Strategic and Digital Communication
Communication and Information
Program Overview
Advance your career with a master’s degree designed for the demands of today’s fast-moving communication field. The Strategic and Digital Communication concentration is ideal for students who want graduate education that directly supports career growth, leadership goals, and a competitive edge in the job market. In this program, you’ll gain a broad foundation in key communication areas—learning real-world ideas, methods, and strategies that apply across industries. This integrated, practical approach helps you become a strategic communicator: someone who can think critically, lead with confidence, and make a real impact in any professional setting.
Curriculum From Four Communication Disciplines
The Strategic and Digital Communication concentration is grounded in research about the skill sets needed to communicate effectively in the ever-evolving digital landscape. It is built on the latest methods and knowledge from all four schools of the College of Communication and Information. Each school selected courses to prepare students to start or advance their careers in Communication with the same academic quality and rigor as our residential programs. Throughout your master’s degree journey, you will research communication strategies, explore trends, and apply your knowledge to solve complex business challenges.
- Receive training in writing for direct, online, and mediated communications.
- Learn skills to create, evaluate, and execute effective social media campaigns.
- Examine the relationship between organizational culture, ethics, leadership, and communication.
- Study treatment of intentional, message-driven attitude and behavior change.
- Explore the organization, navigation, and labeling of website elements, as well as the user experience.
- Gain hands-on experience creating websites using the latest design techniques.
- Explore distinct and overlapping attributes of media culture in the global media environment.
- Identify frameworks and measures to understand audience preferences and behaviors.
Career-Focused Skills You Can Use Across Industries
The Strategic and Digital Communication concentration helps students build skills that transfer across many settings, including business, nonprofit organizations, media companies, public agencies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and marketing environments. Graduates may prepare for roles such as:
- Communication Director
- Communication Manager
- Digital Strategy Director
- Digital Product Manager
- Public Relations Manager
- Campaign Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Digital Marketing Manager
These career paths reflect the growing demand for professionals who can lead communication efforts in digital and multi-platform environments.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- Minimum 2.7 GPA
- Transcript copies – official transcripts required after admission
- CV or resume
- Short answer questions in Application Status Portal
- Three professional or academic references
- English certification test scores (if applicable)
- $60 application fee
- No GRE required
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Featured Courses
The Master of Science (MS) in Communication and Information with a concentration in Strategic and Digital Communication offers diverse courses to fit your personal interests and professional goals. These are just a few examples of the interdisciplinary courses offered.
Provides students with practical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to create, evaluate and execute social media campaigns. Course will include lectures, case studies, assignments and engaged activities that will help in the development of a strong social media skill set. State-of-the-art social listening software will be used for social listening assignments and provide a hands-on learning experience for enrolled students.
Provides an overview of the main theoretical frameworks and measures used to understand audience preferences and behaviors in relation to traditional forms of media. Students will learn and apply analytic tools to track and analyze audience visits to media-related websites and social media activity. Insight will be provided on factors driving engagement with sites.
Provides hands-on experience with creating websites using the latest website design tools and techniques, and theoretical insight into emerging trends and techniques. Emphasizes understanding the basics of web design, website creation, and evaluation. It covers the basics of usability testing and search engine optimization.
Examination of social influence theory and practice.
