Master of Arts in Strategic Communication

Make Your Mark. Communicate With Impact.

We live in the midst of a media revolution. Digital tools and social media platforms have created a tidal wave of content. But does that content have an impact? Is it improving society?

Based in Washington, D.C., the epicenter of national political and social movements, the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication at American University teaches the skills you need to advance your career and make a mark as a strategic communicator in a variety of settings, including corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Our program offers you the cutting-edge tools and insights you need to develop and implement strategic communication campaigns. Our diverse, dynamic faculty of accomplished experts teach you how to create a strategy to address any communication challenge. You’ll learn how to use information in creative and innovative ways so you can make the impact you want in the world and your career.

Our mission is to educate students on the most recent trends and empower them with  strategic tools and insights  that set them apart from their peers. Our diverse, dynamic faculty of accomplished writers, documentarians, correspondents, PR experts, politicians, and social change advocates teach you to grasp a communication challenge and create a strategy to address it; target an audience; create a compelling message; write persuasively; to advocate in a changing digital media world. Expertise in these areas will allow you to build on  ideas and images, persuasion and information, and strategy and tactics  in creative and innovative ways.

Flexible Degree Options to Meet Your Needs

We offer full-time, part-time, and online courses of study.

Full-time students are generally expected to complete the program in 1 year. Part-time or online students are expected to take a minimum of two courses each semester and complete their program in less than two years.

The School of Communication operates on a rolling admissions basis for our graduate programs.  Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis  until programs reach capacity.

Faculty Research Fuels Innovation

The School of Communication's world-class faculty member's excellence in the classroom, achievements in their respective fields, and deep commitment to personalized mentorship have helped launch thousands of rewarding careers in the for-profit, non-profit, and government sectors.

Their  cutting-edge research activities and professional engagements  play key roles in national and global policy development. Faculty fields of study encompass strategic and political communication, intercultural and global communication, public and media relations, social change campaigns and digital media studies, public opinion research, public service advertising, broadcast news and media production, race relations, and public diplomacy, among many other areas.

Specific research areas in strategic communication  have included how internet politics can improve civic engagement; the impact of new media technologies on advocacy, activism, and political communication; the interaction between courts and the media; how media, public relations, and society intersect; and explorations in social media and personal branding.

Our faculty here will actively help you shape our world in positive ways. You'll engage in  meaningful work with a profound impact  as you strive to expand the constructive power of communication and media.

Your Network of Success

The School of Communication's highly selective graduate mentoring program  bridges the gap between the classroom and the professional world  to help you continue to build your career.

Each year, graduate students who are admitted to the program are  paired with top alumni  through a partnership among the School of Communication, our development team, and the AU Career Center. Whether it is helping you meet short and long-term career goals, sharing tips to improve your resume and portfolio, or helping you build a network of success, professional mentors are  invaluable sources of knowledge and experience  for students.

American University leverages the power and purpose of scholarship, learning, and community to impact our changing world. From sustainability to social justice to the sciences, AU’s faculty, students, staff, and alumni are changemakers.

Founded in 1893, American University is a distinguished, private institution located in the nation's capital of Washington, DC. With a competitively strong interdisciplinary focus, policy-driven academic programs, and impactful student activists and alumni, AU offers more than 135 master's degree programs, from seven schools.

A university small enough to allow you to feel seen and large enough to attract historical figures to campus to engage our community on important issues. American University is known for preparing generations of scholars who go on to become national and international public leaders and change agents throughout our global community.

Mission

To advance knowledge, foster intellectual curiosity, build community and empower lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

Vision

American University is a leading student-centered research university where passionate learners, bold leaders, engaged scholars, innovators, and active citizens unleash the power of collaborative discovery. We partner with key organizations in Washington, DC, region, and around the globe to better the human condition, learn from a vast array of experiences and internships, create meaningful change, and address society’s current and emerging challenges.