Online MA in Communications and Digital Media with Social Media and Public Relations Concentration
Learn to Shape the Conversation and Build a Brand
Format
100% Online
Credits
Core: 16 (4 courses)
Concentration: 20 (5 electives)
Duration
As few as 2 years (part time)
Start Date
January 25, 2027
Application Deadline
January 18, 2027
Social Media and Public Relations Concentration Overview
The online Social Media and Public Relations concentration is designed for communications professionals leading high-impact initiatives in digital-first organizations.
This concentration teaches you to develop integrated communication strategies, manage brand reputation, and engage audiences across traditional and emerging media channels. We prioritize strategic depth and practical application for students seeking a master’s in communication and public relations or expertise in public relations and corporate communications.
Unlike a standalone master’s in social media communications, the Pace online Master of Arts in Communications and Digital Media situates digital strategy within the broader context of organizational communication across industries.
Pace is recognized in the top 9% of private colleges for return on investment by Payscale.
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To learn more about the online Master of Arts in Communications and Digital Media program, fill out the fields in this form to download a free brochure. If you have any questions at any time, please contact an enrollment specialist at (914) 758-1080.
Core Skills You’ll Master
Our program provides comprehensive training in advanced communication planning, digital engagement, and media relations. You’ll also benefit from foundational expertise in communications theory and organizational strategy in the core curriculum. Students gain skills in:
- Strategic communication planning and execution
- Corporate communications and internal communication
- Social media strategy and community management
- Public relations and media relations
- Multi-platform content creation
- Communications law and ethics
- Brand messaging and positioning
- Stakeholder engagement and relationship building
Where This Concentration Takes You
Social Media and Public Relations concentration students gain the skills needed to develop corporate communications, media relations, and social media strategies in private sector businesses, entertainment and talent agencies, nonprofits, and government organizations. According to Lightcast, common career paths include:
Social Media and Public Relations Curriculum
To complete the concentration, you’ll choose five of the following courses:
In this course you will learn how to research media and reporters, develop messages, write for the media, build strategic media plans, generate media coverage, serve as spokespeople, handle crisis situations, and use new media strategies. You and your peers will form a media relations agency to create a media relations plan for a local client with specific goals, objectives, strategies, audiences, tactics, and timelines. We will discuss such topics as working with reporters, developing PR campaigns, and creating effective media strategies to promote your client’s business, product, or service. Class discussions, research and writing projects, group projects, and case studies will offer an engaging and interactive learning environment to expand and apply your knowledge of media relations and messaging.
This course examines how organizations engage in communication activities that manage reputation among a variety of stakeholders. Students will do this by analyzing the issues of organizational reputation both theoretically and analytically.
This course examines theories and practices related to digital communications leadership. It focuses on leadership styles and skills in the field of digital communication that one who aims at becoming an effective leader needs to develop in the 21st century. One of the critical aspects of the course is creating a TED talk that allows students to demonstrate their leadership potential by creating and delivering speeches on selected topics.
This course focuses on organizational communication in the practice of social responsibility. It examines the information, instrument, and media issues emerging along with global transformations in the relationship among organizations, society, and government.
The need to understand different cultures is becoming ever more important to success in life and in business. The purpose of this course is to develop a greater cultural awareness of the United States and the world by focusing on the impact culture has on communication and miscommunication. Students will learn about the key elements that make up cultural diversity and how to evaluate the socio-cultural, economic, political, and business impact of communications as an influencer of every person on earth.
This course introduces students to the basics of media innovation and experimentation in the digital age. The course will trace the causes and arc of changes in the media industry; bring in guest speakers who exemplify these changes; examine case studies of new media organizations in an ever-changing environment. Students will work in teams to develop their own proposal for media innovation.
Ethics is a prominent issue in any career, but the media field, in particular, needs examination. In this course students will focus on the moral and ethical issues that characterize the communication industry. Special attention will be paid to current events related to the ethics of the media workplace and the professions.
This course is designed to provide students with detailed insight into the structures, processes, and controversies surrounding media organizations in the United States.
This course is designed to explore and understand the world-wide web. This course will review the historical, current, and future trends of the web and the Internet. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively on the web is an essential element and skill needed by all who interface with the web. Designing, organizing, evaluating, and constructing informational platforms is a key issue for today’s society brought on by all the web sites and information seekers. As social networking sites mature along with different conferencing software there is a need to review what effective web architecture is and how it is migrating to personal (mobile) devices. The course will provide the resources to critically think and understand how to effectively communicate on the web, to understand the web, and to review the foundations of effective information architecture.
This course will focus on the performance and responsibilities of various media with regard and legal standards. Within this framework students will gain a basic understanding of various ethical theories and legal issues along with their application to today’s media. Issues for analysis and discussion include accuracy and fairness, obscenity and indecency, and protein of sources. An overview of how these issues affect society will also be considered.
Students will navigate and participate in the fast-changing world of web, mobile, and social media, which have become the dominant means by which news is conveyed, products are marketed, and ideas shared and shaped. Students will learn how communication innovators are weaving written, visual, and audio content across platforms to engage with audiences. The course will cover best practices, but also address the downside of this new information world—which can create insular ideological bubbles, foment hatred, and spread myths and fictions. The course will also heavily emphasize learning by doing; students create their own multi-platform projects and assess their performance, based on analytics.
MCA 696 Social Media Topics (4)
Your Network Starts Here, So Does Your Next Role
Pace MA in CDM alumni are working at the top of the industry at A+E Networks, NBC Sports, HBO, and leading PR firms like Ketchum. Small class sizes mean your professors know your name, your goals, and the people who can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Full-time students can complete the program in as little as 1.5 years.
Yes, some students choose to complete the degree part time while maintaining a full-time work schedule.
Our online courses are offered in two modalities: synchronous and asynchronous. Some courses include regular Zoom meetings (either weekly or monthly), while others are fully asynchronous, meaning there are no scheduled meetings and you can complete coursework on your own time.
Students in the Social Media and Public Relations concentration study:
- Corporate communications
- Media law
- Multi-platform communication strategies
- Social media management
- Strategic planning
- Content creation
- Stakeholder engagement
- Reputation management
By the time they graduate, students are masters of public relations and corporate communications.
Have questions? to chat about our Social Media and Public Relations concentration or our program in general.
Not Sure Public Relations Is Your Path?
The Pace online MA in CDM offers another specialized concentration, as well as the flexibility to build your own. Explore the other options:
Digital Filmmaking and Media Production
Master the craft of visual storytelling from directing, editing, and documentary production, and graduate with a reel that speaks for itself.
Draw from both concentrations and our other elective course options to create a curriculum that fits your goals.
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