The University of Kansas' William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications - Online Master's in Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications

The University of Kansas’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers an online Master’s in Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications that prepares students for careers in developing, evaluating, and improving digital media campaigns and marketing strategies for a wide variety of organizations, from corporations to non-profit agencies. The University of Kansas uses Canvas as its learning management system to deliver online courses, facilitate collaborations between students, and to connect students with their instructors for additional support.

The Master’s in Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications is composed of 30 course credits. Students take one core course (3 credits) at the beginning of their enrollment, Marketing Fundamentals, which introduces them to foundational marketing theories and processes and how professionals can integrate multiple marketing strategies and channels into a cohesive marketing plan. After this core course, students choose eight courses (24 credits) of concentration coursework. For their concentration courses, students choose four courses each from two of three curricular categories: Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and Integrated Marketing Communications.

The flexibility in course options within each curricular category allows students to customize their program of study to match their precise career goals. Courses in the Digital Marketing category include Digital Marketing Analytics, Marketing Automation, Digital Marketing Compliance, and Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Marketing. Through these courses, students learn the latest digital media technologies and analytics tools to lead effective media campaigns for diverse contexts and consumers. The Social Media Marketing category features courses in areas like Analyzing Audiences, Information in Context, Social Media Metrics, and Social Media Strategy. These courses give students training in social media innovations, as well as principles for audience engagement and ethical information management. The third category, Integrated Marketing Communications, has courses in Crisis Communications, Relationship Marketing, Marketing Communications Research, Branding in Marketing Communications, and Leadership and Management in Marketing Communications. This category focuses on how communication professionals can support organizations in building customer engagement and trust. Note: Students who choose the Integrated Marketing Communications curricular category are required to take the Marketing Communications Research course as one of their classes.

For their final graduation requirement, students complete a capstone course that is 3 credits, which brings their final completed credits to 30. Students who choose the Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing curricular categories for their concentration coursework complete the Capstone Project in Digital Marketing; through this capstone course, students identify a digital marketing challenge that is of interest to them and address this challenge through an individual project that they present to faculty at the end of the program. Students who choose the Integrated Marketing Communications curricular category along with either the Digital Marketing or Social Media Marketing category as their second area must complete the Capstone in Marketing Communications. Through this IMC-focused capstone course, students create an integrated marketing communications plan for a real client, incorporating research strategies and branding, marketing, and public relations tactics.

The University of Kansas is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).