Online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy

Create Coordinated Messaging Campaigns for Modern Media Channels

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE

Complete the form below to learn more about our online programs and how to get started.

By submitting this form, I consent to the University of Oklahoma (OU) and its agents contacting me about educational opportunities via automated calls, text messages, and/or email at the number and email provided. Message and data rates may apply. Consent is not required to attend the OU or to receive information by other means. For details on how OU collects and protects your information, review the Privacy Policy.

At a Glance

The OU Online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy, offered through the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, prepares communication professionals with the knowledge needed to create coordinated, proactive messaging campaigns for modern media channels.

The program provides advanced training and skills crucial for leaders in today’s high-growth industry of strategic communication and digital strategy.

The program includes an embedded certificate in one of three areas – crisis communication, media analytics, or social media – giving you specialized knowledge and an additional credential in a focused area based on your career goals.

100% Online

Time to Complete:

20+ months

Credit Hours:

Time Commitment:

15-20 hours weekly

start dates

Fall, Spring, & Summer

cost

Earning your online Master’s in Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy from OU Online can fast-track your career—opening doors to leadership roles and new opportunities in a shorter time frame and at a more competitive cost than many other programs.

Tuition is $845 per credit hour, offering exceptional value for a high-quality, fully online graduate degree from a respected institution. The total cost will vary based on the number of credit hours required. Please note that books and additional materials are not included.

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE

Complete the form below to learn more about our online programs and how to get started.

By submitting this form, l consent to the University of Oklahoma (OU) and its agents contacting me about educational opportunities via automated calls, text messages, and/or email at the number and email provided. Message and data rates may apply. Consent is not required to attend the OU or to receive information by other means. For details on how OU collects and protects your information, review the Privacy Policy.

About the Online MA in Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy

Given the power and prominence of digital communication, businesses and organizations need communication leaders who can confidently direct the development of strategic campaigns and crisis response communication.

In this 33-credit-hour program, students learn to analyze data for campaign evaluation, leverage the power of social media to build communities, produce engaging content, successfully handle crisis communications, and build media relationships.

Students must choose one of the following embedded certificate options as part of their curriculum. The embedded certificates allow students to customize their studies to fit their professional needs.

Crisis Communication Certificate

Master the art of managing organizational challenges and leading through high-pressure situations. Courses include Crisis Communication & Management and Leadership for Crisis Communication. You’ll learn to:

Develop expertise in reputation management, stakeholder communication, and crisis response strategy
Develop and implement strategic communication plans for crisis management
Evaluate leadership roles and decision-making in high-pressure scenarios

Media Analytics Certificate

Become fluent in data-driven decision-making for communication campaigns while learning to interpret digital metrics, understand audience behavior, and optimize content based on analytical insights. Courses include Media Analytics and Digital Behavior. You’ll learn to:

Analyze data from digital channels to inform strategy and evaluate campaigns
Assess audience interactions with digital content to create targeted communication

Social Media Certificate

Develop comprehensive skills in platform-specific strategy, content creation, and digital campaign management. Courses include Social Media Marketing and Strategic Planning & Digital Strategy. You’ll learn to:

Focus on creating effective social media campaigns and strategic digital planning
Build integrated approaches to maximize engagement across digital channels

What Can I Do with a Strategic Communication Master’s Degree

The University of Oklahoma can help upwardly mobile professionals achieve their goal of becoming the strategic communication leaders that employers are seeking, such as:

Public relations managers
Advertising and promotions managers
Public relations specialists
Digital strategists

Fundraising managers
Search marketing strategists
Editors

Industry Insights

Median Pay: $159,660
Job Outlook: Employment for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is expected to grow 8% by 2033
Job Openings: 36,600 openings for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers are projected each year, on average, over the next decade

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Program Outcomes: What You’ll Learn

OU’s online master’s program in Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy focuses on providing advanced training and critical skills to guide an organization’s digital communication strategy, reach target audience segments, and manage brand reputation.

Use research and data analytics to understand and evaluate campaigns
Leverage the power of social media to produce engaging content & create communities
Serve as a strategic leader & be able to lead multi-channel communication teams
Successfully handle crisis communications & build media relationships

Course Details

The online Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy master’s degree blends asynchronous coursework and online classes offering flexibility for working adults. You’ll learn a mix of strategy, social media expertise, and analytical development.

