Masters from Maryville University

Maryville University Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership online

Learn from industry-experienced faculty and build the practical skills to pursue senior-level positions in public relations, advertising and marketing communications. Develop and enhance skills in evidence-based research, organizational communication and professional ethics.

100% Online

Program type

Flexible dates

Fall, Spring, Summer

Free application

Apply for free today

About the program

Participate in experiential learning:
Engage with coursework that has real-world application for your career — with the opportunity for an optional, short-term study abroad program.
Engage with professional faculty:
Learn from industry-experienced faculty from a wide range of backgrounds in business, nonprofits, ad agencies, and more.
Prepare for leadership roles:
Complete a program that equips you for senior-level positions in strategic communication.

Curriculum

In the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership program, you’ll engage in a range of relevant course topics, from financial management to healthcare technology. Develop skills in public relations, social media, marketing, community relations, event planning, and fundraising.

Learn how to analyze today’s trends and anticipate tomorrow’s, with the option to specialize your degree to further enhance your skill set.

Take your career further with industry-leading certifications:
Access a master’s curriculum that prepares you to earn certifications from Google, Salesforce and HubSpot.
Pursue a concentration in emerging and digital media:
Build a foundation of skills in areas like digital media campaigns, crisis management, SEO, and social media and visual communication.
Optimize your learning experience:
Choose the courses most relevant to your interests and goals by picking your own electives.

Learner testimonials

If you start, finish it. Pursue your dreams to the end. Maryville offers a lot of help; they will walk with you from beginning to end.

Junah Castil, Class of 2022

I ended up being really happy that I chose Maryville. It’s online, and the price was comparable to all the surrounding universities, so it ended up being a good choice. Online learning is everything I expected it to be. It was so flexible with my work and family life that it’s just been a fairly smooth sail.

Danielle Van Komen, Class of 2019

Join our HLC-accredited school

The Higher Learning Commission champions quality higher education by working proactively in support of students, institutions and their communities. HLC accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States.

Join our Saints community

No test scores

SAT/ACT or GMAT/GRE not required

Transfer your credits

Put your hard-earned credits to work

2,900+

Online graduate students

Ready to advance your career?

Admissions

Maryville University’s Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership program offers three start dates per year, so you can apply and start learning sooner than you think. No application fees or GMAT/GRE scores are required.

To be eligible for admission, you will need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. You will need to submit the following materials to apply:

Simplified, no-cost online application
Official high school transcript (Maryville will request transcripts for you.)
English proficiency scores (International applicants may be required to submit scores that meet a certain threshold.)

Faculty driven by experience

At Maryville University, our faculty are seasoned leaders in their fields. They are more than scholars — they are active industry professionals who bring their experiences and knowledge into the classroom.

As a Maryville Online student in the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership program, you will learn from and collaborate with industry-experienced faculty — and prepare for a senior-level position in public relations, advertising and marketing communications.

Frequently asked questions

What if my bachelor’s degree GPA is lower than 3.0?

If your GPA does not meet the 3.0 requirement, you may still be considered for provisional admission.

Do I need to send my own transcripts?

No. Maryville will request your transcripts for you when you apply.

How long does it take to complete an application?

The online application is mobile-friendly, and only takes about 20 minutes to complete from start to finish.

