Quick Highlights
The M.A. in Communication Studies is theory and research first, building research, writing and messaging skills through communication theory and research methods.. The M.S. in Strategic Communication – General is practice first, with audience research, account management and crisis planning in the curriculum. At Arkansas State University (A-State) both are 30 credits, $10,500 and as few as 10 months. This reflects published program details as of October 2026 and is subject to change; confirm current tuition, credit hours and admission requirements directly with A-State.
Same department, same price, same length. The choice between A-State’s online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Communication Studies and Master of Science (M.S.) in Strategic Communication (General) comes down to the job you want next.
You may already run communications for a hospital, agency or nonprofit. Both degrees are 100% online, so you can keep that job while you study. This guide compares the core courses, the electives and the roles each degree points toward.
The Two Degrees Side by Side
Quantitative Research Methods is the only core course the two degrees share. Everything else is different. The M.A. centers on communication theory and research methods, and the M.S. centers on audience work, media measurement and management.
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M.A. in Communication Studies
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M.S. in Strategic Communication (General)
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Focus
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Theory and research first
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Practice first
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Core coursework
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Quantitative Research Methods, Communication Theory, Introduction to Communication Studies and Qualitative Research Methods
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Quantitative Research Methods, Audience Market Analysis, Advertising Account Management, Seminar in Strategic Communications and a Strategic Communication Management Capstone
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Electives
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Six, from options such as Rhetorical Theory and Criticism, Communication Education, Organizational and Intercultural Communication and Crisis Communication
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One required choice of Communication Regulation and Policy or Media Entrepreneurship, plus four electives such as Crisis Communication, Integrated Marketing Communications and Social Media Measurement
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Program Structure
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Four core courses and six electives, with electives making up more than half of the program
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Five core courses, one required choice and four electives, ending with the Strategic Communication Management Capstone
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Capstone or thesis
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No thesis or capstone
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Strategic Communication Management Capstone
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Related roles
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Communications manager, program manager, college instructor and content manager
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Public relations director, marketing communications director, senior account director, content management director and director of marketing PR or communications manager, account director, marketing communications or content director
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Research and analysis
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The theory and methods core builds research skills
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Research methods are in the core; theory and qualitative methods are available as electives
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Marketing and communications practice
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Practice courses such as Integrated Marketing Communications and Social Media Measurement are available as electives
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The core covers audience research, account management and a capstone
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Research or doctoral paths
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The theory and methods core fits this route
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Research methods are in the core; theory is available as electives
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Corporate or agency reputation work
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Practice courses are available as electives
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The core covers audience research, account management and a capstone
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Admission
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Bachelor’s degree, 2.5 GPA, writing sample and $30 application fee
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Bachelor’s degree, 2.5 GPA (or 2.75 in your last 60 hours) and $30 application fee
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Time and cost
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30 credits, as few as 10 months, $10,500
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30 credits, as few as 10 months, $10,500
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Important Note
The two degrees overlap more than their names suggest, because the M.A. elective list includes courses such as Audience Market Analysis and Crisis Communication. The difference is the core. Confirm current course lists with an A-State advisor before you plan around them.
That overlap works in your favor because your electives let you tailor either degree to your interests. Electives make up more than half of the M.A., so a communications manager can add Social Media Measurement or Crisis Communication to build practice skills. M.S. students can add Communication Theory or Qualitative Research Methods to deepen their research skills. Whichever degree you choose, your elective choices let you shape the program around the work you want to do.
What You Study and What You Can Do Next
The M.A. builds thinkers and communicators. The National Communication Association (NCA) describes the discipline as the study of how messages work in every form and medium. You learn how communication works through theory, then test it with qualitative and quantitative research methods. A-State also highlights research and writing skills, multicultural and nonverbal communication, and crafting effective messaging for small and large audiences. The degree can help you move up into management roles. Roles that fit this training include:
- Communications manager
- Program manager
- College instructor
- Content manager
College instructor is one listed role, and it has its own requirements. For college teaching, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that four-year colleges typically require a doctorate. Community colleges may hire instructors with a master’s degree, so confirm each college’s requirements. The theory and research courses of the M.A. also give you a graduate foundation for management and content roles. BLS also reports a median annual wage of $78,580 for postsecondary communications teachers in May 2025, a figure that includes four-year faculty who typically hold doctorates. The theory and research courses of the M.A. give you a graduate foundation either way.