Course Structure

You’ll earn 33 credit hours across 11 courses. You’ll take a combination of two 8-week and 16-week courses each semester that blend asynchronous coursework and live online classes and feature a mix of strategy, social media expertise, and analytic skills development.

Mandatory live lectures will take place once per week per class on a weeknight from 7-9 pm CT. You should attend live sessions regularly. When live session attendance is part of the grading breakdown, all live sessions have an alternative assignment for students who are not able to attend in real time.

There is one course with a heavy emphasis on group work. Other courses have occasional group projects. You can expect a time commitment of 15-20 hours per week.

Introduction to Research Methods

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to research methods used in the study and practice of mass communication. Addresses how to formulate research problems and choose appropriate methods to study them, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Social Media Marketing

Credit Hours: 3

This course explores the most effective marketing strategies and tactics used by brands to engage with consumers on each social media platform. You'll study best practices in social media marketing and apply them to the eight-step social media-planning model to construct an extensive real world social media marketing plan for a client.

Professional Seminar in Strategic Communication

Credit Hours: 3

Digital media brings new opportunities and challenges for strategic communicators that require new ways of thinking and responding. This course explores current, fast-changing industry topics and issues, including social and cultural issues, legal and regulatory issues, economic issues, and new technology issues, to help students understand and craft solutions to advance their organization's strategic needs.

Management & Leadership

Credit Hours: 3

This course focuses on the management of organizations – how to build effective systems, motivate employees, and create innovative organizational cultures. Through scholarly and professional writings, students explore management roles and functions, leadership of people toward common goals, and processes of organizational development and change.

Digital Strategic Communication

Credit Hours: 3

These days, the shift of media environments occurs more rapidly than ever, which influences our daily lives and requires practitioners in advertising and public relations (PR) to follow the media dynamics. This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of digital media environments and to explore how digital media is integrated into strategic communication.

Strategic Planning & Brand Strategy

Credit Hours: 3

This course will prepare students to identify and manage how change impacts their organization and how to strategically adapt to change. In addition, this course will explore the role of brand management and the brand planning process as an integral part of an organization's strategic planning process and how it can impact corporate brand value.

Marketing & Media Analytics

Credit Hours: 3

This course will explore the many ways that data analysis informs strategic communication by using real-world examples of customer and media metrics, common analytic techniques, and key foundational concepts. Marketers need to know what data they should expect to see, what data they should ask for, and how to understand data to translate it into strategy and action.

Digital Behavior

Credit Hours: 3

This course covers the methods to understand the audience through data analytics. Several psychology theories will be introduced to understand the digital audience's pattern. Students will develop more effective communication strategies to engage digital audiences.

Crisis Communication

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines strategic communication practices throughout the three stages of a crisis event. Special emphasis is placed on crisis planning, media relationships, image restoration, ethical responses, and organizational learning.

Cross-Cultural Communication

Credit Hours: 3

This course strives to advance understanding and appreciation of the roles of culture in shaping society, our senses of reality, and media. The course uses research, analyses, and critical observations of media performances to focus on understanding media and culture, analyzing the power of mediated symbols to create public perceptions that misrepresent social/cultural groups, and developing cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Ethics of Strategic Communication

Credit Hours: 3

The course will cover ethics among a variety of topics through cases such as corporate social responsibility, digital ethics, and global ethics. Students will explore the real-world and industry application of the ethical frameworks and conducts. Students will be able to apply different philosophical approaches and critical thinking skills to analyze and navigate contemporary strategic communication challenges.

Digital Strategic Communication Campaign (Capstone)

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides a deep dive into methods, strategies, and technologies involved in the planning, execution, and evaluation of digital strategic communication campaigns. The focus areas include Social Media Marketing, Crisis Communication, and Media Analytics. Students will develop proficiency in researching and crafting digital strategic campaigns by using strategic problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Why Choose OU Online for a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy

OU Online offers high-quality, affordable, professional undergraduate and graduate programs in a flexible, online format from a top-tier public institution. You’ll engage in online discussions with fellow students and professors from OU’s top-ranked Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication while learning to lead in the growing strategic communication and digital strategy field.

