Program highlights
- Boost your career trajectory. Develop expertise in modern communication tools and strategic messaging to enhance career prospects. Alumni find positions with corporations, media companies, PR companies and nonprofit organizations.
- Build leadership skills. Learn to lead in areas of organizational communication, social media, advertising and public relations.
- Industry-relevant coursework. Nationally recognized faculty teach a carefully crafted curriculum that includes coursework in:
- Advanced crisis communication and reputation management
- Data-driven social media campaign strategies
- Analytics
- Community building
- Pioneering research hub. The BGSU Global Social Media Influencer Research Lab hosts regular speaker series and brings together members from 13 countries to study how social media influencers shape marketing, politics and society through cross-national comparative research on their persuasive effects and roles as thought leaders.
- Flexibility. Seven-week online courses let you continue to work as you study and set your own pace. Learn where you want and when you want. This accelerated, part-time program can be completed in just two years.
- Professional development. Online students have access to faculty mentorship and industry networking opportunities.
#1 public university in Ohio for career prep
The Wall Street Journal
Career opportunities
Graduates of our online communications degree program take on influential positions across industry sectors and earn competitive salaries while making meaningful contributions.
Some of the titles they hold include:
- Strategic communications director – leading organizational messaging and crisis communication
- Digital marketing strategist – creating data-driven campaigns that build brands and engage communities
- Corporate social responsibility lead – aligning business objectives with social good initiatives
- Public relations executive – shaping public perception and managing stakeholder relationships
- Content strategy consultant – guiding organizations in authentic, impactful digital storytelling
Students develop the critical thinking skills needed to cut through the noise, master ethical communication frameworks and build the kind of confidence needed to lead in high-stakes environments. Our program cultivates adaptable leaders who thrive in uncertainty and serve as a force for positive change in an interconnected world.
Career paths
- Advertising
- Branding and communication
- Communication consulting
- Crisis communication
- Digital communication
- Executive communication
- Integrated communication
- Internal communication
- Investor relations
- Nonprofit communication
- Public relations
- Social and interactive media
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Curriculum
This 30-credit, online communication degree program combines strategic communication fundamentals, research methods and organizational dynamics with flexible electives tailored to your goals.
For the culminating experience, students complete either thesis research, a comprehensive examination or an applied master’s project.
Sample courses
- Advertising Research and Practice
- Communication and Conflict
- Practicum in Online Media Production
- Public Relations Research and Practice
- Social Media Seminar
- Strategic Communication
Graduate certificates
Stand out in today’s competitive media landscape with specialized credentials that employers recognize and value. Our media and communication graduate certificates are open to current graduate students as well as professionals seeking resume enhancement. Students choose one of the following tracks:
- International/Intercultural communication – Master global communication across borders, cultures and contexts for today’s interconnected world.
- Social and interactive media – Combine strategic thinking with hands-on digital expertise to lead in social media and interactive communication.
- Strategic communication – Build essential skills in public relations, advertising and organizational communication for immediate career impact.
#1 university in Ohio – big or small, public or private – students would choose again
The Wall Street Journal
BGSU is one of only a handful of universities in the nation — and the only one in Ohio — to earn the Quality Matters Online Learner Support certificate for all of our online programs. This recognition reflects our commitment to providing the critical support and academic services that online students need to succeed.
The online Master of Arts in media and communication with a specialization in strategic communication and social media is part of the School of Media and Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences.