Communication: 5-Year (B.A./M.A.)

What you’ll learn

The five-year B.A./M.A. program in Communication builds on our successful undergraduate major and our 20-plus years of graduate education to provide students with advanced training in professional and business communication, leading to a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication.

The five-year program allows students to dive deeper into communication issues, research, and contexts, and to apply that understanding to organizational contexts. Regardless of which concentration students pursued at the Bachelor’s level, they are able to count up to two undergraduate courses (6 credit hours) toward the Master’s degree, thus enabling them to finish the MA with just one additional year of school.

Why Study Communication at La Salle?

In addition to the various reasons for pursuing a Communication major, the 5-year B.A./M.A. in Strategic Communication offers the following advantages:

On average, people with a graduate communication degree start at salaries that are considerably higher than those with just a Bachelor’s degree.
The unemployment rate for people with a graduate communication degree is half of that for those with just a communication B.A.
Ninety-four percent of La Salle’s One-Year M.A. graduates landed advanced jobs in the field soon after graduation.

Curriculum, Courses and Requirements

Highlighted Courses

COM 208 – Introduction to Digital Video

This course introduces students to the fundamental theories and practices of audio and video production. Students will learn how the preproduction, production, and postproduction stages apply to media. Emphasis is placed on storytelling, the importance of audience research and planning, scheduling, and selecting and employing proper resources. Students will experience the process using fundamental production techniques of audio and video through hands-on projects.

COM 312 – Persuasion, Power, and Influence

This course emphasizes theory-based analysis of persuasive messages across a variety of contexts and situations, ranging from interpersonal settings to mass mediated-campaigns. Students will also be taught techniques of presenting and selecting evidence with the goal of enhancing the student’s abilities to strategically analyze and create persuasive messages. Students will be asked to consider assumptions and draw conclusions about the persuasive efficacy of messages by applying concepts from theory and research.

COM 613 – Strategic Public Relations

This course focuses on the strategic function of public relations, which includes an analysis of the public relations situation, organization, and its key publics; establishment of goals and measurable objectives; formulation of appropriate action and response strategies; development of the message strategy; selection of communication tactics together with their budgets and timelines; and evaluation of the plan.

Meet the Faculty

Our faculty works side by side with students to discuss tough issues, problem-solve, and develop communication strategies and tactics.

Faculty Team

Career Opportunities

We’re proud of the thousands of alumni who have been through our communication program and have gone on to excel in a wide variety of fields and careers. From Emmy Award-winning TV anchors and producers to top PR executives and journalists, lawyers, and teachers, you’ll find La Salle alumni in every corner of the professional world.