The M.S. in Strategic Communication – General builds the practitioner-leader. You learn to research audiences, measure communication effectiveness and work across paid, earned, shared and owned media. You also learn to integrate social media into marketing plans and run accounts and campaigns while planning for crises. You manage a communication function, then finish with a capstone that bridges theory and practice.
Those skills point toward director-level work. A-State lists marketing communications director, public relations director, content management director, senior account director and director of marketing among the roles for graduates. O*NET lists public relations director, communications director and public affairs director among the job titles for public relations managers. A-State’s article on strategic communications jobs profiles five roles for graduates.
On pay, one related role is public relations manager. BLS reports a national median annual wage of $136,470 for public relations and fundraising managers in May 2025, against $50,980 for all occupations. These managers typically need a bachelor’s degree plus years of related experience, and BLS notes that some employers prefer a master’s degree. The M.S. adds a graduate credential and a capstone project to the experience you already have.
The curriculum also tracks how the field describes itself. Public relations is one of several fields the M.S. serves, alongside advertising, marketing communications and content strategy. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) describes public relations as strategic communication that builds relationships benefiting both an organization and the groups it serves. PRSA lists crisis communications, social media and reputation management among the field’s core functions.
Faculty Perspective
Holly Kathleen Hall, an associate professor in A-State’s Department of Communication, says in her profile that PR and advertising are “clamoring for professionals who can use social media strategically.”
Measurement is where those courses meet current practice. In Muck Rack’s 2026 survey of PR professionals, most of them at agencies, 69% said measurable results are the best way to show PR’s value. Pew Research Center reports that 84% of U.S. adults say they ever use YouTube and 70% say the same of Facebook. Audience Market Analysis and Social Media Measurement cover how to research audiences like these and measure results.
How Do You Choose Between the Two Degrees?
Choose the M.S. to lead campaigns, accounts and communication teams, or the M.A. to build communication theory, research and writing skills. Start with the job you want next, because the two programs cover different material.
- You want to lead campaigns, accounts or marketing and PR communication: Choose the M.S. in Strategic Communication – General.
- You want to build research, writing and communication-theory skills, or move into communications, program or content management: Choose the M.A. in Communication Studies.
- You want a mix: Match the core to your next job, then take electives from the other degree.
- You are not sure: Look at the postings you want. If they ask for campaign, account and crisis experience, start with the M.S. If they ask for research, writing or theory, start with the M.A.
Neither choice closes off the other field, since each degree lets you take electives from the other’s list. A communications manager who wants stronger research skills can start with the M.S. and add Qualitative Research Methods. A content manager who wants more campaign skills can start with the M.A. and add Integrated Marketing Communications.
Match the Degree to Your Next Role
If your next role leads a communications team, the M.S. puts audience research, account management and a capstone in your core. If it involves research, the M.A. includes Communication Theory and two research methods courses.
Compare the postings you want with the core courses above, then confirm current course lists and requirements with an A-State advisor. Either way, you can keep working while you study.
Explore the online M.S. in Strategic Communication – General or the online M.A. in Communication Studies at Arkansas State University.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between an MA in communication studies and an MS in strategic communications?
The M.A. is theory and research first and fits research-focused roles, as well as communications and content related roles. The M.S. is practice first and fits roles that lead campaigns, accounts and communication teams, including PR, marketing communications and content. Both are 30 credits at $10,500 and can be finished in as few as 10 months.
Communication studies vs. strategic communication degree, what’s the difference?
Communication studies centers on theory and research methods. Strategic communication centers on audience analysis, account management, crisis planning and a management capstone.
What’s the difference between mass communications and communication studies?
Mass communication is one specialty within the wider field that NCA describes, centered on media and large audiences. Communication studies covers human communication more broadly. A-State’s mass media option is the M.S. in Media Management – Mass Media Management, which includes Theory of Mass Communication as a core course.
Which degree is better for a PR career?
The M.S. focuses on it, with audience analysis, advertising account management and a management capstone in the core. It also points toward marketing communications, account and content leadership roles. O*NET lists crisis communication planning among the tasks of public relations managers, and the M.S. offers Crisis Communication as an elective.
What can I do with the M.A. in Communication Studies?
The M.A. points toward communications manager, program manager and content manager roles, and A-State says it can help you move up into management. Because electives make up more than half of the program, you can tailor it toward areas such as strategic communication or organizational communication. College instructor is also a listed role. BLS reports that community colleges may hire instructors with a master’s degree and four-year colleges typically require a doctorate, so check each posting’s requirements. The program does not lead to teaching licensure.