{"version":"1.0.1","id":2391,"featureFlags":{"formType":"STANDARD","impliedConsent":true},"embedFormData":{},"grouping":"mvu-umt","degreeOffering":"mvu-cas","credentialType":"DEGREE","programsOfStudy":"9be23bb5-7634-488f-b4cb-dc3a625cf816, bbe0490f-861a-4ec2-aa34-a634b2df88e1, b7110e0b-5af2-45c0-bc5b-06d8bf076569, 1c6c934d-1ea1-40c9-8092-23bbf7939dd3, 77fdd757-e78e-40dc-bae9-e7244eaf6b0b, 0d210512-a557-4f80-a5e4-b5fe77fbafa4, 199b16a7-4f1f-418b-a25d-89738527d6a6, bdc2a906-d80b-4ec1-98ba-720febbd2f84, 3e479e39-5504-41bd-9db8-d71c5e825038, 3adcfe9e-61f3-4926-8c2b-e66f102bb362, 8f2d0e48-3ec7-4cf8-8287-8531f895141d, 5ef0e163-3ac5-4a47-b960-c19f507fe82c, e887f23b-7b7a-4ca1-be1c-a28ff0f335ec, 897d6077-f8e4-4e74-878b-eee499b0bd49, b84a07fb-a66c-4fb2-ab01-944284667488, 26aecce8-0889-4fae-8b2c-b745405afc7f, b2061c77-9399-42a9-bedc-fa8e33b77ae5, fa5f032a-d92a-437b-b9d3-24f05bd624aa, 3e350fb8-cce1-4804-b9da-7d9215c8e3ec, f8f18b49-c7e2-445d-8b3e-0f4269ab3286, a4c4b00b-97f6-4016-84c6-65ce76eeb98d, fa940a13-b78a-4e02-b002-250349619060, afb5519a-db34-4464-ba6b-4fc66b2c04a2, c69ec149-a44a-4684-a162-124646573653, cf322954-2e3f-4d94-889e-8df52678ac0e, 1c4fa7ca-dd46-412a-921c-6dbb8bc9d89b, df21124e-0d5f-4383-bc49-2556d4593059, b676faea-f2f0-47d4-8b61-6ac8902b9da8, 4d617c88-a53a-48f3-9c0a-7ad758673bfe, b04cc8f7-a900-42b6-95cf-fed72b97ca25, c4de56f8-8d08-4dc1-b206-7e14b5f42dd4, a9e9e8eb-a527-4f5b-b00d-d2a7a0571755, 58d122aa-1957-4282-b84d-d91c1c250bca, 6395fe86-34aa-4125-bf49-c77d18f2c9a5, d6cdc3e2-edff-4517-bbfc-03dca921a7e7, 0ddc5bbd-7524-44b5-b1ab-ce977139fe75, 7ff187fa-eb02-46d0-bb0f-f921d4dace1a, 2932b07d-84c4-4acb-8e51-f24b5e081bec, 6485b57c-3378-45ba-a032-5111a9ae7fec, 874b34ad-52aa-46f1-b124-56c37db2163c, a0988f22-edf6-4214-8eb4-b37a116619ef, 1c4dd8fc-256b-4416-a79f-091d16604db3, c50f40d2-4e30-4d4b-850c-5d628cc950ec, 5567e91e-bc3f-4956-b913-4141fce58834, 009159a0-57cd-4574-86a2-6aa8468ce318, 919ef0f9-0063-4dfb-a358-541e76ed112c, bf989757-ac63-43cf-b910-c52445162f23, a5eea875-0506-4cf5-b885-8b5815fe3437, dc774bb6-a98e-4c84-97aa-9f444be3fcc7, b420dbc3-8d23-4893-8cb2-2a1427de8a2a, 0ebbfde7-806e-4d1c-b374-a35e59d7f511, de335a98-5a58-489a-82a9-860823870935, 90ee41a0-5e31-4b07-83ad-23a76a3fdec7","inferredFields":{"country":true,"zip_code":true},"experimentalTrialAttributes":{},"formAttributesConfig":{"impliedConsent":true},"fields":[{"hidden":false,"name":"work_experience","label":"How many years of work experience do you have?","required":true,"type":3,"value":{"options":[{"label":"0","value":"0"},{"label":"1","value":"1"},{"label":"2","value":"2"},{"label":"3","value":"3"},{"label":"4","value":"4"},{"label":"5","value":"5"},{"label":"6","value":"6"},{"label":"7","value":"7"},{"label":"8","value":"8"},{"label":"9","value":"9"},{"label":"10+","value":"10+"}],"defaultOption":""},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":true,"name":"degree","label":"Degree Interest","required":false,"type":3,"value":{"options":[{"label":"MASCL","value":"MASCL"}],"defaultOption":"MASCL"},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":false,"name":"prospect_education_journey","label":"When are you considering starting your program?","required":true,"type":3,"value":{"options":[{"label":"Next available cohort","value":"Next available cohort"},{"label":"3 to 6 months","value":"3 to 6 months"},{"label":"6 to 12 months","value":"6 to 12 months"},{"label":"Unsure","value":"Unsure"}],"defaultOption":""},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":false,"name":"stated_gpa_range","label":"What was your undergraduate GPA?","required":true,"type":3,"value":{"options":[{"label":"4.00 and above","value":"4.00 And Above"},{"label":"3.99 - 3.50","value":"3.99 - 3.50"},{"label":"3.49 - 3.00","value":"3.49 - 3.00"},{"label":"2.99 - 2.50","value":"2.99 - 2.50"},{"label":"2.49 and below","value":"2.49 And Below"}],"defaultOption":""},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":false,"name":"level_of_education","label":"What is your highest level of education completed?","required":true,"type":3,"value":{"options":[{"label":"High School","value":"High School"},{"label":"Associate's","value":"Associates"},{"label":"Bachelor's in progress","value":"Bachelors In Progress"},{"label":"Bachelor's","value":"Bachelors"},{"label":"Master's in progress","value":"Masters In Progress"},{"label":"Master's","value":"Masters"},{"label":"Doctorate","value":"Doctorate"}],"defaultOption":""},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":false,"name":"email","label":"Email","required":true,"type":16,"value":{"impliedConsentData":[{"key":"email_opt_out","userDoesConsent":false,"userDoesNotConsent":true}],"includeImpliedConsent":false},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":false,"name":"last_name","label":"Last Name","required":true,"type":0,"value":{"text":""},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":false,"name":"first_name","label":"First