multiple start dates each year. View the full calendar for all upcoming starts and corresponding deadlines.

Admissions

To be eligible for the program, you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, a GPA of 2.75 or higher, and no GRE is required.

Courses

To earn the M.A. in Strategic Communication online, you will complete 10 courses for a total of 30 credit hours. Required courses make up 21 credit hours, and students also complete 9 credit hours in their chosen concentration: Marketing, Project Management, or Strategic Human Resources.

Core Courses

• CO 552: Strategic Communication and Leadership
• CO 591: Communication Theory and Research Methods
• CO 632: Strategic Communications and Social Media
• CO 698: Professional Services Capstone
• CO 699: Research Based Capstone
• MK 610: Marketing Management
• MK 620: Digital Marketing Communication
• OD 650: Strategic Communication

Marketing Concentration

• MK 611: International Marketing
• MK 613: Integrated Marketing Communication
• MK 615: Marketing Strategy
• MK 617: Marketing Analysis
• MK 620: Digital Marketing Communication

Project Management Concentration

• PM 672: The Practice of Project Management
• PM 673: Tools and Technology of Project Management
• PM 674: Case Study and Application of Project Management
• PM 677: Six Sigma

Strategic Human Resources Concentration

• OD 662: Strategic Human Resources
• OD 664: Workforce Planning and Employment
• OD 667: Total Rewards & Risk Management
• OD 668: Employee & Labor Relations
• OD 679: Training & Development

Social Mobility

Avila University is recognized among the "Top Performers on Social Mobility, Regional Universities Midwest" by U.S. News & World Report (2024).

Program Outline

in Strategic Communication at Avila University

Degree Overview:

The online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication program prepares you for a career in the growing field of digital communication. Graduates develop proficiency in creating content for social media platforms while gaining leadership skills and expertise in strategic communication principles. The curriculum combines advanced content creation practices with the strategic framework you need to influence others and drive positive change.

Objectives:

• Master content creation skills for engaging social media campaigns.
• Develop a strategic understanding of communication theories and practices.
• Gain leadership expertise necessary for navigating the complexities of modern-day communication.

Program Description:

The M.A. in Strategic Communication encompasses two main components:

• Required Core Courses: These courses provide a foundation in communication theory, research methods, strategic leadership, and social media communication.
Examples include:
• CO 552: Strategic Communication and Leadership:
Explores the role of communication in organizational leadership, encompassing public relations, advertising, sales, and team communication within a project-based learning environment.
• CO 591: Communication Theory and Research Methods: Delves into theoretical frameworks and research tools for understanding communication processes and their impact.
• CO 632: Strategic Communications and Social Media: Examines the strategic use of social media as a powerful communication tool for organizations, exploring platform specific strategies, message crafting, audience interaction, and campaign effectiveness.
• Choose either CO 698 or CO 699:
• CO 698: Professional Services Capstone:
Students work alongside a client/cause on a strategic communication strategy and plan, culminating in the delivery of the project and presentation under faculty guidance. This focuses on industry readiness within areas like strategic decision-making, entrepreneurship, project management, and media content creation.
• CO 699: Research Based Capstone: Students choose between writing a thesis based on original research or taking a comprehensive exam within the field of strategic communication research.
Both options emphasize conducting and presenting research at professional conferences.
• Electives: Students can customize their learning experience by selecting nine (9) credit hours of electives from various concentration areas, including Change Management, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Executive Leadership, Project Management, Strategic Human Resources, and Workplace Instructional Design.
Some example concentration courses:
• Change Management:
• MG 620: Change Dynamics:
Analyzes the complex dynamics of organizational change and explores models for overcoming these challenges.
• MG 621: Change Leader: Focuses on the role of the change leader using a project template framework based on Lean Six Sigma principles.
• MG 623: Evidence Based Decisions: Investigates data-driven decision-making processes within organizational change environments.
• Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging:
• OD 631: Diversity Awareness:
Enhances understanding of diverse individual, cultural, and social group identities, equipping participants with skills for working effectively within these diverse teams.
• OD 632: Diversity Planning & Goal Setting: Provides participants with strategic planning tools and insights for managing diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives with a focus on developing effective diversity councils.
• OD 633: Developing Inclusion Training: Equips participants with the skills to design and deliver impactful diversity, inclusion, and belonging training programs.
• Executive Leadership:
• OD 655: Innovation and Creativity:
Explores the critical role of creativity and innovation in leadership and organizational development while examining its link to problem-solving, organizational effectiveness, and diversity practices.
• OD 688: Leadership and Influence Processes: Examines leadership theories and research findings to develop critical thinking and application of leadership principles within real-world situations.
• OD 678: Conflict Management Systems: Focuses on designing and developing conflict management systems in workplace settings, emphasizing conflict management program structure and its application for addressing employee conflict through organizational development principles.
• Project Management:
• PM 672: The Practice of Project Management:
Analyzes the core methodologies and techniques of project management, covering topics like project manager skill development, project life cycle, teamwork, conflict resolution, planning fundamentals, risk management, and project evaluation learnings.
• PM 67