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Online Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationOnline Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationOnline Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Digital technology is revolutionizing how people interact and share information. In today’s high-tech world, employers need strategic and creative communication professionals with the skills to make their messages seen and heard.
Maryville University’s 100% online bachelor’s degree in communication prepares you for a lifelong career in strategic media fields. Whether you’re looking to get your start as a content creator or advance your career in business, advertising, education or publishing, our online communication degree provides the knowledge you need to succeed.
Choose from two program concentrations — strategic communication theory with project-based learning or a hands-on track focused on in-demand skills, such as web design, digital writing and social media campaign management.
Are you ready to start or advance your career in the fast-paced world of communication? Take the next step and apply today.
Choose your concentration:
Strategic Communication or
Emerging Media Strategy
Explore financial aid and eligible transfer credit options
Earn certifications from Amazon, Google, Hubspot, and
Salesforce
Apply with no application fee and entrance exams
Eligible for Early Access – get a head start on your graduate degree
Why earn your online bachelor’s degree in communication?
Today’s job candidates in various fields — from business and publishing to video and audio production — need cutting-edge skills to stay competitive in a digitally driven world.
An online communication degree gives students the tools to recognize, analyze and effectively respond to communication challenges and opportunities. Graduates enter the job market able to apply communication concepts and theories in a broad range of settings and create relevant messages for diverse audiences.
Flexible, affordable and 100% online
Complete your coursework 100% online.
No campus visits are required.
Earn certificates.
Depending on your concentration and chosen electives, you can pursue certificates in place of some exams.
Enroll in practical and project-based courses.
Complete your internship and gain access to relevant communication tools preferred by media professionals today.
What can you do with your online bachelor’s degree in communication?
Maryville’s online bachelor’s degree in communication can be the credential you need to launch your career in a wide range of exciting fields.
For example, you might discover a passion for public relations, a high-visibility field focused on creating and maintaining a favorable public image for companies and organizations. As the public face of an organization, you would write media releases, manage social media and respond to media requests or give public interviews.
Or you might go into publishing. As an editor of books, magazines, websites or newspapers, your critical eye for clear and compelling content would be essential to the planning, review and finalization of material for publication.
If simplifying complex concepts is your specialty, you might choose a career in technical writing, crafting content ranging from instruction manuals and journal articles to user experience (UX) copy and design.
When you earn your online communication degree, the possibilities are practically endless.
Careers in communication
Your online communication degree can help you qualify for careers in settings ranging from digital media companies to private companies seeking content creators to engage their audiences online.
Potential career paths for graduates with an online communication degree include:
- Account executive
- Advertising manager
- Communication specialist
- Community manager
- Copywriter
- Corporate communication manager
- Digital media manager
- Editor
- Marketing manager
- Marketing specialist
- Media planner
- Media strategist
- Producer
- Public affairs specialist
- Public information officer
- Public relations specialist
- Reporter
- Social media manager
You can work in a variety of settings and fields, including:
- Advertising
- Business
- Education
- Government
- Marketing
- Media
- Nonprofits
- Public relations
Why choose Maryville University’s online bachelor’s degree in communication?
At Maryville University, we recognize that communication and digital media are changing rapidly as technology evolves. That’s why we developed an online communication degree that teaches the latest in-demand skills and emphasizes learning by doing.
You will gain hands-on experience executing strategic media projects using cutting-edge digital media tools. As a Maryville student, you’ll build a professional communication portfolio and graduate ready to lead campaigns in marketing, advertising, public relations, journalism, media and more.
Maryville University has been connecting motivated professionals with industry expertise since 1872. We’re proud of our reputation for quality academics, accelerated growth and affordability because it demonstrates our devotion to advancing learners like you.
Faculty spotlight
Meet Leilani Carver-Madalon, Ph.D.
Program Director and Associate Professor of Communication
Leilani Carver-Madalon, Ph.D., specializes in strategic communication, marketing communication and leadership. Before entering academia, Carver-Madalon worked eight years in technology training and development, project management and consulting.
As a professor, Carver-Madalon empowers learners to become leaders through experiential learning opportunities such as short-term study abroad programs and practical assignments, which include real clients. She developed and launched the women’s leadership mentorship program at Maryville University, which involves approximately 200 mentors and mentees annually. The program teaches professional skills like strategic risk-taking, confidence building, salary negotiation, public speaking and career advancement.
