Master of Arts in Strategic Communication Online
Advance your business career and become an integral part of digital influencing by adding creative content creation skills to your portfolio.
Apply by:
1/2/25
Program Overview
Advance your career with the M.A. in Strategic Communication
Make your creativity part of your business career with the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication online program. With the coursework from this program, you'll gain the skills needed to become a creator of digital content on a variety of social media platforms. The strategic communication master’s teaches you to develop the creative strategy and content that businesses need for upping sales and spreading their brand. Choose a concentration in Marketing, Project Management, or Strategic Human Resources and develop the expertise needed for today’s most in-demand leadership roles. The program offers an innovative curriculum if you want to be on the creative side of marketing and communications. Our dedicated Department of Communication Arts professors will give you the training you need to rise to leadership roles.
Learn what it takes to be a highly skilled content creator and become an integral part of any company. Working with a team to develop plans for communicating effectively on social platforms is a top-tier skill that every employer desires in today’s digital economy. With the online master’s in strategic communication program, you will not only learn these advanced skills, but also apply them. You’ll graduate with a portfolio of work showcasing your content creation expertise to employers.
Strategic communication career opportunities:
- Content Media Director
- Content Strategist
- PR Director
- Creative Director
- Communication Consultant
- Content Media Director
- Content Strategist
- PR Director
- Creative Director
- Communication Consultant
$18,000
Starting Tuition
As few as 14 months
Duration
33-36
Credit Hours
Tuition
Discover how easy it is to fit our tuition into your budget
The M.A. in Strategic Communication online program tuition is the same affordable, pay-by-the-course rate for all U.S. residents. Fees are included in the total tuition, and financial aid may be available. Choosing Avila University means choosing a top 10 affordable online master's program, according to Forbes (2024).
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Course | Per Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.A. Strategic Communication | $600 | $1,800 | $18,000 |
Tuition breakdown:
$18,000
Starting Tuition
$600
Per Credit Hour
Calendar
See how the program fits into your schedule
Ideal for working professionals, the M.A. in Strategic Communication online program features 8-week courses and multiple start dates each year so you can begin at the time that works best for you. View the full calendar for all upcoming starts and corresponding deadlines.
| Term | Start Date | App Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Class End Date | Term Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 2025 | 1/6/25 | 1/2/25 | 1/2/25 | 1/3/25 | 1/6/25 | 3/2/25 | 8 weeks |
| Spring 2 2025 | 3/3/25 | 2/26/25 | 2/26/25 | 2/28/25 | 3/3/25 | 5/4/25 | 8 weeks |
Now enrolling:
1/2/25
Apply Date
1/6/25
Class Starts
Ready to take the next steps toward earning your next degree?
Admissions
Find out how to start the strategic communication master’s application process
We’ve simplified the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. You can find all requirements for admission to the Avila online M.A. in Strategic Communication below.
Admission Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree
- 2.75 GPA
- No GRE required
In order to be eligible to receive an M.A. in Strategic Communication degree from Avila University, you must have the following:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
- GPA requirements for unconditional admission: 2.75 cumulative grade point average at the completion of the undergraduate degree
- GPA requirements for conditional admission: 2.5 cumulative grade point average at the completion of the undergraduate degree
- Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended
Submit all official transcripts to:
Email: [email protected]
Mail: Avila University
11901 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64145
Courses
Learn about the curriculum for the master’s in strategic communication
To earn the M.A. in Strategic Communication online, you will complete a minimum of 33 credit hours. Required courses make up 21 credit hours. Concentration courses make up 12-15 credit hours, depending on your selection.
The following courses are required - students will take either CO698 or CO699.
CO 552: Strategic Communication and Leadership
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Advanced course synthesizing public relations, advertising, sales concepts, and organizational communication. Participation in group project work with community businesses and substantial writing of proposals, contracts, and relevant business correspondence.
CO 591: Communication Theory and Research Methods
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Nature of theory development and change, history of the discipline, important influences upon contemporary communication theory, and individual exploration of specific theories.
CO 632: Strategic Communications and Social Media
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Strategic communication is the total effort and systemic efforts of an organization to inform, motivate, and connect with its various audiences. As social media and the immediacy of digital media takes over the news cycle, advertising platforms, and branding strategies a comprehensive understanding of how an organization can communicate effectively and how this is perceived by its internal and external audiences is essential for success. To communicate effectively using social platforms engaged with an audience, it is imperative to understand how social platform messaging is created and framed, how people respond to such messaging, and how to best deploy the plethora of emergent social driven communication channels to best advance organizational goals within this social space. Prerequisite: CO 511.
CO 698: Professional Services Capstone
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The professional capstone course gives students the opportunity to comprehensively demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the full course of study culminating in the Masters of Communication Degree (both theoretical and practical). Students will work directly with a client or cause to deliver a strategic communications strategy and plan. The course culminates in the delivery of the consulting project and presentation shaped under the direction of a senior faculty member. This professional portfolio project will demonstrate the students’ readiness for graduation and professional practice including strategic decision making, entrepreneurship, leadership, project management, writing, media content creation and intercultural competence. Prerequisites: MK 610 and OD 650.
