Program Information

Ph.D. with a major in Mass Communication

The Ph.D. degree is a research degree. The Ph.D. program is designed to help develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills so graduates can make important contributions to understanding mass communication. Faculty members help students lay the foundation for a lifetime of significant, creative work.

The doctoral program prepares students for a variety of opportunities in mass communication. Graduates are expected to teach at colleges and universities; conduct research for organizations in advertising, journalism, public relations, telecommunication, and other mass communication fields; do consulting; and conduct research and contribute to policy in government and private organizations. Doctoral students in the College of Journalism and Communications gain valuable experience in both teaching and research. Assistantships help prepare students for academic and other research positions. Students in the program have consistently been among the nation’s leaders in winning top-paper awards at national and regional scholarly meetings.

Master of Arts in Mass Communication (M.A.M.C.)

The Master of Arts in Mass Communication includes both thesis and non-thesis options on campus and several non-thesis concentrations offered fully online.

On-Campus Options

Customizable Research and Theory (thesis)

The customizable on-campus thesis option focuses on research and theory in mass communication, including courses in the areas of advertising; journalism; international and intercultural communication; and media production, management and technology. Students are required to take courses that focus on research, theory, ethics, and writing, leading to a master’s thesis as the capstone. This option is appropriate for students wishing to pursue careers in research or a Ph.D.

Public Relations Concentration (thesis)

The Public Relations Concentration is an on-campus research-based program designed to prepare students for careers and advancement in the industry or for entering doctoral studies.  Students learn the conceptual foundations of public relations and develop professional and research competency within the duration of the program. Courses in the public relations specialization focus on conceptual foundations of public relations, including mass communication and society; professional and managerial skills mastery; and research expertise. 

For more information, please see our website: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/graduate/research-and-theory/mamc-public-relations/

Science and Health Communication Concentration (thesis)

The Science and Health Communication Concentration is an on-campus program designed to teach scientists and health specialists to communicate effectively via media, and to teach mass media specialists the background science to translate the language of science and health into meaningful and understandable stories for their audiences. These goals are achieved through theoretical writing and applied courses. At least two aspects of the program make it unique among science communication programs nationwide. First, other existing science communication programs in the U.S. focus on training journalists. UF’s program is open to journalists who want to specialize in covering science and health, offers training for people planning to work as public affairs or public information officers for science and health organizations, for other communication specialists, and for scientists who need to be able to communicate with the public about their work. Second, the program focuses on training students to understand and communicate effectively about science and health policy. 

For more information, please see our website: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/graduate/research-and-theory/mamc-science-health/

Professional Master’s (non-thesis)

The Professional Communication Concentration (or “Professional Master’s”) is an on-campus professional program designed specifically for those who want to develop additional skills to become more competitive in the job market. The program’s “mix and match” coursework structure allows students to develop their own customizable degree plans, with only six required core courses and a wide range of electives available across the college’s four departments. Degree plans culminate with a capstone project, completed over at least two semesters and supervised by a graduate faculty committee. Student projects range from documentary films and long-form journalistic narrative pieces to public relations and advertising campaigns, and many others in between. These projects allow students to explore various interests within the college and showcase a variety of skills learned during their course of studies.

The Professional Master’s can be completed at your own pace, in as little as one year for those who want an accelerated program, or two years for a more traditional path.

For more information, please see our website: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/current-students/masters/promasters/.

Online Concentrations (non-thesis)

UF CJC Online offers eight comprehensive, current, and digitally focused online master's concentrations: Audience Analytics, Digital Strategy, Global Strategic Communication, Political Communication, Public Interest Communication, Public Relations and Communication Management, Social Media, and Web Design and Online Communication.

Audience Analytics

The Audience Analytics Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications designed to prepare students with the theoretical foundations, industry knowledge, and analytical tools to understand the nature, value, and behaviors of audiences across multiple media platforms and disciplines. The courses equip students with the analytical tools and methodological foundations to assess and analyze audience-related datasets. Students will also learn how to use such data and present insights in order to tell fundamental stories that will ultimately drive the ability to make informed decisions for their stakeholders.

For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/audience-analytics/

Digital Journalism and Multimedia Storytelling

The Digital Journalism and Multimedia Storytelling Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications designed for students who want to master the latest reporting, writing, and technical skills for traditional journalism, digital media, and various genres of storytelling across a variety of multimedia platforms. Students will learn to explain the role and apply principles and laws of a free press, identify key events in the history of journalism, and trends in artificial intelligence and current media. They will learn to exhibit respectful collaboration and professional ethical principles and work in the pursuit of truth, accuracy, and fairness. Further, students will apply tools and technologies appropriate for various communications professions including social media. 

For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/digital-journalism/

Digital Strategy

The Digital Strategy Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications designed for students who want to become better digital marketers. This concentration is designed to challenge students to develop effective messaging to drive increased conversions and create loyal customers.  Our courses focus on teaching students the skills they need to be effective at copywriting for every type of social and digital channel, developing an inbound strategy, generating leads,  analyzing effectiveness, designing around the user’s experience, and more.

For more information, please see our the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/digital-strategy/

Global Strategic Communication

The Global Strategic Communication Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and is designed for students who are passionate about solving global issues. This specialization embodies three core pillars: Messaging, Communication, and Culture.  Students in this concentration will learn how to communicate across cultures, influence public policy, engage audiences, and initiate dynamic change despite geographical boundaries. The Global Strategic Communication program will allow students to offer solutions to world problems, business ethics, education, and more using strategic interpersonal communication skills with attention to cultural considerations. For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/global-strategic-communication/

Political Communication

The Political Communication Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications that prepares students to become digital political professionals with an understanding of cutting-edge digital advertising, engagement, and analysis techniques.  Professionals in the field will prepare students to navigate the ever-evolving political landscape by giving them the tools of modern campaigning to help increase political engagement and drive change. The Political Communication Concentration is narrowly focused on communicating online for political organizations, nonprofits and corporations. Ultimately, this program provides hands on experience on how to effectively design a political campaign in the new digital age.

For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/political-communication/

Public Interest Communication

The Public Interest Communication Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications that embraces the vision of creating science-based, strategic communications designed to advance the human condition. It is critical to achieving significant behavioral or social changes on an issue that transcends the particular interests of any single organization. This program offers students the opportunity to develop the skills, strategies, theory and techniques required to build movements and drive positive social change using strategic communication. This interdisciplinary concentration includes both theoretical and practical work and draws from practice and scholarship in public relations, journalism, advertising, psychology, sociology, political science, anthropology, and neuroscience. The coursework places an emphasis on working across organizations and sectors, system-level thinking, strategic planning and the core skills critical to any effective social change effort.

For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/public-interest/

Public Relations and Communication Management

The Public Relations and Communication Management Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications that focuses not only on strategic communication, but also incorporates elements of copywriting,graphic design, and business. This program will teach students how to effectively communicate during crises, build meaningful relationships with the media, manage a brand's reputation, evaluate and measure change, in addition to influence opinions. With the Public Relation and Communication Management Concentration, students will be able to approach Public Relations like a strategic conversation where they control the narrative to get the results clients need. For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/public-relations/

Social Media

The Social Media Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications that focuses on making meaningful online connections and ensuring students have the tools and training to be effective at reaching their audience. This comprehensive program will not only teach students how to use current social media platforms, but it will also team them to approach social media marketing in a holistic way, by incorporating writing, video production, and brand marketing.  

The program will also teach students how to use research to drive content creative, how to create effective advertising and public relations campaigns, and how to use new and emerging technologies to appeal to target audiences and drive meaningful social change. For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/social-media/

Web Design and Online Communication

The Web Design and Online Communication Concentration is an online program offered through the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications that takes a three-pronged approach with courses on design skills, communication theory and code.  The curriculum starts off with a solid foundation of graphic design principles along with best practices of HTML5 and CSS. Students then take additional coding courses to learn how to use JavaScript, PHP, jQuery, and more. By the end of the program, students will be able to code a completely customized, mobile responsive website for a real client.

For more information, please see the program’s website: https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/web-design/

For more help with any of our graduate degree programs, please refer to our website:  https://www.jou.ufl.edu/graduate/

Combination Degrees:  
The College of Journalism and Communications offers a robust Combination Degree program that is open to undergraduate students from any major who meet the program’s admission criteria. 

For more information, please see the program’s website: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/combination-degree-main/

Degrees Offered with a Major in Mass Communication

• Doctor of Philosophy
  • without a concentration
  • concentration in Clinical and Translational Science
• Master of Arts in Mass Communication 
  • without a concentration
  • concentration in Audience Analytics 
  • concentration in Digital Journalism and Multimedia Storytelling
  • concentration in Digital Strategy
  • concentration in Global Strategic Communication
  • concentration in Political Communication 
  • concentration in Professional Communication
  • concentration in Public Interest Communication 
  • concentration in Public Relations
  • concentration in Public Relations and Communication Management
  • concentration in Science and Health Communication 
  • concentration in Social Media
  • concentration in Web Design and Online Communication 

Requirements for these degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.

