Strategic CommunicationIcon: conversation balloon with share symbol.

young businesswoman giving a presentation in the boardroom

Application Deadline

  • Spring: December 1
  • Summer: April 15
  • Fall: August 1

Class begins

  • Spring: January 8, 2024
  • Summer: May 6, 2024
  • Fall: August 19, 2024

Degree Awarded

Master of Arts
in Strategic Communication

WSU College

Murrow College of Communication

Enhance Your Skills. Energize Your Career.

WSU’s master’s degree in strategic communication, available fully online, is designed for those who want to excel in communication, advertising, public relations and corporate communication. This flexible program is perfect for those already working as professional communicators. It is also ideal for individuals who wish to enter this field by earning trusted credentials from a university noted for excellence in communication studies.

What You’ll Learn

Whether you have no training in strategic communication or are a seasoned professional, this degree will advance and invigorate your career. The online master’s in strategic communication’s multidisciplinary approach offers expertise in both new and traditional media, critical knowledge and skills for today’s innovative communications environment. Faculty members with extensive professional experience will teach you how to gather and analyze information and use those findings to create effective communication campaigns.

The strategic communication MA provides a solid core curriculum consisting of classes in multimedia content creation, crisis communication, professional ethics, and research methods. The program also offers hands-on training in the most advanced platforms, tools and techniques. You will work closely with industry professionals and faculty to learn audio and video software, graphic design tools, new media and publication layouts. By the time you are finished, you will have created multimedia materials that are evaluated by peers and produced as portfolio-quality items stored online. This work is tailored to each individual career, or even your specific job needs.

WSU Strategic Communication Program Strengths

  • The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication is highly regarded nationwide by professionals and wins awards for student’s work.
  • Learn from professors who win awards for their teaching and professional work, are nationally ranked for their research, and emphasize high standards in the tradition of Edward R. Murrow.
  • Includes weekly online instructor office hours, frequent student self-assessment tools, ongoing interaction with other students, and a cohort structure in which students go through the program with the same group.
Photo: Designer's desk with responsive web design concept.

Get Started

Applicants will be evaluated by the Murrow graduate selection committee, which will require official copies of undergraduate transcripts, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a written statement of purpose.GRE scores are NOT required.

Note: This degree will not aid in qualifying graduates for doctoral-level programs at WSU or other institutions.

Visit Online MA Strategic Communication page for details on how to apply.

If you have questions about the program, please contact the recruitment coordinator for the Murrow College at comm.murrowcollege@wsu.edu or sign up for a one-on-one video or phone appointment.


Program of Study—30 semester credits

All courses are available online

12 credits

  • COM 561: Professional Multimedia Content Creation 
  • COM 562: Crisis Communication in Global Contexts
  • COM 563: Ethics for Professionals
  • COM 564: Research Methods for Professionals

15 credits

  • COMSTRAT 561: Persuasion for Professional Communicators
  • COMSTRAT 562: Creative Media Strategies & Techniques
  • COMSTRAT 563: Professional Digital Content Promotion 
  • COMSTRAT 564: Consumer Behavior and Brand Development
  • COMSTRAT 565: Professional Marketing Communication Management and Campaigns

3 credits

  • COMSTRAT 701: Capstone Project/Portfolio Preparation and Presentation

Related Certificates

Global Campus offers this related graduate certificate program that you can consider pairing with your strategic communication degree: