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Arkansas has three schools that offer a total of nine master’s in communication programs. Of these six programs, six are campus-based, and three are online. Specializations available to students vary between programs, but examples of possible specializations include strategic communication, mass communication, public relations, and health communication. All the schools listed on this page are non-profit institutions that have been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Campus-Based Master’s in Communication Programs in Arkansas

Arkansas State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Communication offers a Master of Arts in Communication Studies that equips students with the fundamental communication theories, strategies, and research principles to succeed as communication professionals or academics. Students of this program take core courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods, communication theory, and foundations of communication studies, before progressing to electives in areas such as organizational communication, interpersonal communication, small group dynamics, health communication, public relations, and crisis communication.

The University of Arkansas’ J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences offers a Master of Arts in Communication with a focus in Civic Engagement that prepares students to improve communications within organizations, between organizations and the public, and within communities. Students can select courses covering a wide range of topics, including legal and political communication, global and intercultural communication, health communication, representing diversity in media, content analysis and criticism, and issues of race and gender.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s (UALR) Department of Applied Communication offers a Master of Arts in Applied Communication Studies, while its School of Mass Communication offers a Master of Arts in Mass Communication. The MA in Applied Communication Studies trains students in six areas of communication: organizational communication, interpersonal communication, conflict mediation, crisis communication, and experiential learning. After completing the core courses, students have the option of either focusing in Health Communication or choosing electives that match their career interests and goals. The MA in Mass Communication trains students to understand and evaluate mass media and its effect on large populations, conduct research in mass communication, and create effective mass communication strategies. The program offers a Mass Media Research track for students who wish to study and analyze scholarly research on mass communication, and a Professional Mass Media track that allows students to specialize in either Multi-platform Journalism or Strategic Communication/Public Relations. Courses that students can take within the MA in Mass Communication program cover topics such as mass communication processes, media criticism, quantitative research for journalism, public relations case studies, non-profit communication, journalism history, international mass communication, and internet policy and regulation.

In addition, UALR offers a Master of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing through its Department of Rhetoric and Writing. This program has both campus-based and fully online options, and also allows students to take a combination of online and campus-based classes in order to create their own hybrid format program. This degree has three concentration options in Editing, Nonfiction Writing, and Technical Writing. Regardless of their concentration, all students take the same core courses that cover essential rhetorical theory and research methods, as well as their choice of composition theory, language theory, and the theory of technical communication. From there, students have a the flexibility to craft a set of 15 hours of electives in consultation with their advisor, mix and matching courses from across the three concentration options in order to develop a program of study that meets their professional goals. Students also take six credit hours of cognate courses, which enable them to explore classes outside of the Rhetoric and Writing Department and develop complementary skill sets and insight into areas such as graphic design, computer science, linguistics, management, and political science. For their culminating experience, students have the option to complete a thesis, an applied project and accompanying analytical essay, or an extensive portfolio.

Online Master’s in Communication Programs in Arkansas

At present, Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock offer master’s in communication programs that can be completed online. Arkansas State University has a fully online version of its Master of Arts in Communication Studies program, and also offers an Online Master of Science in Strategic Communications. The MS in Strategic Communications program prepares students to apply strategic communication principles and methods to drive solutions to organizational and business challenges. Students of this program take core courses in quantitative research methods, audience market analysis, strategic communications and communication management, and advertising account management, as well as a course in either communication regulation and policy, or media entrepreneurship. From there, they choose electives in areas such as social media, crisis communication, integrated marketing communication, interactive advertising, privacy law, social media in strategic communication, information technology law, development communication, organizational and intercultural communication, global strategic communication, and data protection law.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock offers an online Master of Arts in Mass Communication with a Mass Media Research Option and a Professional Mass Media Option with Tracks in Multi-Platform Journalism, or Strategic Communication/Public Relations. The curriculum, specialization options, and graduation requirements for the online version of the program are equivalent to those of the campus-based degree program. In addition, UALR offers an online version of its Master of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing, which is equivalent in course content, final graduation requirements, and faculty mentorship opportunities to the campus-based program.

In addition to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s and Arkansas State University’s online programs, there are several out-of-state online master’s in communication programs that accept residents of Arkansas. This may be especially important for students in Arkansas who reside far from either campus, or for students who want to specialize in a field not offered through these schools’ online programs. Prospective students should keep in mind that some online programs may require them to attend one or more on-campus intensives during the program. These campus intensives vary in length, and aim to give students the opportunity to interact with course faculty and peers, and engage in hands-on learning experiences and networking events. Please visit our Online Master’s in Communication Programs page for more information.

Directory of Master’s in Communication Programs in Arkansas

All Master’s in Communication Programs in Arkansas

Campus programs, Campus/Hybrid programs, Online programs (fully online to 2 campus visits per year), Hybrid-Online programs (3 to ~5 campus visits per year)

Arkansas State University

(Jonesboro)
Department of Communication
Department of Media

University of Arkansas

(Fayetteville)
Department of Communication

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

(Little Rock)
Department of Applied Communication
Department of Rhetoric and Writing
School of Mass Communication