Program Quick Facts
Individualized Program
Choose from three specializations to develop the right skills for growth in evolving industries.
100% Online
Flexible, online classes make it easier to reach your goals while balancing work and family life.
Affordable Tuition
NMSU Global Campus offers competitively priced tuition and scholarship opportunities.
Improve Your Leadership Skills
The Master of Arts in Communication Studies from NMSU Global Campus can help you achieve upward mobility in your career. This 100% online graduate program is specialized into three important concentrations, giving you the opportunity to individualize the program to your needs:
- Organizational Communication, to develop as an effective communicator in workplace settings
- Leadership Communication, to improve your strategies for guiding teams and driving organizational goals
- Analysis and Decision Making, to help you manage complex challenges in a technical environment
No matter which specialization you choose, this flexible, affordable program is designed for professionals from a wide range of academic and career backgrounds seeking to move into higher-level roles. As workplaces become more connected and complex, organizations increasingly need people who can bridge teams, ideas, and departments — combining technical knowledge with strong communication and leadership skills.
Through a social-scientific approach, you’ll build the ability to manage workplace communication and respond to organizational challenges with greater clarity and confidence, preparing you for expanded responsibility in your field.
Apply NowCareer Pathways
Graduates of the Master of Arts in Communication Studies program at NMSU Global Campus enjoy a wide variety of professional options:
- Business, Corporate, and Organizational Communication
- Digital Media Communication and Mass Communication
- Global and International Communication
- Health Communication
- Higher Education Administration
- Marketing Communication and Public Relations
- Nonprofit and NGO Communication
- Political and Strategic Communication
- Technical Communication
Ready to take the next step?
Request Information“If you have a full-time job or kids that you are working around, I would definitely recommend going to NMSU Global Campus.”
Theresa C., Class of 2023
The MA in Communication Studies offers three concentrations, each one equipping you with effective leadership skills to thrive in any organizational environment.
A concentration in Organizational Communication helps you understand how organizations function day to day through relationships, teamwork, and workplace culture. You’ll learn to analyze organizational challenges, manage workplace relationships, and apply communication strategies that improve collaboration across teams and departments.
A concentration in Leadership Communication teaches you how to manage complex issues in the workplace. You’ll receive an advanced understanding of how communication and leadership drive organizational culture, team success, and managerial effectiveness.
A concentration in Analysis and Decision Making shows you how to thoroughly analyze problems from multiple angles to reach a straightforward course of action. With this multidisciplinary concentration, you’ll learn how to factor current data and organizational challenges into your problem-solving techniques, all while staying true to your intellectual ideals.
Students who want broader preparation may combine two concentrations, and through careful planning, still be able to complete the program in the same amount of time or with only a few additional courses. Beyond your focus area, you’ll develop strong skills in communication inquiry, critical analysis, strategy evaluation, ethical practice, and communication theory that you can apply across dynamic organizational environments.
At a time when technical skills evolve quickly, and workplaces are being reshaped by automation and AI, the MA in Communication Studies program strengthens essential skills that support adaptability, advancement, and long-term career success.
Delivery Format: 100% online
Program Credits: 36 credits
Program Length: 1.5-2 years
Cost Per Credit Hour: $444.40**
Active Military Cost Per Credit Hour: $250*
College: Arts and Sciences
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The Master of Arts in Communication Studies consists of 36 credit hours. Students complete 18 required credits in the Department of Communication Studies, including a 6-credit capstone project based on a real communication challenge (a thesis option is available by request and approval). Students also complete 18 elective credits, with the flexibility to take approved courses both inside and outside the department to support their academic and career goals.
A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation, along with a grade of B- or higher in all COMM courses. This 100% online program offers rolling admission year-round, with start dates available in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.
| Organizational Communication: Sample Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| COMM 5230: Strategic Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5510: Organizational Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5530: Leadership Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5630: Family Communication | 3 |
| COMM 4520: Small Group Communication | 3 |
| Leadership Communication: Sample Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| COMM 5510: Organizational Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5530: Leadership Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5550: Case Studies in Leadership Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5560: Ethics & Diversity in Leadership Communication | 3 |
| MGMT 503: Organizational Behavior and Management Processes | 3 |
| Analysis and Decision Making: Sample Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| AXED 5320: Risk and Crisis Communications in Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences | 3 |
| AXED 5110: Management of Change, Diffusion, and Adoption of Innovations | 3 |
| IE 537: Large Scale Systems Engineering | 3 |
| IE 563: Topics in Engineering Administration | 3 |
| COMM 5560: Ethics & Diversity in Leadership Communication | 3 |
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- An undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 from an accredited college or university; or
- A graduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 from an accredited college or university; or
- A minimum of five years of relevant, full-time professional work experience with an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 from an accredited college or university
Applicants must also submit:
- A resume or CV
- A statement of purpose expressing why you want to pursue a graduate degree in communication studies
- GRE scores are not required
At NMSU Global Campus, we strive to offer competitively priced tuition to keep your tuition costs affordable. If you need financial aid, we’re ready to work with you to determine the best ways to finance your education.
Financial assistance includes loans, grants, and scholarship opportunities. To apply, use NMSU’s convenient Scholar Dollar$ one-stop scholarship application, which serves all students in the NMSU system.
NMSU and NMSU Global Campus students are also eligible for loans and grants. The first step in applying for financial aid is to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Learn more about financial aid opportunities at NMSU.
Contact Financial Aid
Phone: 1-888-729-6678
Email: globalFA@nmsu.edu
Accreditation
New Mexico State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Specialized accreditation from other accrediting agencies is also granted for some programs. NMSU’s accreditation ensures that your education meets high-quality standards and that your credits are transferable.
*Terms and conditions apply.
**For NMSU Global Campus programs and courses, the per credit hour cost is listed above. Special tuition agreements (Western Undergraduate Exchange, Descubre, etc.) are not applicable to NMSU Global Campus programs. Course fees still apply and are charged separately. Textbooks, uniforms, equipment, etc., are additional program costs. Additional per credit costs might be charged by the program, department or college.