Master of Science in Strategic and Digital Communication

Department of Communication

The swift advance of digitization is being felt in nearly all disciplines and industries, and perhaps nowhere as robustly as the field of communications. Organizations in the private, public and nonprofit sectors are seeking talented professionals with a firm grasp of communicating in the digital age.

Drexel’s Master of Science in Strategic and Digital Communication (MS-SDC) provides an outstanding foundation for communication careers in the 21st century. The program prepares you to succeed in various media environments and platforms, as well as in communication contexts that are characterized by advanced digitization.

Fall Application Cycle, AY 25-26

May 15 – International
Aug 1 – Priority Domestic
Sept 1 – Final

Winter, Spring, and Summer Application Cycle, AY 25-26

November 15
February 15
May 15

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Flexible Format

Rolling admissions
Convenient evening classes
Attend full- or part-time

Online or on-campus options
Earn 45 graduate credits
Complete in just over a year (full-time)

Application Requirements Online Program Visits, Events, Tours Program Advisor

Quicklinks

Program Overview

With a robust core curriculum consisting of seven courses (21 credits), the program provides a strong grounding in theoretical approaches to communication, ethics and media/communication policy. This theoretical basis is designed to ensure that, as the field changes, you will continue to have an intellectual framework for evaluating and implementing new technologies and adapting to changing media environments. Furthermore, the program fosters leadership skills that will help you lead teams to be innovative communication professionals in digitized media environments and different organizational communication contexts.

The Masters of Science in Strategic and Digital Communication (MS-SDC) degree emphasizes flexibility, encouraging you, in consultation with your faculty adviser, to craft an individual course of study tailored to your interests and career goals. Throughout the curriculum, you will use four Communication electives (12 credits) to increase communication skills or to further develop areas of specialization. An additional four free elective courses (12 credits) can be taken in Communication or in other departments across the University. This allows you to continue to tailor your plan of study, to add on a graduate minor, or to complete a certificate program.

Specialization Areas

Strategic communication

Strategic communication has much to offer for those looking to work in public relations as well as with for-profit and nonprofit organizations. You’ll choose from courses such as PR Writing and Planning courses, Crisis Communication, Media Relations, Nonprofit Communication and others.

Digital communication

With communication increasingly becoming digitized, the program offers courses such as Strategic Social Media Communication, Digital Publishing, Digital Media Environments, Social Media Concepts That Matter and others.

Outcomes

Learn from outstanding faculty members who either hold a PhD or possess considerable industry experience
Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of communication practices in a digitized world
Locate, critically assess and communicate about scholarly literature, concepts, theories and methods in the field of communication
Apply major concepts and theories in the production of professional messages in a digital age
Master clear and effective communication of ideas across all communication platforms and environments in a changing digital media landscape
Analyze the impact that digitization and related changes in technology have on thinking, learning, remembering and creating, and possess the professional ability to adapt to new technology for new applications
Integrate awareness of diverse audiences, cultures and environments into learning and professional experiences, and to apply these to professional communication contexts
Recognize relevant industries, policies and professional organizations in the digital media realm
Understand professional ethical standards and showcase competence to critically assess and apply these
Apply leadership skills to become forward-thinking professionals that can lead communication teams in digital media and communication environments

Flexible Format

Attend full- or part-time
Start the program in any academic quarter
Take courses online or on campus
Complete all required coursework in the evening
Finish your degree in five quarters (just over a year) as a full-time student or in as little as two years as a part-time student

Program Advisor

We look forward to hearing from you. Please email Julia May, PhD, director of the Master of Science in Strategic and Digital Communication program, at jh378@drexel.edu for more information.

Latest News

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Drexel’s Master of Science in Strategic and Digital Communication Provides an Outstanding Foundation for Communication Careers in the 21st Century

Drexel’s College of Arts and Sciences is home to one of the most rapidly changing professional fields—communication. In order to keep students on the cutting edge of this highly sought-after field, Drexel’s Master of Science in Strategic and Digital Communication (MS-SDC) program has reinvented its curriculum to accommodate the needs and desires of today’s communication industry.

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Co-op Sets Communication Major on Path to Becoming a Music Therapist

A co-op with the nonprofit Keep Music Alive not only allowed Ryan Shaw to explore his lifelong passion for music, but inspired him to pursue a career in music therapy after he graduates from the MS-SDC program.