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Connecticut has five schools that offer a total of seven master’s in communication programs. At this time, six of the programs are offered on-campus, while one are online master’s in communication programs. Schools vary in the type and number of specializations they offer to students, but examples of available specializations include organizational communication, health communication, media studies, strategic communication, and sports communication.
All the schools listed on this page are non-profit institutions that have been regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Campus-Based Master’s in Communication Programs in Connecticut
Colleges and universities throughout Connecticut offer master’s in communication programs. For example, Central Connecticut State University’s Department of Communication, located in New Britain, offers a Master of Science in Strategic Communication. Core courses in this program cover topics such as communication in organizational contexts, persuasive rhetoric, campaign planning and implementation, and communication research. After the core courses, students can choose from a variety of electives covering areas such as PR rhetoric and strategy, social media, communication for social change, interpersonal and organizational communication skills, relationship management, employee training and development, intercultural communication, and environmental communication.
The University of Connecticut’s Department of Communication, located in Storrs, offers a Master of Arts in Communication program with tracks in Communication Theory, Marketing Communication, and Organizational Communication. This program educates students in the connection between communication and human behavior, and how new societal developments have led to changes in how humans communicate, and vice versa. The core curriculum in this program focuses on communication theory and research. The Communication Theory track allows students to delve more into mass communication theory and interpersonal communication, while the Marketing Communication track covers concepts in strategic marketing, global marketing, group communication, and non-profit marketing communication. The Organizational Communication track covers topics in operations management, theories of persuasion, corporate psychology, and group communication research.
The University of Hartford’s School of Communication in West Hartford offers a Master of Arts in Communication with emphasis areas in Media, Human Communication Studies, and Integrated Communication. This program allows students a degree of flexibility in their course selections, and aside from two required courses in advanced communication theories and communication research methods, students are able to design a customized program in collaboration with their program advisor. Courses available to students in this program cover topics in organizational communication, intercultural communication, communication law and ethics, integrated communication (communication that spans multiple fields such as advertising, sales, and public relations), media effects, and multimedia production.
Students residing in southern Connecticut also have campus-based options as three universities offer master’s in communication programs. Fairfield University’s Department of Communication offers a Master of Arts in Communication with courses in organizational communication principles and practices, health communication, non-profit communication, communication and technoculture, international and intercultural communication, political communication, and media studies. This program teaches students about the theories, methods, and principles governing communication across a diverse array of contexts, as well as communication research and ethics and their applications in different situations. Students then apply what they have learned from the core courses to advanced classes in organizational communication, team dynamics, globalization in communication, health communication, organizational communication for healthcare organizations, and communication for leadership.
Sacred Heart University’s (SHU) School of Communication & Media Arts, also located in Fairfield, offers a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Public Relations, with available concentrations in Corporate Communication and Public Relations, and Political Communication and Multimedia Production. The program features courses such as Strategic Communication in the Digital Age; Media Ethics in a Professional Context; Advertising, PR, and Consumer Culture; Social Media; Crisis Communication; Multimedia Communications; and Gender, Identity, and Media. Students who pursue the Corporate Communication and Public Relations concentration learn how to best plan, implement, and disseminate multimedia messaging for the public on behalf of corporations and other large organizations. The Digital Multimedia Public Relations concentration, on the other hand, focuses on the technical and creative skills needed to produce engaging content for the web and other digital mediums. Finally, the Political Communication and Multimedia Production concentration combines study of media production and strategic communication to help students build effective digital communication strategies for political and non-profit entities. All students, no matter which concentration they choose, also complete an internship and capstone project as part of the degree program.
SHU’s School of Communication & Media Arts also offers a Master of Arts in Sports Communication and Media that specifically trains students in digital storytelling and multimedia production for sports-related content. This program capitalizes on its location in Fairfield, which geographically is the heart of the sports media industry. Students in this program must create and submit a digital portfolio demonstrating their skills in multimedia production and storytelling for sports topics.
Online Master’s in Communication Programs in Connecticut
Central Connecticut State University offers an online Master of Science in Strategic Communication that is equivalent in curriculum content and structure to its campus-based M.S. in Strategic Communication (though the online program has more limited elective options relative to the campus-based program). Students who want to take both online and campus-based courses can opt to follow a hybrid course of study wherein they can choose which classes to take in person and which to take online.
In addition to the above in-state online master’s in communication programs, there are numerous out-of-state schools offering online programs that accept applications from Connecticut. These programs provide students with additional options, especially for students who are interested in concentrations not offered by Central Connecticut State University. Visit our Online Master’s in Communication Programs page for more information and to find a comprehensive directory of online programs.
Directory of Master’s in Communication Programs in Connecticut
| Online Master's in Communication Programs that Accept Students from Connecticut | ||
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University | Online Master of Science in Communications with Specializations in Strategic Communications, Journalism Innovation, and Media Management | Program Website |
| Georgetown University | Online Master of Professional Studies in Public Relations & Corporate Communications | Program Website |
| Southern New Hampshire University | Online Master of Arts in Communication with Optional Concentrations in New Media & Marketing, and Public Relations | Program Website |
| Arizona State University | Online Master of Arts in Communication (Organizational/Workplace Communication) | Program Website |
| Arizona State University | Online Master of Science in Technical Communication | Program Website |
All Master’s in Communication Programs in Connecticut
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)