Carver-Madalon strongly advocates for learners to explore their interests and values during their studies, encouraging informational interviews, job shadowing and internships to learn more about creating a career — and a life — they love. She believes it’s impossible to teach a student everything they need to know, but it’s essential to teach them how to learn and to inspire a passion for lifelong learning. As Greek essayist Plutarch wrote, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be lit.”
Online bachelor’s degree in communication curriculum
Maryville’s online bachelor’s degree in communication curriculum includes general education, the communication major, electives and a concentration of your choice.
Core communication courses introduce students to topics ranging from writing and research methods to digital media strategies and the use of visual communication programs such as Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
Specialize your online communication degree with the concentration that best fits your interests and career goals:
Strategic Communication focuses on campaigns, law and ethics. You have the opportunity to design and create dynamic communication strategies that can be adapted to changing situations, audiences, social movements, technology and delivery modalities.
Learn more about the Strategic Communication concentration.
Emerging Media Strategy and Social Media teaches in-demand skills such as web design, video and audio communication and crisis management. The coursework prepares you for the transformation of traditional communication organizations into digital environments and provides hands-on experience in the latest e-media technology and applications.
Learn more about the Emerging Media Strategy concentration.
Earning your Bachelor of Arts in Communication online requires 128 credit hours. If you’ve taken college courses or have already completed an undergraduate degree, you can transfer your eligible completed credits and earn your communication degree even sooner.
Required communication major courses — Learn how communication is used in social, professional and global applications
Strategic Communication concentration — Gain the skills to translate communication into actionable strategies for organizations.
Emerging Media Strategy and Social Media concentration — Study the tools and emerging trends shaping social media, its users and our interconnected world.
A strategy you can build on
Earning your online bachelor’s degree in communication can help you qualify for a range of professional careers as well as provide a foundation to further grow your skills and knowledge through graduate study.
At Maryville, your online communication degree can qualify you for Early Access to online master’s degree programs in business, management and leadership so you can get a head start on your next round of studies. If you’re a qualified undergraduate student and you have not yet completed your elective requirements, we invite you to explore Early Access.
When you’re ready to go further, consider these online graduate degree options:
Master of Business Administration (MBA), with 12 concentrations and flexible options, including a one-year online MBA program.
Master of Arts in Management and Leadership, with concentrations available in cybersecurity, health administration, human resource management, information technology, marketing and project management.
Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership, with the opportunity to study theory, gain practical experience and earn at least three professional industry certifications.
Frequently asked questions
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Maryville’s online bachelor’s degree in communication can lead to exciting and rewarding career opportunities in a host of industries. Graduates of this program can choose from a wide range of specialties and pursue additional education as needed.
Popular careers potentially available to communication graduates include:
- Community manager
- Editor or producer
- Marketing manager
- Media planner
- Public relations specialist
- Reporter
- Social media manager
- Writer
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Yes. Maryville University proudly holds regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Maryville has maintained accreditation from the HLC since 1941, and this status was most recently reaffirmed in 2015.
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Most students complete the online bachelor’s in communication degree in four years. Qualified students may be able to satisfy the general education requirements through eligible transfer credits to complete the program sooner.
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Maryville’s online communication degree program offers students a choice of two concentrations, both with internships that provide hands-on experience working for a professional media or communication organization.
The Strategic Communication concentration focuses on communication theory and provides the skills you need to create dynamic communication strategies that are adaptable to myriad situations, objectives, audiences, technologies, and delivery modalities. The curriculum covers all of the key considerations of effective communication, including research, strategy, law, and ethics.
The Emerging Media Strategy and Social Media concentration focuses on the key digital tools that graduates need to succeed in the modern business world. Students gain hands-on experience creating social media campaigns, writing e-media and digital campaigns, designing web pages in HTML and CSS, and more.
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With Early Access, learners in our online communication degree program can get a head start on earning a graduate degree by taking graduate-level courses that count toward their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Furthermore, graduate-level Early Access courses are billed at the undergraduate tuition rate — so learners save time and money.
Our MBA, Master of Arts in Management and Leadership, and Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership are among the many Maryville graduate programs that offer Early Access options for students enrolled in our online bachelor’s in communication degree program.
If you’re interested in participating in the online communication degree program, you should apply one semester before starting to take Early Access courses. To apply, you must have completed at least 75 credit hours and have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. Through the program, you can earn up to 12 credit hours toward your master’s degree. Our advisors can help you select your Early Access courses, which must be taken one at a time.
Learn more about the Early Access program.
Apply to the online communication degree program at Maryville University
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