Critical And Influential Communication Masters Degree Program
0
Credit Hours
Degree SACSCOC
SACSCOC
Class Type
Residential
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Next Start Date
Aug 19, 2024
Accreditation
Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC

Persuade Others and Defend Important Ideas with a Master’s in Professional Communication – Critical/Influential Communication Degree

Are you passionate about using the power of written and oral communication to inform, influence, and even change people’s minds? From political speakers campaigning for office to digital marketing specialists looking to sell a product or service, professionals in many different fields rely on rhetoric and persuasion to accomplish a particular goal.

With Liberty University’s Master of Arts (MA) in Professional Communication – Critical/Influential Communication, you can learn how to craft powerful, convincing arguments that urge people to take or avoid a specific course of action. This program can help you understand the research, theories, and practical strategies that underlie effective communication.

Maybe you’re looking to eventually earn a PhD and teach at the college level – or perhaps you’d like to join the ranks of our previous communications graduates who have gone on to work with companies like Genworth, Amazon Web Services, Kate Spade, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Whether you want to land an industry job or work in academia, our critical/influential communications degree can provide a solid, well-rounded foundation for your future endeavors.

Award-Winning Campus

At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank among Niche.com’s Top 3 college campuses in America. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.

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Why Choose Liberty’s Critical/Influential Communication Master’s Degree?

At Liberty, we want to help you get the specialized training you need to fulfill your unique career goals. Unlike many graduate programs, our critical/influential communication master’s degree gives you the flexibility to customize your studies with elective courses. You can mix and match classes in order to broaden your knowledge of the specific communication topics that most interest you. That way, you can get the particular skills and knowledge you need for the career or terminal degree you want to pursue.

Our critical/influential communication degree is grounded in a mix of theory and praxis – so you can both learn how to conduct research in your field and develop practical solutions to real-world communication challenges. All of your courses will be led by faculty who have terminal degrees and years of experience as communication professionals. With their guidance, you can bolster your skill set and learn how to stand out to employers.

As a Liberty student, you’ll have access to many resources that are designed to give you a top-notch college experience. For instance, you could gain hands-on experience through opportunities with our radio and television stations, on-campus sports network, client promotional projects, or student-run public relations firm and newspaper. Additionally, you can get résumé, portfolio, and interview help through our Career Center and connect with your peers through our Graduate Community Association. Not only can you prepare for your future career endeavors – you can also connect with your classmates and join a thriving community of professionals.


What Will You Learn in Our Critical/Influential Communication Master’s Program?

The critical/influential communication degree track is designed to help you develop oral and written communication skills in the advocacy or defense of ideas. Within this specialization, you’ll explore topics such as leadership practice and theory as well as the role of communication in leadership practices. By honing your leadership communication skills, you can learn how to gain attention and respect for the ideas that you seek to promote.

You’ll also study tactics of persuasion and rhetoric – the art of persuasive speaking or writing. This includes a discussion of symbols used in human communication as well as the history of rhetorical theory. Lastly, you will examine how media and politics have interacted with each other throughout history – giving you a firm understanding of how rhetoric, advocacy, and communication have grown and changed over the years into the present day.

In addition to taking a set list of specialization courses, you’ll have the freedom to select multiple elective courses – allowing you to broaden your knowledge and explore other areas that interest you outside of your specialization. You’ll pick from a list of multiple communication and strategic communication courses – in topics such as interpersonal communication or digital storytelling – so you can get the specific training you need to pursue your goals.

You’ll also complete core courses in communication theory and research design, with the goal of helping you make important contributions in your field and develop research-based solutions to various communication challenges. To wrap up your studies, you will complete either a thesis or a final project.

View the Degree Completion Plan and check out our featured courses below for more information!

Featured Courses

COMS 552 – Leadership Communication

COMS 554 – Strategies and Tactics of Persuasion

COMS 612 – Rhetorical Theory and Criticism

COMS 632 – Politics and Media

Highlights
Degree Information
Careers
Admission Requirements

Highlights of Our MA in Professional Communication – Critical/Influential Communications Degree

  • Gain relevant, hands-on experience through opportunities with our radio and television stations, on-campus sports network, client promotional projects, student-run public relations firm and newspaper, and more.
  • Follow in the footsteps of alumni who have landed jobs with companies like Genworth, Amazon Web Services, Kate Spade, and the Wounded Warrior Project.
  • Train with over $1 million in state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
  • Earn a flexible degree that lets you customize your studies with multiple elective courses.
  • Hone your résumé, portfolio, and interview skills through our Career Center – so you can pursue exciting employment opportunities and stand out from the competition.

Critical/Influential Communications Master’s Degree Information

Potential Career Opportunities for Graduates of Our Critical/Influential Communications Master’s Program

  • College instructor
  • Communication consultant
  • Community relations manager
  • Director of communication
  • Motivational speaker
  • Press secretary
  • Speechwriter

Admission Requirements for the MA in Professional Communication – Critical/Influential Communication Degree

Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:

  • Admission application
  • Official bachelor’s degree transcripts with a 3.0 GPA or higher
  • Self-certification form (for students who are in the final term of their bachelor’s degree)
  • Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account

 

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