Master of Arts in Professional Communication (M.A.)

Master of Professional Communication degree program equips you with the knowledge you need to succeed in one of today’s most exciting and rapidly evolving fields – one that is rich in career opportunity. SUU’s master’s program is an applied program, meaning it is specifically designed for those who are either actively working in the communications field or planning to enter it. Through the MAPC, you will gain skills in all areas of communication, including social media, web, print, radio, and television. You will learn to manage an organization’s image and brand, and develop strong presentation skills, an area that businesses indicate much of today’s workforce lacks. The culmination of your master’s program will be the capstone experience, which will be your choice of three possible undertakings: Develop a conference length master’s thesis paper on a timely communications topic Complete a professional project such as creating a software application, writing a book, or developing a manual Gain advanced industry experience through an internship or apprenticeship Previous capstone experiences have included such accomplishments as working in the U.S. Embassy in Brazil and joining the team in the head office of a social media department for a 13 million member worldwide organization. The possibilities are broad and exciting, and your instructors will work with you to find the opportunity that offers you the best potential for career and professional growth. By the time you complete your 36-credit Master of Professional Communication degree program, you will be ready to excel as a leader in any organization’s communication, marketing, or public relations department. Masters of Professional Communications Degree Studies: Through the Southern Utah University MAPC degree program you will develop excellent communication skills that you can apply immediately to advance in your career. Instructors in the MAPC program have extensive real world communication experience working in promotions, videography, TV, print journalism, radio, photography, and public relations. SUU's small master’s classes allow your professors to get to know you well and provide personal career guidance and mentoring. The MAPC program is available on campus in Cedar City, Utah, and as an online master’s program. There is also a hybrid option that includes both online courses and campus experiences. SUU operates the Speech and Presentation Center that provides ghost writing, help with speech planning and organization, and has consulted on speeches for CEOs and state senators. MAPC Graduate Courses You May Take Professional Writing and Presentations – Strengthen and enhance your writing and presentation skills. Prepare funding proposals, executive plans, narrative histories, organizational descriptions, web sites, and marketing materials. Learn techniques for working with HTML to develop Internet applications and effective strategies for persuasive oral presentations. Qualitative Applications for Communication Research – Examine the fundamentals and relative strengths of various research designs, done with their associated theoretical bases and specific applications of the most common qualitative research methods in communication. Social Media – Explore all the major social media platforms, SEO, responsive web design, and blogging. The class includes development and promotion of a blog (content creation and curation), SME on six platforms, proper use of listening and aggregation tools, development of an organizational SM plan with objectives, strategies, tactics, measurement, reputation, and ROI.