What is a Master of Arts in Communication Education?
Grand Canyon University's Master of Arts (MA) in Communication with an Emphasis in Education degree program provides students who have a passion for communications with the opportunity to pursue a career in teaching. This degree prepares graduates to teach at the post-secondary level for either 2-year or 4-year institutions. In addition, graduates are capable of teaching both in-person and online.
The Master of Arts in communication education degree helps future educators understand and practice the wide range of communication skills needed in both personal and professional settings. In turn, the MA in communication graduate learns the leaderships and teaching skills necessary to teach these strategies to others. Critical thinkers with an interest in leadership and community building are great candidates for this communication master’s degree program at GCU.
Earn Your MA in Communication at GCU
The Master of Arts in Communication with an Emphasis in Education degree program at Grand Canyon University is structured around three domains: pedagogy, theory and practice. By building a communication degree around these three areas, GCU ensures that graduates will be well-prepared to fulfill leadership roles in this field.
Master of communication graduates focus on adult-learning theory and best practices for teaching adult learners. These methods include teaching in communication online programs.
Communication theory focuses on cultural use of communication. Theories about organizational and societal use of communication are compared. Master of Arts in communication education graduates investigate theories around corporate social responsibility, public policy and spheres of influence related to ethics and messaging.
Masters in communication education grads at GCU practice what they learn. They study communication in personal and professional environments. They conduct audience analysis and learn to measure communication campaigns.
In this MA in communication degree program, graduates also 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
What Types of Jobs are Available with a Masters in Communication Education
GCU graduates with an MA in Communication with an Emphasis in Education degree will be equipped to act as communications leaders in many fields. They may find work as:
- College professors
- Adjunct faculty
- PR specialists
- Communications managers
- SEO or content writers
Communications educators have many 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
If teaching the next generation of communicators and influencers sounds like a 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.
Program 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 foundational course covers adult learning theory and pedagogical practices that are research-based and proven effective in higher education. Technology, distance learning, and effective pedagogy for online and traditional instruction are emphasized. Candidates research learning paradigms, personalized learning, and andragogy and are asked to apply their knowledge through situational case studies.
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 covers curricular alignment, instructional design, and effective communication and collaboration amongst university stakeholders. Creating learning goals, developing student outcomes and assessments, and giving effective feedback are emphasized. Candidates are asked to collaboratively develop activities, assessments, lesson plans, and syllabi 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.
Online
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. GCU offers the most experienced leadership in delivering online degree programs. Full-time faculty members and fully trained adjunct instructors, equipped with strong academic backgrounds and practical experience in their fields, support you every step of the way. Designed with the career-oriented professional in mind, our online classes provide an intimate environment that stimulates engaging and challenging discussions. Choose from programs across our distinct colleges, in high-demand employment areas. Classes begin frequently.
Evening
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. Night classes are designed for a specific number of students, providing a warm and nurturing environment that supports an engaging experience. In an evening cohort, you will progress through your degree program with the same career-minded classmates, providing an opportunity to network and forge relationships that go beyond the classroom. Classes begin frequently at various locations, including our main campus.
* Please note that this list may contain programs that are not presently offered as program availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability of the program.
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program's published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution's catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who started the program in the same year and then graduated within the published program length.
Online and Evening program disclosures (18 months)* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.