A professional Master’s program for people building careers in marketing, digital communications, UX, storytelling, and corporate communications. Whether you’re looking to work in a tech company, a creative agency, or a nonprofit organization, Communication Leadership has been designed for professionals with a diverse range of goals.
Our program equips graduates with transferable skills, hands-on experience, and an extensive alumni network.
Where Our Alumni Work
Our graduates go on to work in roles at Fortune 500 companies, boutique communication agencies, and everything in between. Global brands employing our alumni in prominent roles include Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Google, Boeing, Edelman, Expedia, SAP, WE Communications, and the University of Washington.
Learn more about where Comm Lead students find jobs.
Top Fields Employing Our Alumni
Our graduates enter roles in marketing, communications, content strategy, user experience, and community engagement. Check out the tables below to get a sense of the career outcomes you can expect as a graduate of the Communication Leadership Master’s Program.
| Field | Share of Alumni* |
|---|---|
| Marketing, Advertising, and PR | 37% |
| UX and Content Strategy | 17% |
| Organizational Communication | 13% |
| Product and Program Management | 13% |
| Other fields | 11% |
| Media and Journalism | 9% |
Based on the latest employment data of 1,134 alumni out of 1,449 total graduates — Alumni database, updated August 2026.
Top Roles In Each Field
You’ll find our alumni working across technology, consulting, media, healthcare, education, government, and public service sectors.
Marketing, Advertising, and PR — Communications Specialist, Digital Marketing Specialist, Marketing Communications Manager, Growth Marketing Manager, Director of Marketing
UX and Content Strategy — UX Designer, UX Researcher, Product Designer, Content Designer, Senior Content Strategist, Brand and Visual Designer
Organizational Communication — Communications Manager, Internal Communications Specialist, Communications Consultant, Head of Global Partnerships, Senior Manager of Internal Communications
Product and Program Management — Product Marketing Specialist, Program Manager, Product Manager, Principal Product Manager
Media and Journalism — Podcast Producer, Journalist, News Producer, Video Editor, Creative Director, Director of Production
Other fields — Alumni also work as founders, teachers, lecturers, and in finance, engineering, and mental health.
Typical Roles & Salaries
| Role | Lower Range | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | $62,330 | $96,000 |
| Art Directors | $76,610 | $124,610 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $60,580 | $133,760 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $127,240 | $163,380 |
| Public Relations Managers | $107,650 | $166,590 |
| Marketing Managers | $99,180 | $175,850 |
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue annual wages, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025.
“Lower range” is the 10th percentile — 10% of people in the role earn below this figure. “Typical” is the median — half earn more, half earn less. Please note that wages vary by employer, experience, and location, and these figures are used to describe the potential occupations and earnings based on industry standards.
Alumni Job Profile
See our alumni in action:
Graduate Testimonials
Hear directly from our alumni.
Ekta Dokania
Marketing Manager
T-Mobile
“I joined this program to update my skills and knowledge of the evolution of the comms industry since my last stint at full time work almost 6 years ago. I built a network of industry professionals, gained practical work experience, and landed my first job in corporate America. The MCCL degree really helped me to restart my career in communications and also to pivot to integrated marketing in a new country.”
Thomas Zou
Product Marketing Manager
Microsoft
“Comm Lead helped me to jump-start my career in the US. The benefit wasn’t just knowledge gained from courses and growth of my portfolio. It was confidence and the camaraderie developed throughout the 18 months.”
Professional Support & Connections
As a professional program, we provide opportunities for our students to grow and achieve their career goals.
Learn more about the professional development opportunities we offer.
Common Questions About Career Outcomes
Communication Leadership connects you with opportunities throughout your degree. Networking events and social mixers bring alumni and industry guests together with current students. Each quarter there are multiple professional development events, both virtual and in person.
Beyond events, you have access to professional development support and faculty who work in global companies, an alumni network of more than 1,400 graduates, and paid client projects through Communication Leadership Consulting. Applied coursework builds portfolio work you can show employers before you graduate.
Yes. Many of our students come from journalism, education, design, technology, nonprofit work, and unrelated fields, at various stages of their careers. The curriculum is built to support career changes and non-linear paths. All three degrees share the same eight specializations, so you can focus on the field you want to move into regardless of which degree you choose.
Earnings depend on role, employer, and experience. In the Seattle metro area, where many Communication Leadership graduates build their careers, Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for May 2025 show median annual wages of $96,000 for public relations specialists, $133,760 for web and digital interface designers, and $175,850 for marketing managers. These are occupational figures for the region, not outcomes for our graduates.
University of Washington
Department of Communication