College of Journalism and Communications Courses

Course List by Depts

Code	Title	Credits
ADV 5005	Advertising Planning	3
ADV 5407	Content Marketing	3
ADV 5409	Principles of Political Advertising	3
ADV 5815	Inbound Marketing Strategy	3
ADV 5825	Search and Display Advertising	3
ADV 6006	Theories of Advertising	3
ADV 6325	Advertising and Social Media	3
ADV 6405	International Advertising	3
ADV 6503	Advertising Creative Strategy and Research	3
ADV 6505	Advertising Research Methods	3
COM 5256	Translational Com Science	3
COM 6255	Science and Health Policy	3
COM 6338	Advanced Web Topics I: Advanced Design	4
COM 6565	Social Media Community Management	3
COM 6715	Grant Writing	3
COM 6815	Risk Communication	3
COM 6940	Supervised Teaching	1-3
JOU 5007	History of Journalism	3
JOU 6391	Seminar in Journalism as Literature	3
MMC 5006	Introduction to Multimedia Communication	3
MMC 5007	Introduction to Audiences	3
MMC 5046	Presentation Power	3
MMC 5155	Copywriting Digital Messaging	3
MMC 5165	Influence and Selling	3
MMC 5206	Advanced Law of Mass Communication	3
MMC 5215	Technology Policy	3
MMC 5259	Customer Management and the Nurturing of Enduring Relationships	3
MMC 5277	Web Design Principles	4
MMC 5279	UX Design Theory	3
MMC 5306	International Communication	3
MMC 5308	Communicating for Success	3
MMC 5406	Selling Today	3
MMC 5422	Customer Research and the Fundamentals of Online Testing	3
MMC 5427	Research Methods in Digital Communication	3
MMC 5435	Messaging Strategy and the Centrality of the Value Proposition	3
MMC 5436	Messaging Methodologies and the Practice of Conversion Optimization	3
MMC 5449	Consumer and Audience Analytics	3
MMC 5458	Statistics for Analysts in Communication	3
MMC 5465	Communication Leadership	3
MMC 5468	Understanding Audiences	3
MMC 5495	Introduction to Public Interest Communication	3
MMC 5616	Introduction to Political Organizing	3
MMC 5625	Political Engagement Strategy	3
MMC 5626	Introduction to Political Campaigning	3
MMC 5636	Introduction to Social Media	3
MMC 5648	Public Affairs Communication	3
MMC 5708	Foundations of Intercultural Communication	3
MMC 5717	Cross Platform Media Selling	3
MMC 5731	Digital Sales and Engagement	3
MMC 5737	Lead Generation and Management	3
MMC 5739	Social Media Advertising for Conversions	3
MMC 6035	Personal Branding and Digital Reputation Management	3
MMC 6047	Academic Writing For Mass Communication	3
MMC 6135	Data Visualization	3
MMC 6137C	Audio-Visual Storytelling	3
MMC 6145	Web Interactivity and Engagement	3
MMC 6205	Social Media Ethics	3
MMC 6213	Strategic Communication Ethics and Concepts	3
MMC 6269	Computer-Mediated Communication	3
MMC 6278	Advanced Web Topics II	4
MMC 6400	Mass Communication Theory	3
MMC 6402	Seminar in Mass Communication Theory	4
MMC 6406	Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Mass Communication	3
MMC 6408	Applied Theories in Mass Communication	3
MMC 6409	Science/Health Communication	3
MMC 6414	Strategic Public Interest Communication	3
MMC 6417	New Media, Health Behavior and the Health Environment	3
MMC 6421	Research Methods in Mass Communication	3
MMC 6423	Content-Analysis Methods	3
MMC 6426	Qualitative Research	3
MMC 6428	Collaborative Communication Research	3
MMC 6455	Mass Communication Statistics	3
MMC 6456	Data Storytelling and Visualization	4
MMC 6457	Mass Communication Statistics 2	3
MMC 6466	Digital Persuasive Communication	3
MMC 6475	Audience Research Methods	3
MMC 6476	Understanding Audiences	3
MMC 6477	Measuring Social Change: Research and Evaluation	3
MMC 6485	Advanced Qualitative Methods: Narrative Health Methods and Analyses	3
MMC 6486	Family Communication and Health Across the Lifespan	3
MMC 6487	Interpersonal Health Communication Theory	3
MMC 6496	Public Interest Communication Theory	3
MMC 6497	Media Psychology	3
MMC 6506	Critical and Cultural Theories in Media Studies	3
MMC 6566	Communicating Privacy	3
MMC 6568	Communication in Healthcare	3
MMC 6612	New Media and a Democratic Society	3
