The Department of Communications offers a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication (MASC). The MASC is a professionally oriented, executive-style degree program that will prepare students to plan, create, and manage communication to achieve organizational goals.
The MASC is unique because of the integrated curriculum. Strategic communication is a very broad area that pulls together communications disciplines that are typically separated in many academic programs. The integrated curriculum reflects a strong demand in the workplace for professionals who understand how to plan and manage many types of communication initiatives.
The MASC combines the flexibility of engaging online coursework with a small amount of required attendance on campus (approximately six weekends total). This approach allows working professionals the flexibility needed to accommodate busy work schedules and provides an opportunity to develop relationships with faculty mentors and peers through on-campus weekends.
The MASC course work was developed based on extensive industry research conducted by the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE), which is composed of educators and public relations professionals, and the educational standards of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The courses address the real-world skills and knowledge demanded by employers and business leaders.
Through the MASC coursework, students will learn:
- to use strategic communication management skills to increase the opportunity for career advancement in related or integrated disciplines.
- to integrate basic management and leadership principles and processes into the communication process.
- to use communication theory and research methods to address critical communication questions and issues in the workplace.
- to analyze the impact of global market forces on professional interactions and communication.
- to apply professional ethics in the workplace.
The MASC is open to and appropriate for students from a variety of academic backgrounds. This degree program is appropriate for anyone with a bachelor’s degree in - but not limited to - public relations, communications, mass communication, communication studies, organizational communication, business communication, marketing, advertising, business administration, agriculture business, agriculture communication, and political science.
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