Quick Highlights
A master’s degree in mass media management focuses on management in fields such as news and editorial, broadcasting, advertising, public relations and media sales. BLS national median salaries for related management occupations in 2025 range from $136,470 for public relations and fundraising managers to $165,780 for advertising, promotions and marketing managers.
Whether you’re already working in news, broadcasting, advertising, public relations or media sales, or looking to advance into leadership roles, the question is which team you want to lead. The online M.S. in Media Management, Mass Media Management program at Arkansas State University (A-State) is designed for people who want to run the newsroom, the station, the agency account, the communications team or the sales floor. Each of the five leadership paths below shows the BLS median pay for each field and applicable courses in A-State’s program.
1. News and Editorial
Leadership roles include news editor, news director and executive editor. BLS reports a 2025 median salary of $77,920 for editors and $62,200 for news analysts, reporters and journalists.
Communication Regulation and Policy covers libel, First Amendment issues, privacy and copyright. Newsroom leaders answer for what gets published, so the course puts a legal framework behind calls editors already make.
2. Broadcasting
Leadership roles include program director, station manager and broadcast sales manager. Because BLS does not report salary data specifically for station managers or program directors, producers and directors provide a useful point of comparison, with a 2025 median salary of $90,360.
Advanced Studies in Broadcast Management covers radio and television station management. Communication Regulation and Policy addresses FCC regulations, which govern broadcast stations.
3. Advertising
Leadership roles include account management, production management and creative direction. The closest BLS category is advertising, promotions and marketing managers, with a 2025 median of $165,780.
Advertising Account Management covers media platforms and ethical client relationships. BLS notes that some employers prefer a master’s degree for advertising, promotions and marketing managers.
4. Public Relations Leadership
Leadership roles include public relations manager, communications manager and media relations lead, working for a station, a publisher or a media group. BLS reports a 2025 median of $136,470 for public relations and fundraising managers and $74,750 for public relations specialists.
Crisis Communication examines how institutions use public relations and other persuasive efforts during a crisis. It is the course most closely tied to defending a station’s or publisher’s reputation.
5. Media Sales Leadership
Leadership roles include sales manager and head of advertising sales. BLS reports a 2025 median salary of $148,270 for sales managers and projects 4% employment growth for that occupation from 2025 to 2035. Advertising sales agents earn a median of $64,820, and BLS projects that occupation to decline by 7%, though 7,800 openings are projected annually over the decade.
Audience Market Analysis involves using Nielsen and SRDS data to discover audience insights. Media teams are applying AI-powered media intelligence to that kind of data.
Important Note
The pay figures are BLS national medians from May 2025 across all industries; this is not a promise of a job or raise. BLS does not report titles such as news director separately and lists related work experience as typical for these management roles.
Which Field Fits You
Most readers already work in one of these five fields. Titles overlap across media organizations, so match the work you do now to the closest example below:
- You edit or produce news and want to run the desk: News and editorial
- You manage on-air or station operations: Broadcasting
- You run client accounts or creative teams: Advertising
- You handle press and reputation for a media company: Public relations
- You carry a revenue number: Media sales leadership
If your job sits between two of these lines, you do not have to choose before you apply. Every student takes the same core and concentration courses.
How the Degree Maps to These Roles
The program consists of six core courses (18 credit hours) and four concentration courses (12 credit hours), for a total of 30 credit hours. Courses run seven weeks in fall and spring and five weeks in summer.
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Course
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Where it shows up on the job
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Theory of Mass Communication (core)
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Editorial judgment and how audiences receive media
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Advanced Studies in Broadcast Management (core)
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Program direction and station operations
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Communication Regulation and Policy (core)
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Compliance questions in broadcast, print and digital media
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Integrated Marketing Communications (concentration)
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Advertising, public relations and sales planning together
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Media Entrepreneurship (concentration)
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Launching and leading a media product or business
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Crisis Communication (concentration)
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News and public relations response when reputation is at risk
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Advertising Account Management (concentration)
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Account leadership and client work
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Audience Market Analysis, Quantitative Research Methods and the Media Management Applications capstone (core)
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Audience research and the management project that ends the degree
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Important Note
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA, one letter of recommendation and a 500-word statement; media coursework or experience is preferred. Total tuition is $10,500, and applicants should also plan for a $30 application fee. Tuition and fees are subject to change. Confirm current tuition and program details before applying. Finishing the program in 12 months is the fastest pace and depends on how many courses you take each term.
If you already do the work these five paths manage, the coursework adds the management side of it. If you want to learn more about the field’s background, read What Is Mass Media?
Explore Arkansas State University’s online M.S. in Media Management, Mass Media Management, a 30-credit-hour program with courses in broadcast management, crisis communication and advertising account management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with a master’s in mass media management?
The degree is built for management roles in fields such as news and editorial, broadcasting, advertising, public relations and media sales.
What do mass media managers earn?
BLS national median salaries for related occupations in 2025 include $77,920 for editors, $136,470 for public relations and fundraising managers, $148,270 for sales managers and $165,780 for advertising, promotions and marketing managers.
What courses are in the Mass Media Management concentration?
Concentration courses include Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Entrepreneurship, Crisis Communication and Advertising Account Management.
What are the admission requirements?
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA, one letter of recommendation and a 500-word statement. Media coursework or experience is preferred.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
Students can compete the program in as few as 12 months, depending on courseload. Total tuition is $10,500, and applicants should also plan for a $30 application fee. Tuition and fees are subject to change.