Master of Arts (MA) in Communication: Education Emphasis
Study Relationships Between Communication and Education for More Effective Teaching
Grand Canyon University's Master of Arts (MA) in Communication with an Emphasis in Education provides those who have a passion for communications with the opportunity to pursue a career in teaching. Taking courses that focus on communication in education can help prepare you to teach at the post-secondary level for either 2-year or 4-year institutions. In addition, you may have the capability of teaching both in person and online.
The master’s in communication degree with an education emphasis can help future educators understand and practice the wide range of communication skills needed in both personal and professional settings. In turn, MA in Communication graduates are taught the leadership and teaching skills necessary to teach these strategies to others. Critical thinkers with an interest in leadership and building community may be ideal candidates for this communications master’s degree program at GCU. If you are seeking licensure or certification, you are responsible for contacting your state department of education for licensure requirements and program approval.
Benefits of GCU’s MA in Communication: Education Emphasis Program
Completing your communications master’s degree at GCU provides you with an education that incorporates your learning with a Christian worldview. As you study, you will be taught about the importance of ethical communication and the appropriate styles and formats of communication based on audience. Earn your degree in a flexible, online format while completing coursework designed to develop you personally, spiritually and professionally.
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Topics Covered in the Communication Master’s Degree With an Education Emphasis
This graduate communication program is structured around three domains: pedagogy, theory and practice. By building a communication degree around these three areas, GCU can prepare you to fulfill leadership roles in this field.
The communication education curriculum focuses on various topics, such as:
- Adult-learning theory
- Best practices for teaching adult learners
- Teaching in communication online programs
- Communication theory and cultural use of communication
- Organizational and societal use of communication
- Corporate social responsibility and public policy
- Ethics and messaging
As an online master’s in communication student at GCU, you can practice what you will be taught, and study communication in personal and professional environments. You can also conduct audience analysis and learn to measure communication campaigns.
In this online communications master's degree program, you will also have the opportunity to learn about:
- Relationships and communication in the workplace
- Social influencing
- Communications case studies and best practices
- Argumentation and persuasion strategies
- Adult learning
- Student comprehension
- Media consumption
- Strategic communication for diverse audiences
- Media literacy
Career Paths for Communication Education Graduates
GCU graduates with an MA in Communication with an Emphasis in Education degree can be equipped to act as communications leaders in many fields. They may find work as:
- Postsecondary communications teachers
- Fundraising managers
- Public relations managers
- News analysts, reporters and journalists
- Writers and authors
- Editors
Communications educators have different options when it comes to potential workplaces. These settings include:
- Public and private colleges and universities
- Technical/vocational schools and programs
- Government offices
- Private businesses and corporations
Master of Arts in Communication: Education Emphasis FAQs
If you’re looking to further your knowledge by completing a master’s in communication degree that focuses on education, read through our frequently asked questions to learn more about this path.
The difference between an MS and MA in communication with an education emphasis lies mainly in the focus of courses in the program and what they require. MA program courses focus on critical thinking, theoretical and analytical-related studies, while MS programs aim to teach you more scientific, study-based materials.
Completing your online master’s in communication with an education emphasis is a viable option for many busy adult learners. This online curriculum is designed to be completed online by offering interactive coursework and relevant topics of study. Online degrees are becoming more commonplace, and your university’s accreditation is very important when considering online programs, rather than the format through which you completed your degree.1
The majority of courses for this master’s program are eight weeks in length. The program requires a total of 34 credits for completion.
If teaching the next generation of communicators and influencers sounds like your dream job, get started on your path today. Join your fellow future communication educators at GCU and earn your Master of Arts (MA) in Communication with an Emphasis in Education degree. Fill out the form on this page to get started.
1 Staff Writers. (2023, May 24). How Does Online College Accreditation Work? BestColleges. Retrieved on May 25, 2023.
If seeking licensure or certification, applicants to the program are responsible for contacting their state department of education for licensure requirements and program approval. In addition, fingerprint/background clearance is required.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the liberal arts. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course focuses on theories of interpersonal communication and their application in a variety of professional contexts. The course builds upon a foundation of relational communication theories to address problems that arise in workplace relationships, including leadership communication, managing emotions at work, working in groups, and becoming social influencers. The course builds skills in direct and indirect messaging, listening, managing perceptions and workplace identity, negotiating conflict, and more.
Course Description
This course covers theoretical approaches to organizational culture; the processes by which organizations, create, manage, and modify organizational culture; and the ways in which organizational culture is communicated to both internal and external audiences. The course also investigates organizations’ larger relationships with society through examining corporate social responsibility, public policy, and ethics and by considering how organizations manage these spheres of influence and weigh business decisions in the larger context of the collective community in which organizations operate.
Course Description
This course covers adult learning theory and instructional practices that are research-based and proven effective in higher education. Technology, online learning, and effective instructional methods for online and traditional instruction are emphasized. Participants research learning models, personalized learning and andragogy and apply their knowledge to improve student engagement and achievement in higher education.
Course Description
This course focuses on the concepts and theories of strategic communication and their relevance for constructing effective and ethical organizational messages for diverse audiences. The course prepares communicators to make organizational messages meaningful to stakeholders within organizations as well as stakeholders outside organizations. Through an emphasis on real-world applications, students learn how to ethically and effectively persuade through carefully crafted, contextually sensitive messages. The course does so by examining principles and theories of argumentation, persuasion, and behavior change. Students practice skills associated with these concepts as they apply to future career contexts.
Course Description
This course emphasizes principles of pedagogy and student learning in the context of communication studies. Students are encouraged to apply education frameworks and praxis-based training to a communication classroom. Through an emphasis on real-world organizational development, traditional theories of student comprehension, and modern pedagogy, this course prepares students to teach a diverse and eclectic range of communication courses.
Course Description
This course applies learning theories to classroom instructional methods and strategies. Effective communication, creating learning goals, developing student outcomes and assessments, and giving effective feedback are emphasized. Participants are asked to develop activities, assessments, and lesson plans that would be appropriate for a course taught at a community college or university. Prerequisite: EDU-534.
Course Description
Students in this course learn the underlying theories, methodologies, and effects of media consumption. This course emphasizes the role and influence of television, radio, social media, internet blogs and websites, and other media outlets on a globalized, interconnected world. The course builds on these concepts by encouraging students to critically evaluate ever-present media messages through applied projects and group work.
Course Description
This course investigates the interactions between organizational structure and communication within organizations. Theoretical and methodological analyses are emphasized. Specifically, students in the course examine how discourse, meanings, symbols, and information flow in organizational context.
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.
Grand Canyon University’s evening programs cater to the demands of working professionals who prefer an in-person learning environment. Our night classes meet just once per week and offer the interaction and discussion of a typical college classroom.
* Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change.