At present, there are five schools in Utah that offer a total of six master’s in communication programs, four of which are campus-based programs, and two of which are online programs. Students who wish to complete their master’s in communication at a school in Utah can choose from concentrations in areas such as international communication, health communication, and strategic communication. All of the schools listed on this page have received regional accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Campus-Based Master’s in Communication Programs in Utah

Brigham Young University’s School of Communications in Provo offers a Master of Arts in Mass Communications that provides students with a strong understanding of the relationship between media and society, as well as skills that are applicable to academic and industry roles in communication. Students can customize their course of study according to their specific area of interest, giving them the opportunity to focus their degree in areas such as Social Media; Media, Religion, and Family; International Media and Communications; Persuasion and Public Opinion; Health Communications; Advertising; Public Relations; Journalism and News Media; or Media and Current Societal Issues. Required core courses cover the fundamentals of graduate studies in communication, communication theory, communication research methods, communication and social science, and media effects on the individual, family, and society. After the core curriculum, students can choose from electives such as the history of communication, international media and communications, communication research methods, media literacy and culture, media and religion, media and contemporary social issues, the literature of journalism, and public relations concepts and strategies. After completing their core classes, students can elect to complete either a master’s thesis or an applied project as their final graduation requirement.

The University of Utah’s Department of Communication in Salt Lake City offers a Master’s in Communication with areas of emphasis in Critical/Cultural Studies; Digital Media; Rhetoric; and Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk (CommSHER). All students, regardless of their concentration, must complete a class on the foundations of communication, after which they can take electives covering topics such as the principles of public speaking, argument analysis, news writing, interpersonal communication, media and pop culture, communication and social responsibility, communication and gender, family communication, and communication for science, health and environment. Students can choose to earn either a Master of Science or a Master of Arts degree, with the only difference between these two options being a language proficiency requirement for the Master of Arts option. For their final graduation requirement, students can elect to complete a master’s thesis or a comprehensive examination.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Utah State University in Logan offers a Master’s in Communication Studies that can be pursued as either a Master of Arts or Master of Science degree. The program is research-oriented, and focuses on understanding communication and human interaction as the interpersonal, organizational, and societal levels. Students are required to take courses in Communication Studies Research, Interpersonal and Relational Communication, and Teaching Communication, as well as an Introduction to Graduate Studies and a Professional Development seminar. The remaining curriculum is comprised of seminars in Community and Cultural Communication, Social Influence, Organizing and Advocacy, and Facilitating Change. For their capstone requirement, students can elect to complete either a thesis or additional coursework.

Weber State University’s Department of Communication in Ogden offers a Master of Professional Communication (MPC) program with an emphasis in New and Emerging Media that combines campus-based and online courses to allow students some flexibility in their scheduling. Required foundational courses for all students include an introductory course on graduate studies in communication, communication theory, writing for communication professionals, public speaking and presenting in the workplace, and research methods for communication professionals. After these foundational classes, students take core courses in team building, new media in professional communication, visual communication, leadership in communication, advanced organizational communication, and strategic communication. Electives in this program cover interviewing skills, conflict resolution and mediation, and special topics in professional communication. As their final graduation requirement, students can choose between completing a master’s thesis, an applied project, or additional coursework, and consult with their advisor and the MPC program director in deciding which requirement to choose.

Online Master’s in Communication Programs in Utah

At present, two schools in Utah offer online master’s in communication programs.

Southern Utah University’s Department of Communication in Cedar City offers an online Master of Arts in Professional Communication, which has three emphasis options for students: a General Emphasis, a Digital Media Emphasis, and a Strategic Communication Emphasis. This program is offered entirely online, with zero campus visits and primarily asynchronous instruction. Required core courses cover topics in communication and professional development, applied communication theory, quantitative and qualitative communication research, and professional writing and presentations. After the core curriculum, students of the General Emphasis can choose electives in areas such as interpersonal communication, organizational communication, pop culture and media messaging, strategic communication, health communication, audience analysis, and social media.

Students who opt for the Digital Media Emphasis must take courses in visual literacy and its applications, communication and digital culture, professional social media, and pop culture messaging. Students of the Strategic Communication Emphasis take courses in advertising and public relations, strategic brand management, professional social media, and sports communication. As their final graduation requirement, students complete either a capstone thesis, an internship and accompanying paper, or an applied project that seeks to solve an issue in communication.

Utah State University’s Department of English offers a fully online Master of Technical Communication program. There are no required campus visits, and courses and class discussions are mainly asynchronous. Students use the Canvas learning management system to access course materials, submit assignments, and post messages to the class. Courses in the program include Introduction to Technical Communication, Advanced Editing, Introduction to Rhetorical Theory, Studies in Digital Media, Studies in Technology and Writing, Publications Management, and Usability Studies and Human Factors in Professional Communication. Utah State’s online program does not include a capstone requirement.

In addition to the online master’s in communication programs offered by schools in Utah, there are numerous out-of-state online programs that accept students from Utah. Online programs may be good options for students who do not live within a commuting distance to a campus-based program, or for students who would like to explore additional specialization options that are not offered by in-state online programs. Students interested in out-of-state online programs should note that due to state authorizations, not all online master’s in communication programs are allowed to accept online students from all 50 states.

Additionally, some online programs require students to attend one or more campus intensives during their enrollment. Campus intensives are events that are held on-campus or at satellite locations, and which typically include in-person lectures, career development workshops, group projects, seminar discussions, written and/or oral examinations, and other hands-on learning activities. MastersinCommunications.com categorizes online programs as those that only require two or fewer campus intensives annually. As students are generally responsible for the travel costs associated with attending these events, students should thoroughly research their programs of interest to determine any travel requirements before they apply.

For students who wish to research additional online programs offered by colleges and universities in the U.S., MastersinCommunications.com has created a comprehensive directory of online Master’s in Communication programs. In addition, students can learn more about the structure of online programs, which programs require on-campus intensives, online instruction methods (i.e., asynchronous versus synchronous instruction), and more.

Directory of Master’s in Communication Programs in Utah

All Master’s in Communication Programs in Utah

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

Brigham Young University

(Provo)

School of Communications

• Master of Arts in Mass Communications (General Program with Electives)

Southern Utah University

(Cedar City)

Department of Communication

• Online Master of Arts in Professional Communication (with Optional Emphasis Areas in Digital Media, and Strategic Communication)

The University of Utah

(Salt Lake City)

Department of Communication

• Master's in Communication (MA or MS) (with Areas of Emphasis in Critical/Cultural Studies, Digital Media, Rhetoric, and Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk (CommSHER))

Utah State University

(Logan)

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

• Master's in Communication Studies (MA or MS)

Department of English

• Online Master of Technical Communication

Weber State University

(Ogden)

Department of Communication

• Master of Professional Communication (with an Emphasis in New and Emerging Media)