MMC 6615	Race, Class, Gender, and Media	3-4
MMC 6618	Survey of Political Communication	3
MMC 6638	Global Activism and Social Change Communication	3
MMC 6639	Non-Profit and Government Communication	3
MMC 6647	Financial Business Essentials for Communication Professionals	3
MMC 6660	Communication, Technology and Society	3
MMC 6665	Seminar in First Amendment Theory	4
MMC 6666	Seminar in Research in Mass Communication Law	4
MMC 6709	The Art and Science of Storytelling	3
MMC 6725	Social Media and News	3
MMC 6726	Social Media and Emerging Technology	3
MMC 6727	Social Media Metrics	3
MMC 6728	Branding Using Social and Mobile Media	3
MMC 6730	Social Media Management	3
MMC 6738	Digital Promotions/Campaigns	3
MMC 6746	Developing Intercultural Competence	3
MMC 6905	Individual Work	1-3
MMC 6910	Supervised Research	1-3
MMC 6929	Communication Colloquium	2
MMC 6930	Seminar in Mass Communication Teaching	3
MMC 6936	Special Topics in Mass Communication	1-3
MMC 6945	Professional Master's Practicum	1-3
MMC 6949	Professional Internship	1-3
MMC 6950	Mass Communication Capstone	3
MMC 6951	Masters Project Seminar	1
MMC 6960C	Professional Master's Seminar	3
MMC 6971	Research for Master's Thesis	1-15
MMC 6973	Project in Lieu of Thesis	1-9
MMC 7979	Advanced Research	1-12
MMC 7980	Research for Doctoral Dissertation	1-12
PUR 5107	Strategic Writing for Public Relations	3
PUR 5507	Persuasion Theory and Research	3
PUR 6005	Theories of Public Relations	3
PUR 6006	Public Relations Foundations	3
PUR 6206	Public Relations Ethics and Professional Responsibility	3
PUR 6403	Crisis and Risk Management	3
PUR 6409	International Issues and Crisis Communication	3
PUR 6475	Digital Social Advocacy	3
PUR 6506	Public Relations Research	3
PUR 6509	Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation	3
PUR 6603	Public Relations Strategy and Messaging	3
PUR 6607	Public Relations Management	3
PUR 6608	International Public Relations	3
PUR 6616	Corporate Reputation and Communication	3
PUR 6934	Problems in Public Relations	3
RTV 6508	Audience Analysis	3
RTV 6801	Media Management and Theory	3
RTV 6973	Project in Lieu of Thesis	1-9
VIC 5006	Foundations of Design for Communicators	3
VIC 5315	Corporate and Brand Identity on the Web	3
VIC 5325	Digital Imagery in Web Design	4
VIC 5326	Digital Media Layout and Design	3
VIC 6008	Video Storytelling	4
VIC 6316	Brand Management	3

mass communications (PHD)

SLO 1     Knowledge        
Develop a thorough identification and review of mass communication theory and proficiency in research methods surrounding a specific area of expertise in the mass communication field.

SLO 2     Knowledge        
Discuss and translate mass communication theory and proficiency in research methods surrounding a specific area of expertise in the mass communication field.

SLO 3     Skills     
Explain and report communication subject matter and methodology, successfully complete research studies through conceptualization, methodological expertise, analysis and submission to professional conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

SLO 4     Professional Behavior   
Display of ethical behaviors, cultural sensitivity and appreciation for diverse viewpoints, leadership, independent and creative thinking.

SLO 5     Professional Behavior   
Participate in professional and academic service activities that develop leadership skills.

Mass Communications (MAMC)

SLO 1     Knowledge        
Identify, describe, explain, and apply communication theory research methods, aiding in a synthesized perspective for evaluating and addressing professional or theoretical problems

SLO 2     Skills     
Address communication subject matter and issues through application, analysis, or synthesis of subjects, theories and methodologies

SLO 3     Professional Behavior   
Display ethical behaviors, teamwork, cultural sensitivity/appreciation for diverse viewpoints, and meet professional standards for effective and ethical decision making