MA Strategic Communication (Health) at Arizona State University

Programme overview

In the Master of Arts program in strategic communication with a concentration in health, you gain the skills, techniques and leadership capacity to shape how health information is shared and understood across media, organizations and communities. Through courses in content creation, audience analysis, health media, crisis communication and more, you learn to design and deliver messages that promote public health, build trust and positively influence behavior.

Faculty: Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication | Department: Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm | Duration: 33 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Fall | Location: Tempe, AZ, United States

What you will study

33 credit hours including the required capstone course (MCO 570) Required Core (3 credit hours) MCO 561 Defining the Digital Audience (3) Concentration (3 credit hours) MCO 508 Health Mass Communication (3) Other Requirements (18 credit hours) MCO 502 Media Skills (6) MCO 503 Media Law (3) MCO 504 Cronkite Master's Seminar (1) MCO 525 Media Ethics Leadership (3) MCO 554 Media Models, Organizations and Leadership (3) Electives (3 credit hours) Culminating Experience (6 credit hours) MCO 570 Capstone (6)

Career pathways

Content creation and campaign strategy skills are in high demand across the media industries. Many health strategic communicators pursue careers in hospital or corporate environments, while others leverage their skills in work with multiple clients or as entrepreneurs.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. Applicants are required to submit: graduate admissions application and application fee official transcripts personal statement professional resume three letters of recommendation proof of English proficiency Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Applicants should have a TOEFL iBT® score of at least 5, or a score of 100 if taken before January 21, 2026 in a testing center.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search; the application opens almost a year before the start term. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S. Apply with ASU's graduate application (Law applicants use the law college's site); GRE/GMAT requirements vary by programme.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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