M.A. in Communication – Strategic Communication

Be Strategic. Enhance Your Communications Career.

You know communication is the backbone of an organization. And you want to master it. Our Master of Arts in Communication – Strategic Communication equips you for just that. It combines the foundational theories of communication with practical application, enabling you to shape your narrative through strategic messaging.

Location: Online

Total Credit Hours: 33+

Next Session Start: January 13, 2025

Approved Degree Plan: Download PDF

Increase Your Earning Potential

Advance in leadership roles with higher salary potential.

Enhance Your Expertise

Be equipped to serve in influential media and management positions.

Expand Your Audience

Learn to produce communication across a wide cultural, social, and economic spectrum.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

Top 25 Best Master's Programs in Virginia, 2024, UniversityHQ.

Career Opportunities

On completing the online master’s in Communication – Strategic Communication program, you can:

Apply current internet, social media, and mobile media marketing strategies, tools, and practices.
Apply research methods, evaluation, and analysis techniques to gain an insight into media trends.
Assist organizations with various communication needs, from public relations and crisis communication to combining entertainment and education in training modules.

Career Opportunities

Media director
Business marketing specialist
Communications director
Social media manager
Advertising & public relations specialist
Communication analyst

$132Thousand

Estimated mean annual wage of public relations and fundraising managers U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019

Featured Courses

Featured Courses
Code	Name	Credits
COM 607	Social Media & Internet Marketing	3	Current internet, social media, and mobile media marketing theories, strategies, tools and practices. Includes study of communication methods used by professionals in journalism, film, television, advertising, public relations, and related professions to brand, promote, and distribute products and services. Web-based production lab included. Cross-listed with GOV 547.
COM 611	Media & Social Influence	3	Designed to develop an understanding of important theories of social influence pertinent to media and culture, this course features content including the study of diffusion of innovations, social marketing, entertainment-education, agenda setting, and other communication and development processes. Social change will be studied within the context of Scripture at the individual, organizational, community, national and international levels. Course will benefit anyone who seeks to know how mass media influences people’s attitudes, values, beliefs and practices. Students may have the opportunity to get involved in applied research projects that address some of the most significant issues and needs in contemporary society.
COM 628	Leadership Theory & Communication	3	Contemporary principles and practices of leadership in media-related organizations, both commercial and non-profit, through a biblical lens. Includes current theories on leading organizational change, virtual teams, and entrepreneurship. Lab included. Cross-listed with JRN 628.
COM 631	Organizational Communication in the Digital Age	3	New and emerging communication technologies, their uses and related issues are drastically changing the nature of communication, organizational life generally and cultures in which organizations reside. This course provides students with a communication-based perspective of organizations and organizational leadership, with a special emphasis on the characteristics of a current and future trends and issues associated with organizations in this digital age. A blend of theory and practice, it draws from existing, pertinent theoretical constructs, models, research and generalizations that are relevant to organizational communication and leadership in our increasingly highly mediated environment. It provides opportunities for students to sharpen their critical thinking and further develop their communication skills and learn practical concepts and principles that can be applied creatively to their current or future special areas of interest, organizational settings or professional roles.
COM 636	Critical Approaches in Strategic Communication	3	Historical and critical frameworks for examining the convergence of new media technologies and cultural norms and practices. Includes study of new media behavior and culture and how individuals and communities are shaped by the way we process and think about mediated communication. Lab included.
COM 651	Public Relations: Cases & Campaigns	3	Public communication campaigns, strategies and practices, including the management of public opinion and the creation of corporate image. National and international cases in politics, health, sports, environment and religion are examined. Applied lab included. Cross-listed with GOV 548.
COM 652	Crisis Communication & Organizational Image	3	Professional strategies and practices for developing, maintaining and restoring an organization’s image. Emphasis on crisis communication planning and response, including knowledge of how the interactive digital media environment fosters and intensifies organizational crises, creates ethical challenges, and provides innovative response opportunities. Applied lab included. Cross-listed with GOV 549.

Other Concentrations

Admissions Requirements

2024-25 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

Session	Semester Check-In	Session Start Date
Session A	Friday, August 9	Monday, August 19
Session M	Friday, September 6	Monday, September 16
Session B	Friday, October 11	Monday, October 21
Session C	Wednesday, January 8	Monday, January 13
Session T	Friday, January 31	Monday, February 10
Session D	Friday, March 7	Monday, March 17
Session E	Friday, May 2	Monday, May 12
Session F	Friday, June 13	Monday, June 23

Admissions Requirements

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Submit your application using the Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial Transcripts

Submit your unofficial transcripts to regent.edu/items.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive an email requesting authorization for Regent University to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution. International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES, AACRAO or NAFSA approved agency.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.

Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu should you have any further questions about the application process.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

Tuition & Fees

2024-25 Tuition Rates

PART-TIME STUDENTS

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)	$670	6	$4,020
Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production (MFA)	$670	6	$4,020
Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting (MFA)	$670	6	$4,020
Master of Fine Arts in Acting (MFA)	$920	6	$5,520
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)	$950	3	$2,850
Doctor of Strategic Communication (DSC)	$950	3	$2,850

Full-Time Students

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)	$670	9	$6,030
Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production (MFA)	$670	9	$6,030
Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting (MFA)	$670	9	$6,030
Master of Fine Arts in Acting (MFA)	$920	9	$8,280
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)	$950	6	$5,700
Doctor of Strategic Communication (DSC)	$950	6	$5,700

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)	$850 (Fall & Spring) $700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)	$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

2023-24 Tuition Rates

Part-Time Students

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)	$670	6	$4,020
Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production (MFA)	$670	6	$4,020
Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting (MFA)	$670	6	$4,020
Master of Fine Arts in Acting (MFA)	$920	6	$5,520
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)	$950	3	$2,850
Doctor of Strategic Communication (DSC)	$950	3	$2,850

Full-Time Students

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)	$670	9	$6,030
Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production (MFA)	$670	9	$6,030
Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting (MFA)	$670	9	$6,030
Master of Fine Arts in Acting (MFA)	$920	9	$8,280
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)	$950	6	$5,700
Doctor of Strategic Communication (DSC)	$950	6	$5,700

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)	$850 (Fall & Spring) $700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)	$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

FAQ

Whether you are a prospective student or a current student, your questions matter. Please take a few moments to skim our Frequently Asked Questions. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us.

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“My identity isn’t in whether or not I get a role; what’s important is that I’m being a good witness, that I’m being a light and loving support to other actors.”

Ashley Dakin, MFA, 2013

“I chose Regent because of its Christian principles, as I wanted to learn how to integrate my faith with telling stories; also because of its amazing film program and facilities. Yes, my expectations were definitely met.”

Michelle Bello, M.A., 2011 Cinema Arts/Television, Directing

“It is more of an amazing example of what God has for us when we allow Him to take the reins and trust that what He has in store is far better than what we can imagine for ourselves.”

Loni Albertson, MFA, 2007 Custom Animation Production Supervisor for Marketing, Illumination Entertainment

“When I came to Regent, it was really out of a place of what I call vocational desperation. I had a degree in theology, but a strong sense of calling toward film. Regent helped me sort out my future and set me on a path I never dreamed of before. Now, I'm a teacher and a filmmaker. ”

Joshua Overbay, MFA, 2010 Filmmaker