- Engage in timely research in key areas–Use of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism, Social Media, Visual Communication, Health Communication, Civic Engagement–that are significantly impacting the communication industry right now.
- Develop an expertise in social media analytics, storytelling with data, and data visualization.
- Acquire advanced visual, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Scholarships of up to 30 percent of tuition are awarded to qualified applicants. Research assistantships also available.
Communication in all its forms is at the center of our personal lives and professional careers. Whether it's interpersonal or mediated communication, professional communicators need to know how to develop creative and impactful messaging to successfully engage their audiences.
Technology has changed everything about the field of communication. Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are the first places people go to get breaking news. Retargeting ads, geofencing, and native advertising are influencing how to reach and connect with audiences. Add in the proliferation of big data and marketing coordinators, brand managers, and marketing executives now have access to information that impacts real-time decision-making around creative messaging, audience tracking, and the impact of an organization's marketing investment.
The best communication master's will prepare you to leverage the latest in tech in the dynamic and ever-changing field of communication.
RIT's communication master's degree hosts an innovative curriculum that is grounded in today's social sciences and humanities concepts and applications. You'll engage with our diverse and dynamic faculty of accomplished communication researchers and practitioners, who will teach you how to research a communication challenge, create compelling messages, and analyze media content and audience engagement.
RIT's Communication MS
With communication courses spanning artificial intelligence, digital storytelling, digital advertising, social media analytics, and strategic communication, RIT's communication master's prepares you to excel in the ever-changing fields of communication, public relations, marketing, and branding. You'll learn how to leverage technology to reach and engage audiences, craft compelling messages that stand out, analyze media content, and understand how analytics and big data drive smart decision-making. You'll become an effective content, brand, or marketing manager; social media strategist; or PR/communication officer who can deliver the results an organization is looking for. If pursuing a doctoral degree is a future career aspiration, RIT's program will help you grow into an accomplished researcher as you develop an in-depth understanding of the communication field.
Why Get Your Communication MS from RIT?
RIT is known for creativity and innovation. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranked RIT 50th on the list of "Most Innovative Schools" for 2021. What does this mean for you as a communication professional?
It means unprecedented access to vast resources in technology and innovation that can only be found at RIT. Diverse and dynamic faculty, comprised of accomplished communication researchers and practitioners, adds depth and real-world insight to your courses. Access to classes from across the university allows you to differentiate yourself by pairing your communication master's degree with elective courses in marketing, analytics, information technology, new media, management, design thinking, data analytics, and more. Smart classrooms, makerspaces, and an entrepreneurial ecosystem are designed for you to connect, share, and develop your ideas. All of this is designed for you to have an outstanding academic experience through hands-on learning and real-world application of knowledge. You'll graduate with a degree and the experience needed to stand out in a competitive job market.
Jobs in Communications
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in communication fields are expected to grow by seven percent over the next ten years. Communications professionals with graduate degrees earn an average salary of $86,433.
Types of jobs in communication vary depending on what kind of work interests you most. Graduates of RIT's communication master's degree hold positions as:
- Marketing Specialist
- Communication Coordinator
- Account Coordinator
- Communication Assistant
- Digital Marketing and Communication Analyst
- Social Media Manager
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Customer Sales Director
- Marketing Analyst
- Technical Writer
Relevant, Future-Focused Research
The communication MS offers research opportunities in timely, urgent areas affecting today's communication and marketing professionals, including the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, social media, visual communication, health communication, and civic engagement.
Students are also interested in: Media Arts and Technology MS, Visual Communication Design MFA