Name","required":true,"type":0,"value":{"text":""},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":false,"name":"lead_share_opt_in","label":"Lead Share Opt In","required":true,"type":18,"value":{"format":"checkbox","disclaimer":"edX, and its parent company, 2U, offer other online education programs across various fields of study.","optInValue":"MVU-CAS Marketing","checkboxText":"Please contact me about these programs.","defaultRadio":"none","defaultChecked":false},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":false,"name":"zip_code","label":"Zip / Postal Code","required":true,"type":0,"value":{"text":""},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":false,"name":"phone","label":"Phone","required":true,"type":17,"value":{"impliedConsentData":[{"key":"do_not_call","userDoesConsent":false,"userDoesNotConsent":true}],"includeImpliedConsent":false},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":true,"name":"country","label":"Country of Residence","required":false,"type":6,"value":{},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1},{"hidden":true,"name":"sms_opt_in_marketing","label":"SMS Consent","required":false,"type":2,"value":{"options":[{"label":"Yes","value":"true"},{"label":"No","value":"false"}],"defaultOption":"true"},"helpText":null,"mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":false,"name":"email","label":"Email","required":true,"type":16,"value":{"impliedConsentData":[{"key":"email_opt_out","userDoesConsent":false,"userDoesNotConsent":true}],"includeImpliedConsent":true},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":false,"name":"lead_share_opt_in","label":"Lead Share Opt In","required":true,"type":18,"value":{"format":"checkbox","disclaimer":"edX, and its parent company, 2U, LLC offer other online education programs across various fields of study.","optInValue":"MVU-CAS Marketing","checkboxText":"Please contact me about these programs.","defaultRadio":"none","defaultChecked":false},"helpText":"","mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":false,"name":"phone","label":"Phone (Optional)","required":false,"type":17,"value":{"impliedConsentData":[{"key":"do_not_call","userDoesConsent":false,"userDoesNotConsent":true}],"includeImpliedConsent":true},"helpText":"By entering your phone number, you consent to being contacted by an enrollment specialist to provide additional information and assistance with any questions you may have.","mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":true,"name":"sms_opt_in_marketing","label":"SMS Consent","required":false,"type":2,"value":{"options":[{"label":"Yes","value":"true"},{"label":"No","value":"false"}],"defaultOption":"false"},"helpText":null,"mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":false,"name":"","type":7,"value":{"text":"By submitting this form, I consent to receive communications by phone, text message, WhatsApp and email via automated technology, including AI generative or prerecorded voice, from 2U about educational opportunities offered with its partners. I may opt out at any time. Consent is not required for purchase. [--link:https://online.maryville.edu/legal/privacy-policy/ target:blank]Privacy Notice[link--] and [--link:https://online.maryville.edu/legal/privacy-policy/#sms-terms target:blank]SMS Terms[link--]"},"mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":false,"name":"","type":7,"value":{"text":"By submitting this form, you agree that 2U, in partnership with the Maryville University, may contact you regarding this course. Your personal data will be used as described in the [--link:https://online.maryville.edu/legal/privacy-policy/ target:blank]Privacy Policy[link--]. You may opt out of receiving communications at any time."},"mountPoint":1,"conditionallyRendered":true},{"hidden":true,"name":"no_klondike_gdpr_setting","required":true,"type":15,"label":"","value":{"text":"geo"}}],"screens":[{"allFields":[1,0,19],"conditional":{},"out":{"1":["$next",[{"data":"$valid"}]]}},{"allFields":[4,3,2],"conditional":{},"out":{"2":["$next",[{"data":"$valid"}]]}},{"allFields":[7,6,5,13],"conditional":{"5":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":1}]],"13":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":0}]]},"out":{"3":["$next",[{"data":"$valid"}]]}},{"allFields":[10,15,11,9,8,14,12,16,17,18],"conditional":{"8":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":1}]],"10":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":1}]],"12":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":1}]],"14":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":0}]],"15":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":0}]],"16":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":0}]],"17":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":1}]],"18":[1,"",[{"data":"state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"},{"data":"eu"},{"op":0}]]},"out":{"-1":["$next",[{"data":"$valid"}]]}}],"published":"2026-05-14T14:57:02.727Z"}