Faculty Expertise

Faculty members are carefully selected for their experience in the communication industry with proven track records at some of today’s most successful companies. By linking industry experts with our online programs, we offer a relevant curriculum that prepares students for future career success.

Robust Student Support

OU Online offers robust student support services, including academic support, online tutoring, mental health counseling, and an online career development center. The program accommodates the needs of working professionals, allowing you to expand your communication and leadership skills while maintaining full-time employment.

Global Alumni Network

With more than 250,000 alumni across the world, becoming a Sooner means you’ll have access to a strong network of communication leaders to accelerate your career. As a Sooner, you’ll be part of a powerful network of leaders working in organizations across the world, helping you expand your career.

Flexible Format

The Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy master’s degree can be completed in as little as 20 months while managing work and other responsibilities. The blend of asynchronous coursework and live online sessions provides flexibility, allowing students to continue working full-time while furthering their career.

Tailored Experience

OU understands the dynamic nature of digital communication. The curriculum for the Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy master’s degree is carefully curated to meet the rapidly evolving demands of the industry, ensuring students stay ahead in their career and are competitive for leadership roles.

After deciding to make a career shift from TV broadcast journalism into a communications role, I was ready to expand my knowledge into this area of journalism. Being a full-time employee, the thought of starting school 10 years after completing my undergrad was immensely terrifying. However, from the first contact with OU, the process was seamless, easy, considerate of my time as a professional, and always accessible. I'd highly recommend the program to fellow professionals considering pursuing a master's degree.

Griselda Perez

M.A. in Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy

Cost & Financial Aid

Earning your Master’s in Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy from OU Online is a powerful step toward advancing your career—and we’re committed to making that investment clear, accessible, and worthwhile.

Tuition for the program is $845 per credit hour, with the total cost depending on the number of credit hours required. Please note that books and additional materials are not included in this rate.

To help make your education more affordable, financial aid, scholarships, and employer tuition assistance may be available. For personalized guidance, contact the OU Online Financial Aid Office at onlineaid@ou.edu or call 405-325-2929.

A nonrefundable deposit of $350 is required upon admission to secure your place in the program. This deposit guarantees your spot in your first semester of courses and will be applied toward your first semester’s tuition.

* Please be aware that tuition and fees may change, as determined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Transfer Credit

You can transfer up to 12 credit hours of graduate-level coursework per Graduate College policy, with the department’s approval. Credit must be from a graduate-level course that was not applied to an earned degree. The course must have been taken within the last 5 years with a grade of B or higher. Must provide a course syllabus and explanation of why it would be a good substitute for the specific OU course it would be replacing, and submit an official transcript from the school at which the course was taken.

Take the Next Step

To apply to the online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy program, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (or the international equivalent), have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in your undergraduate studies, and have at least three years of post-grad, relevant & full-time work experience. Relevant work experience may include fields like project management, communications and marketing, analysis, process improvement, search engine optimization, advertising, and social media. Students who meet the above requirements will automatically be admitted to the program.

Application Process

Complete the online application at https://gograd.ou.edu/apply/
Submit a current resume
Submit transcripts
Note: unofficial transcripts can be provided for an admissions decision, but all official transcripts must be provided by all institutions where the student earned graduate credit or are degree-bearing (bachelor's and above)
Submit a 500-word personal statement describing your career goals and how the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication & Digital Strategy program aligns with those goals
International students must demonstrate English proficiency

Students with 3 years of experience (after earning a bachelor’s degree) and a GPA of 3.0 + will be automatically admitted

Students can complete the program at an accelerated pace if they have the time, but it is not recommended for full-time workers

Application Timeline

The admissions committee operates under a rolling admissions process, and admissions may continue until two weeks before the start of classes. A nonrefundable deposit of $350 is required upon admission to secure your place in the program. This deposit guarantees your spot in your first semester of courses and will be applied toward your first semester's tuition.

Step 1

Contact an Enrollment Coach to discuss your qualifications and interest in the program.

Step 2

Complete the online application.

Step 3

Provide supplemental materials, including a resume, official college transcripts, and a personal statement.