Master of Science in Communication Management
Thinking about an advanced degree in communication or management? How about combining the two? The University of North Florida offers a Master of Science in Communication Management. Collaborating with a variety of other colleges and departments on campus, the M.S. in Communication Management allows you, the student, to customize your degree to the field you prefer. Courses are offered in the evenings, and some are online, for your convenience. Students choose between a thesis or non-thesis option. And GRE scores are not required to enroll.
Learn about the M.S. in Communication Management in this video about our master's degree.
The UNF Graduate School has more information about the M.S. in Communication Management, including admission requirements.
What can you do with a Master's in Communication Management?
The M.S. in Communication Management focuses on leadership management in the communication field, such as at public relations firms, advertising agencies, media outlets and production companies. Graduates can also find employment in leadership positions at government agencies, healthcare companies and corporate communication departments. Demand for communication managers is growing significantly. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, the next 10 years will see a 9% increase in management jobs related to advertising, promotions, and marketing, and a 7% increase in management jobs in public relations and fundraising. In addition, the M.S. in Communication Management will prepares students for doctoral programs for those who want to further their education.
How does the School of Communication help you with your career goals?
We offer three opportunities outside of our curriculum to interact with the area's top communication managers. Every October the School of Communication hosts Media Week, which is an event that allows you to network with communication managers and get advice from them. Each February the school holds an Internship + Job Fair, which includes communication companies from around the region. In addition, we offer a mentor program with communication managers in advertising, public relations, journalism and production.
How much does a master's degree cost?
The M.S. in Communication Management is competitive in program costs with other universities in the state of Florida. The cost is $493.68 per credit hour for Florida residents and $1,044.42 per credit hour for non-Florida residents.
For Questions Contact:
Dr. Stephynie Perkins
Graduate Program Coordinator and Advisor
Building 14D, Room 2011
More information for our current students can be found in our graduate student handbook.
Find out more about how to pay for graduate school:
Our Graduate Assistantships information and application.
Scholarship opportunities from the UNF Graduate School.
Curriculum
The 36-credit degree is an innovative collaborative approach among the School of Communication and five other concentrations within the University. These concentrations include business, public health, leadership, nonprofit or public management. Students will learn media management, strategy, metrics, economics and business/communication ethical and legal issues.
The M.S. in communication management focuses on leadership management in the communication field such as a public relations firm, advertising agency, media outlet or production company. Graduates can also find employment in leadership positions at government agencies, healthcare companies and corporate communication departments.
In addition, the master's program prepares students for doctoral programs if they want to further their education.
The curriculum, listed below, shows the extent to which you can customize your coursework to fit your needs. Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the program. If a student earns a C in a major course or in an outside area, he or she MUST retake the course. Students whose grades fall below a 3.0 will be placed on academic probation.
Major: Communication Management
Degree: Master of Science
Hours: 36
CORE REQUIREMENTS: 15 credits
| MMC 6256 - Foundations of Communication Management (3 credits) |
| MMC 6006 - Strategic Communication Theory (3 credits) |
| MMC 6426 - Qualitative Research Methods in Mass Communication (3 credits) |
| MMC 6421 - Quantitative Research Methods in Mass Communication (3 credits) |
| MMC 6206 - Ethics in Communication Management (3 credits) |
SCHOOL ELECTIVE: (3 credits)
Select 1 course from the following:
| COM 5126 - Organizational Communication (3 credits) |
| COM 5627 - Lying & Deception (3 credits) |
| COM 5705 - Listening (3 credits) |
| COM 5226 - Theory and Research Methods in Health Communication (3 credits |
| COM 5445 - Small Group Communication (3 credits) |
| COM 5046 - Interpersonal Communication (3 credits) |
| COM 5348 - Interviewing: Theories and Methods (3 credits) |
| SPC 5545 - Theories of Persuasion (3 credits) |
| MMC 5419 - Political Advertising (3 credits) |
| RTV 5801 - Media Management (3 credits) |
| MMC 5946 - Internship in Communication Management (3 credits) |
| MMC 5267 - Current Issues in Emerging Media (3 credits) |
| MMC 6730 - Social Media Management (3 credits) |
OUTSIDE COURSES: (12 credits)
Pick courses from just 1 of these 5 concentrations below (Business, Public Health, Leadership, Nonprofit Management or Public Management):
- Business Concentration (Non-Thesis)
- Business Concentration (Thesis)
- Public Health Concentration (Non-Thesis)
- Public Health Concentration (Thesis)
- Leadership Concentration (Non-Thesis)
- Leadership Concentration (Thesis)
- Nonprofit Management Concentration (Non-Thesis)
- Nonprofit Management Concentration (Thesis)
- Public Management Concentration (Non-Thesis)
- Public Management Concentration (Thesis)
STUDENTS CHOOSE EITHER THESIS/APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECT OR NON-THESIS OPTION: (6 credits)
MMC 6971 - Thesis/Applied Research Project (6 credits)
Students will complete either an academic communication management-related thesis OR a professional communication-related research project under the supervision of a faculty adviser and thesis committee. Students will take this 3-credit course twice to reach the required 6 credit hours of thesis/applied research project needed to graduate with the M.S. in communication management.
