At present, there are six schools in Utah that offer a total of eight master’s in communication programs, five of which are campus-based, two of which is online, and one that is classified as a hybrid-online program. 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.
Southern Utah University’s Department of Communication in Cedar City offers a Master of Arts in Professional Communication, which is a generalist program with electives that allows students to tailor their program of study to their interests and professional goals. Required core courses cover topics in communication and professional development, communication theory, quantitative and qualitative communication research, and professional writing and presentations. After the core curriculum, students 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. 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. Students in the campus-based program at Southern Utah University have the option of completing some of their classes online.
Search Master's in Communication Programs
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 Department of Languages, Philosophy and Communication Studies 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.
Westminster College’s Master of Strategic Communication Department offers a Master of Strategic Communication that MastersinCommunications.com classifies as a hybrid-online program in that students complete the majority of their coursework online in conjunction with mandatory one-day campus residencies once per semester. Hence, the five semester program requires five campus visits. This program emphasizes five project sequences that consist of working in groups to build marketing communication plans, organizational communication strategies, branding strategy, and training modules for professional clients. These project sequences are Strategic Communication in Action, Visual Branding & Communication Design, Organizational Strategy Assessment, Strategic Marketing Communications, and Corporate Training & Capstone Project. Along with these project sequences, students take classes in persuasive communication, communication problems, visual literacy, data collection and analysis, market analysis, marketing communication plan development and assessment, integrated marketing communications, and effective presentations. Students’ final graduation requirement is a capstone project that builds off of the concepts covered in the previous project sequences. At the end of their program, students take an international trip with their cohort to apply their knowledge and skills to a project for an international client, such as a non-profit social service organization.
Online Master’s in Communication Programs in Utah
At present, two schools in Utah offer online master’s in communication programs. Southern Utah University offers an online version of its Master of Arts in Professional Communication, which is equivalent in course selections and graduation requirements to the campus-based program. Instruction is delivered entirely online, with no campus visit requirements. The program uses primarily asynchronous instruction; however, some synchronous sessions may be necessary, depending on the course.
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.
While these are the only fully online programs currently available in the state, Weber State University and Westminster College (described above) offer programs that incorporate online coursework to give students greater flexibility in completing their program while balancing professional and personal obligations. For example, Westminster’s Master of Strategic Communication program utilizes primarily online instruction with only one campus session each semester. This may be ideal for students who need the flexibility of online instruction, but would like the opportunity to interact face-to-face with their classmates and professors.
In addition to the online and hybrid 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 all online master’s in communication programs available in the nation, MastersinCommunications.com has created an Online Masters in Communication Programs page that includes a comprehensive directory of all such programs. That page is continually updated as new programs become available, and also provide useful information about online programs, geographical restrictions, campus intensives, and asynchronous versus synchronous instruction.
Directory of Master’s in Communication Programs in Utah
| Online Master's in Communication Programs that Accept Students from Utah | ||
|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University | Online Master of Arts in Communication with Concentrations in Public and Media Relations, Political Communication, Health Communication, Digital Communication, and Corporate and Non-Profit Communication | Program Website |
| University of Delaware | Online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication with Optional Concentrations in Public Relations or Digital and Social Media | Program Website |
| Arizona State University | Online Master of Arts in Communication (Organizational/Workplace Communication) | Program Website |
| Southern New Hampshire University | Online Master of Arts in Communication with Optional Concentrations in New Media & Marketing, and Public Relations | Program Website |
| Syracuse University | Online Master of Science in Communications with Specializations in Advertising, Public Relations, Journalism Innovation, and Media Management | Program Website |
All Master’s in Communication Programs in Utah
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)
Brigham Young University
(Provo)
Southern Utah University
(Cedar City)
The University of Utah
(Salt Lake City)Utah State University
(Logan)Department of English
