Program Overview

Building on a 20-year legacy, our dynamic master’s program is constantly updated to respond to global opportunities in communication and digital media fields.

Graduates are thoughtful and intentional professionals, equipped to critically engage with organizational challenges, and apply superb storytelling practices to effect change.

The program has two degree track options:

(click the icons to learn more about each)

Curriculum

Our curriculum focuses on professional communication, with course offerings developed by industry leaders and top researchers. Targeted emphases in eight key areas distinguish Comm Lead graduates in the workforce and prepare them to competitively advance their careers:

Read more about degree requirements and meet our faculty.

Community

Comm Lead has a connected community of hundreds of alumni positioned at key global organizations in the public and private sectors. We view the diversity of experiences and perspectives in our student body and alumni network as one of our program’s core assets.

Years Since Bachelor's Degree: 14% 10+ years, 31% 5-9 years, 55% 0-4 years

Genders Represented: 26% Male, 2% Other, 72% Female

Ethnicities Represented: 34% White, 11% Hispanic American, 10% Asian American, 9% African American, 1% Other, 1% Hawaiian Pacific Islander, 34% International

Countries Represented: United States, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Nigeria, Gambia, Kazakhstan, China, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, United Kingdom

For more, visit our Student Life page

Values

Communication leadership is not just our graduate program’s namesake. It’s a behavioral model for today’s world — anywhere in the world. These are the core tenets that guide us as a program:

Communication Leaders embrace the power of story as the instinctual way in which people process information. Using universal storytelling principles, we create meaningful content across changing media and platforms. We inform and inspire. We use stories strategically to advance our goals and our organizations.

1. Storytelling
Communication Leaders adapt to emerging technology. We understand that technology is a valuable set of tools, but not an end in itself. We align technology with human needs and values to ensure that innovation is inclusive and does not amplify existing inequity. We respect individuals’ boundaries, privacy, and ownership of their data. We support thoughtful decision-making around the adoption and deployment of technology.

2. Technology
Communication Leaders are principled in how we connect with people. We value emotional intelligence so that we can read the needs and motivations of others. We act ethically and are conscious of the primary and secondary impacts of our work. We hold ourselves to principles of integrity, accountability, and transparency. We believe all our work must be guided by clearly articulated values.

3. Values
Communication Leaders recognize our power to effect change, and embrace the responsibility that comes with that power. We are aware of our social position, privilege, and implicit biases. We seek a diversity of voices for guidance and authority. We advocate for the vulnerable and prioritize accessibility, inclusion, and equity in all of our work.

4. Responsibility
Communication Leaders build, strengthen, and serve communities. We see digital communication as a reflection of interpersonal communication, and recognize the relationship between online and offline communities. We value human connection, and approach all communication as a collaborative process.

5. Community
Communication Leaders are persuasive advocates. We understand audiences, consumers, and constituents. We know how to synthesize ideas, marshal an argument, and foster consensus. We are strategic in our thinking, and are engaged with the “why” behind what we are advocating, as well as the “how” behind implementation.

6. Advocacy
Communication Leaders support fellow humans through times of transformation. Our fast-changing world requires us all to be lifelong-learners with self-awareness and humility. We believe listening, service, and a global mindset are key elements of effective leadership. We will co-create the new stories, whose shared meaning will inspire a better future.

7. Leadership