2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Journalism

Arkansas State University (ASU) is a public institution offering an online Master of Science in Media Management - Mass Media Management Track through A-State Online. This graduate degree can help prepare students for journalism, broadcasting, advertising, and public relations management roles. It is the only program of its kind in Arkansas. Full-time students can generally complete this 30-credit program in as few as 12 months.

ASU’s A-State Online provides students with virtual instruction and has them participate in class via the Blackboard learning management system. Those enrolled in the online mass media management program take courses such as Crisis Communication, Media Entrepreneurship, Integrated Marketing Communication, and Advanced Studies in Broadcast Management. Online students must also complete a capstone project before they can graduate.

Through Texas’ eLearning and Academic Partnerships, Texas Tech University (TTU) is a public institution offering an online Master of Arts in Mass Communications interested in career growth in the communications industry or pursuing a doctoral degree. Depending on career goals, this College of Media and Communication program is offered as a thesis and a professional track. Graduating requires completing 30 credit hours which generally takes full-time students two years or less.

TTU uses Blackboard to deliver its online curriculum and instruction. Mass communication distance learners complete courses such as Advanced Social Media Practice, Multimedia Story Telling, Data Analysis, and Mass Communication Pedagogy. Some graduate students are also required to take undergraduate or graduate-leveling coursework, depending on prior academic or professional experience.

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus (BGSU) is a public institution offering an online Master of Arts in Media and Communication - Strategic Communication and Social Media for professionals working in media companies, nonprofits, and corporations. Students must complete 30 credit hours, which generally takes less than two years for those attending full time and two years for those attending part time.

BGSU delivers online coursework and instruction via Canvas. Students enrolled in the strategic communication and social media graduate degree program take classes such as Audience Research, Media Programming, International Communication, and Electronic Surveillance and Privacy. The curriculum culminates in a comprehensive exam at the end of the program.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock) is a public institution offering an online Master of Arts in Mass Communication that emphasizes critical thinking about mass media and its impact on the public. Students can choose a research option if interested in pursuing a doctoral degree and a non-research option to help prepare for professional advancement. Graduating requires completing 33 credit hours, which generally takes two years or less if attending full time.

UA Little Rock grants students access to online curriculum via Blackboard. Online mass communication graduate students participate in courses such as Internat Policy and Regulation, Journalistic Freedom and Responsibility, News Media and the First Amendment, and Images of Minorities in the Media. The research option also requires completing a thesis to graduate, while the non-research option requires a professional project.

The University of Alabama (UA) is a public institution offering an online Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies through UA Online to help students develop advanced digital media, writing, and business skills. Students also have the opportunity to specialize in certain areas, such as writing and reporting, sports writing, journalistic research, and digital media. Full-time students can generally complete this 31-credit program in two years or less. They typically take two to three courses per semester.

UA Online uses Blackboard to deliver online coursework to distance learners. Journalism and media studies students take classes depending on their chosen specialization, such as Advanced Sports Writing, Journalism and Emergent Media, News Analysis, and Feature Writing. They must also complete a professional project or comprehensive exam instead of a thesis.