CO 699: Research Based Capstone
Duration: 16 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students interested in conducting basic research in the area of strategic communications, with a view to pursuing a PhD in Media Research, may satisfy this capstone by either defending a thesis or passing a comprehensive examination. Students choosing the academic research track will be required either to conduct original research reported and defended in a thesis or to take a comprehensive examination. In both cases, they will be highly encouraged to conduct and present strategic communication research at professional conferences. Students choosing this option will be expose to and will gain expertise in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research.
MK 610: Marketing Management
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction for managers and entrepreneurs to the fundamentals of marketing including product, pricing, promotion, distribution/logistics, segmentation and marketing research with special emphasis on global marketing and ethics.
MK 620: Digital Marketing Communication
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Analysis of the techniques, methods, and technologies utilized by managers and entrepreneurs in digital, social, and mobile marketing strategies at various stages of product/brand life cycle.
Course objectives:
- Gain an understanding the underlying processes, opportunities, regulations, and application of marketing communication in the digital world
- Learn the core features of digital media technologies to strategically select the ideal channels to deliver the right marketing message to the right target audience at the right time
- Develop an understanding of the changing world of digital marketing to prepare for future opportunities and challenges
- Understand and interpret how marketing analytics reports, guides, and informs the decision- making process
OD 650: Strategic Communication
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the interpersonal communication and leadership skills needed for effective organizational development. The course emphasizes conflict management, presentation skills, and informal writing, as well as important leadership skills ranging from giving and receiving feedback to performance appraisals. The course is designed as a “train the trainers” course, enabling learners to later pass on skills to consulting clients, co-workers, and employees.
Marketing concentration students will select 3 courses (9 credit hours) from the list below:
MK 611: International Marketing
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to the special managerial considerations associated with marketing in international environments including legal/ethical, cultural, geographical and technological opportunities and challenges.
Students will be exposed to the international marketing management process. This will involve:
- The ability to understand the cultural environments of global markets.
- The ability to assess global market opportunities.
- The ability to understand the current international market in order to develop future global marketing strategies.
MK 613: Integrated Marketing Communication
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Study of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, publicity and digital marketing/technology as they relate to managing successful brands and integrating marketing communication systems to ethically connect managers and entrepreneurs with diverse target markets.
Course objectives:
- To examine the role of promotion in the marketing mix
- To study the nature of the communications process and its relationship to advertising. To provide in-depth coverage of strategic advertising budgeting choices, media planning, the advertising agency, the creative process, and the evaluation and control of advertising
- The main objective of the course is completion of an integrated marketing communications promotion campaign. The exercise requires the student to have a firm grasp of the all the components of the integrated marketing communications system in particular and the problem-solving process in general
MK 615: Marketing Strategy
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Through case analysis and simulation technology, graduate students learn to analyze opportunities and challenges associated with the development, execution, evaluation, and redirection of marketing efforts in a wide range of organizations. Culminates in a real-world service-learning project. Prerequisite MK 610
Course objectives:
- To analyze problems associated with the development, execution, evaluation and redirection of marketing programs, plans and strategies in a wide range of organizations. This analysis will utilize the growing importance and usage of Internet marketing. The main objective of the course is the completion of a marketing plan as a term project
- The development of the marketing plan requires the student to have a firm grasp of all the components of the marketing system specifically and the problem-solving process in general
MK 617: Marketing Analysis
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction for managers and entrepreneurs to the techniques, technologies and methods utilized in planning, executing, and communicating results of modern marketing research; culminates in a real-world service-learning project. Prerequisite MK 610
Course objectives:
- Designed to make students intelligent users of marketing research data. Special emphasis is given to the importance of the Internet to marketing research
- A main objective of the course is completion of a full-scale marketing research study with data collection, analysis and reporting as a group project
MK 620: Digital Marketing Communication
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Analysis of the techniques, methods, and technologies utilized by managers and entrepreneurs in digital, social, and mobile marketing strategies at various stages of product/brand life cycle.
Course objectives:
- Gain an understanding the underlying processes, opportunities, regulations, and application of marketing communication in the digital world
- Learn the core features of digital media technologies to strategically select the ideal channels to deliver the right marketing message to the right target audience at the right time
- Develop an understanding of the changing world of digital marketing to prepare for future opportunities and challenges
- Understand and interpret how marketing analytics reports, guides, and informs the decision- making process
Project Management concentration students will select 3 courses (9 credit hours) from the list below:
PM 672: The Practice of Project Management
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The Practice of Project Management is a systematic examination of the core method and techniques of the project management process. This class will focus in more depth on such topics as the Project Manager and Work Styles, the Project Management Life Cycle, Teamwork and Conflict, Planning Fundamentals, Managing Risk, and Project Lessons Learned.
Course objectives:
- Understand the difference between the Project Management Life Cycle and the Systems Development Life Cycle
- Articulate the specifics of project communication and forming a project team
- Understand project manager responsibility and authority
- Recognize project failure, success and lessons learned
- Demonstrate PMP exam preparedness by completing a mock PMP exam
PM 673: Tools and Technology of Project Management
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a survey of project management tools designed to meet the increasing need to plan, schedule, track, control, and report on every aspect of project management. In addition, the functions and applicability of the “Project Office” will be reviewed. The class will also conduct a tutorial on Microsoft Project. Prerequisite: PM 672.
