The Communication (MA) is designed for business and nonprofit professionals who want to improve the leadership, strategic planning, and communication skills that will allow them to advance in their current careers or to succeed in a new one. The degree employs an innovative program design that accesses collaboration among award winning Hugh Downs School of Human Communication faculty.

Resident tuition | Non-resident tuition
ASU Online offers start dates every 7.5 weeks.
Multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year.
Required number of credits to complete this degree.

Students will study conflict management, workplace communication, persuasion and social influence, global communication, and training and development at one of the top communication programs in the country, the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, home to the Center for Strategic Communication. They will experience high quality courses developed by award-winning faculty, including Dr. Daniel Brouwer, recipient of a Master Teacher Award from the Western States Communication Association, Dr. Pauline Cheong, recipient of the Zebulon Pearce Teaching Award and the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award at ASU, and Dr. Jess Alberts who was named a President’s Professor in honor of her contributions to undergraduate and graduate teaching.

The master’s degree program will include interactive lecture and seminar videos; special seminar resources featuring nationally and internationally recognized scholars in workplace communication topics, and a capstone experience that allows students to tailor a project to their interests, needs, and goals. They also will have the opportunity to earn a certificate in Conflict Management and/or Civil Dialogue.

The online communication degree will be attractive to students who are looking to enhance their performance and success as corporate managers, communication consultants, human resource specialists, marketing managers, public relations specialists, funding raisers, and sales managers. The Master of Arts in Communication will also be valuable to students planning to pursue careers in law, post-secondary education, and nonprofit leadership and development.

The largest and most diverse unit at Arizona State University:

  • Top 5 for best qualified graduates, according to Wall Street Journal
  • Top 20 for humanities research, according to the National Science Foundation
  • 20,000 enrolled students, 89 undergraduate majors, 134 graduate degrees and 22 interdisciplinary schools and departments
  • $115 million in research expenditures
  • #1 university in the nation for innovation
  • Graduates of the Hugh Downs School have enjoyed success as a 2015 MacArthur Genius Award winner, professional golfer and winner of the 2017 PGA Farmers Insurance Open, Director of Cultural Diversity at the University of Witswatersand, Director of Diversity at the University of Kentucky and CEO of CM Communication International, a communication consulting firm in Phoenix, Arizona.

Calendar

Next Start Date:

01/13/2020
Most Innovative

Featured Courses

Faculty

  • Dr. Jess Alberts, Director of the MA in Communication Program, was named a President’s Professor for her contributions to undergraduate and graduate education. She is co-author of "Human Communication in Society.
  • Dr. Pauline Cheong is Founding Chair of the doctoral colloquium for the International Society of Media, Religion & Culture (ISMRC) and co-director of @Asia Mediated, Center of Asian Research, at ASU. She has received three teaching awards for graduate and undergraduate teaching in the past year.
  • Dr. Daniel Brouwer  received a “Master Teacher” award from the Communication and Instruction Interest Group of the Western States Communication Association and was selected for a "Last Lecture Award" by undergraduate students from among over 100 nominees.
  • Dr. Sarah “Amira” De la Garza engages in creative research and inquiry through performance. In the past year, she was a Visiting Scholar in the School of Law at Universidad de Castilla y La Mancha in Albacete, Spain, and a Visiting Scholar in Residence at California State University, Northridge, in the Department of Communication Studies.

Program Summary

Total Hours:

30

Related Careers

The MA in Communication prepares students for careers in:

  • Corporate management
  • Communication consulting
  • Human resources management
  • Marketing
  • Communication education
  • Public relations
  • Sales management

Requirements

Application deadlines:

  • Spring 2019: December 15, 2018
  • Summer 2019: May 1, 2019
  • Fall 2019: August 1, 2019

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor’s degree in a related field or a master’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum of a 3.00 cumulative GPA (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of a student's first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum of 3.00 cumulative GPA (on a 4.00 scale) in the applicable master's degree.

All applicants must submit:

  1. Graduate admission application and application fee
  2. Personal statement
  3. Updated curriculum vitae or resume
  4. Program policies acknowledgements
  5. Proof of English proficiency for applicants whose native language is not English, regardless of current residency

View the online Communication (MA) student handbook

Affording College

Learn about the different types of financial aid and scholarship opportunities available. ASU offers a Cost Calculator, Budget Worksheet and Scholarship Search to make the college planning process easier.

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