Non-Thesis Option (6 credits)
Students who choose this option will take six additional credit hours from the list of School Electives.
The admissions requirements
A baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by an acceptable institutional accreditor or its equivalent from a foreign institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all work attempted in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study. GRE scores are not required. Students who do not meet the GPA requirement may submit GRE scores as an alternative. The minimum score is 153 verbal and 144 quantitative.
Other requirements:
- Official transcripts from all attended colleges or universities
- Resume (which includes contact information for at least two references)
- Letter of intent that speaks to the applicant's background/goals and specifies which of the 5 concentrations (business, nonprofit management, public management, leadership or public health) he/she wants to select.
All graduate applicants should be aware that fluency in the English language is essential for success in the program. International students are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 550 (paper-based) or 79 (internet-based) on the TOEFL is required.
Visit the UNF Graduate School website to apply. The deadlines for admission are December 1 for spring term and August 1 for fall term.
Please email the school director, Dr. John Parmelee, jparmele@unf.edu, if you have questions or if you want to be put on our mailing list for updates about the M.S. in Communication Management.
Graduate Faculty Research Areas
Dr. Christa Arnold, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: qualitative and quantitative methods
Preferred theories: relational, patient-centered, social learning
Topics: physician-patient communication, deception analysis, listening research
Dr. Berrin Beasley, Professor
Preferred research methods: content analysis, focus groups
Preferred theories: social cognitive, cultivation
Topics: portrayal of women in the media, media ethics
Dr. Junga Kim, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: survey, content analysis
Preferred theories: persuasion, framing
Topics: WOM, online communities, cross cultural studies, health communication
Dr. Chunsik Lee, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: experiment, survey
Preferred theories: attitudes and persuasion, source credibility, cross-cultural research, U&G
Topics: cultural influence in social media, source effects, eWOM, branding, ad effectiveness
Dr. Carolynn McMahan, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: surveys, content analysis, focus groups
Preferred theories: uses and gratifications, cognitive, framing
Topics: interactivity and online advertising, cross cultural advertising, online marketing communications, healthcare and social media, gender portrayals
Dr. Siho Nam, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: political economy, critical discourse analysis, economic analysis
Preferred theories: cultural political economy, globalization, critical pedagogy
Topics: international communication, media and social change, media hegemony, critical media literacy
Dr. Jae Hee Park, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: survey, content analysis
Preferred theories: uses and gratifications
Topic: online communities, sponsorship, and cross cultural studies
Dr. John Parmelee, Professor
Preferred research methods: content analysis, survey, focus groups, in-depth interviews, frame analysis
Preferred theories: framing, uses and gratifications, eWOM, selective exposure, agenda-building
Topics: political communication (Twitter, Instagram, political ads, political journalism)
Dr. Stephynie Perkins, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: qualitative (focus groups), historical
Preferred theories: framing
Topics: public relations, African Americans in PR/mass communication
Dr. Rachel Riggs, Assistant Professor
Preferred research methods: survey methods, experiments, focus groups, textual analysis
Preferred theories: social cognitive theory, self-efficacy theory, narrative sensemaking, identity
Research topics: sexual assault victimization, mental illness stigma, portrayal of gender in media
Dr. Nataliya Roman, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: content analysis, survey, in-depth interviews, frame analysis
Preferred theories: framing, social identity, world system theory, social cognitive
Topics: international communication, intercultural communication, political communication, audience analysis, ethnic media
Dr. Margaret C. Stewart, Associate Professor
Preferred research methods: Qualitative and quantitative methods; Interview, focus group, survey, content analysis, and case study research
Preferred theories: Uses and gratifications theory, social capital theory, media richness theory, uncertainty reduction theory, situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), social presence theory, social information processing theory.
Topics: The uses and implications of social media in a variety of contexts, including:
- military marriages/families,
- teaching and learning,
- student-athletes,
- sports organizations,
- crisis communication, and
- strategic/organizational communication.
Dr. Brian Thornton, Professor
Preferred research methods: Historical/Qualitative
Topics: letters to the editor