Course objectives:
- Explain why a project office is highly valuable to project success
- Articulate how a project office should operate. This will include benefits, structure, and operation within the business enterprise
- Describe the scope of available tools and software available to the project manager
PM 674: Case Study and Application of Project Management
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on a case study with students assigned to teams and chartered to develop a detailed case study solution and supporting project plan. It incorporates the materials covered in previous course work and gives the student a real world feel for the rigors of the Project Management Process. Prerequisite: PM 673.
Course objectives:
- Discuss the necessary requirements of an undefined project
- Define a project management approach
- Apply the project management life cycle to solve a business need
- Articulate the dynamics of real project management and how to respond to changing environments
PM 677: Six Sigma
Duration: 0 Weeks weeks
Strategic Human Resources concentration students will select 3 courses (9 credit hours) from the list below:
OD 662: Strategic Human Resources
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
One of the most important skills leaders and practitioners can have is the ability to influence others to achieve work and organizational objectives. Many organizations welcome diversity as an asset, but lack strategic thinking for managing diversity, inclusion and belonging effectively. This program provides participants with a strategic planning model and an understanding of the critical role diversity councils play in organization success. There is a blend of facilitation skills and activities that will enable organizations to appoint effective diversity councils, develop a mission statement, a vision for the organization, objectives, strategies, and employee action plans.
OD 664: Workforce Planning and Employment
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Workforce planning and employment involves the processes of developing, implementing, and evaluating sourcing, recruitment, hiring, orientation, succession planning, retention, and organizational exit programs deemed appropriate to ensure that the workforce will meet the organization’s goals and objectives. This course will examine key legislation affecting employee rights, employee privacy, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, discrimination issues, and employee record management.
Course objectives:
- Understand what strategic workforce planning is: past, present, future
- Obtain an in-depth understanding of employment laws that impact the workforce planning process
- Identify adverse impact and disparate impact – two types of discrimination
- Possess an in-depth understanding of the succession planning process
- Identify the quantity and quality of worker talents/outputs
- Determine the organization’s selection process; e.g., behavioral interviews, testing, background investigation, etc.
- Develop, administer & analyze exit interviews data for improvements/revisions to the recruitment and retention strategy
- Understand the steps that need to be taken during a reduction in force (RIF)
- Anticipate and proactively respond to generational differences that affect workplace performance and productivity
OD 667: Total Rewards & Risk Management
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The manner in which an organization manages rewards and risks has a significant impact on its ability to achieve its strategic goals and objectives. A carefully crafted compensation plan, offering an appropriate mix of direct and indirect compensation, is essential to maintaining a quality workforce. The careful and strategic management of organizational risk is equally as important. This course will focus on identifying and designing appropriate and effective compensation systems that serve to sustain a highly engaged workforce in full compliance with legal and ethical standards. Today’s HR professionals will be expected to not only understand strategic compensation and risk issues as they relate to organizations, but take a leadership role in designing, revising, and implementing current and relevant compensation and risk strategies in a quickly changing employment and legal landscape.
Course objectives:
- Understand the historical and contextual influences on strategic compensation and risk management practices
- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of traditional, incentive, and person-focused pay methods
- Identify and apply methods for building internally consistent job structures, establishing market-competitive pay rates, and creating pay structures that recognize employee
- Understand the appropriate use and application of employee benefits including discretionary benefits and legally required benefits
- Identify the contemporary strategic challenges relating to compensation and risk management facing today’s organizations
- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the principles and practices of expatriate compensation and employee benefits as well as relationship of global compensation trends and practices to US practices
- Understand the requirements of a legally and ethically compliant compensation and HR function and the associated risks for organizations
OD 668: Employee & Labor Relations
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Employee and Labor Relations is the study of effectively managing personnel and labor relations to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Human Resource department and the organization. The field addresses the social, legal, and psychological dimensions of work and how these influence the employee/employer relationship.
Course objectives:
- The content of the course will cover the major systems of personnel management including the growth and changes of human resource management and labor relations
- Among these systems the legal environment of personnel management, the structure and relative merits of different approaches to managing, and the structure and usefulness of the specialized function of the HR manager will be examined
- Additionally, this course extends beyond the study of the profession and provides a practical approach to implementing the studied material in the workplace. A wide range of topics will be covered as can be seen from the chapter descriptions
OD 679: Training & Development
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In the modern business world, professional organizations must adapt to rapidly changing conditions in order to survive. They must become learning organizations to be successful. Change management, transformation, training, and development are all critical aspects of Organizational Development that help organizations adapt. Training and Development (T&D) in particular can be a key component of learning organizations especially if the T&D group uses progressive instructional design techniques that maximize proven learning theories and aligned with business imperatives. This course applies principles of instructional design and surveys modern trends and issues in learning theories, the use of technology in performance improvement, and how organizations use and align their T&D functions.
