30 Online Bachelor’s in Communications

When communication falls short and leads to misunderstandings and disagreements, conflict resolution skills can save the day. The University of Central Florida’s Bachelor of Arts in communication and conflict program explores interpersonal communication in intercultural contexts, with a particular emphasis on conflict resolution. The degree program may be completed entirely online, with zero residency or field requirements. 

The core curriculum includes basic courses in oral communication, statistics, and technical presentation, as well as advanced courses such as Communication in Cultural Conflict Context and Communication Research Methods. Students can choose from elective offerings including Gender Issues in Communication, Principles of Social Innovation and Activism, and Terrorism and Communication. 

The program culminates in a capstone course in Communication and Conflict Case Studies, which explores cultural, historical, and political aspects of peace-building. Graduates of the program will be prepared to navigate complex interactions as counselors, family lawyers, human resources professionals, and beyond.

Florida International University offers an online program leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts. Housed in the university’s College of Communication, Architecture, and the Arts, the degree program allows students to earn their degrees entirely online from anywhere in the world.

The BA in communication arts program is designed to build students’ skills in conflict resolution, crisis management, decision-making, leadership, and team-building. The FIU Online learning environment allows students to watch lecture videos, interact with instructors, and collaborate with classmates. Course examples include Artistic Expression in a Global Society, Persuasion, and Social Media’s Impact on Communication.

Online students have access to guidance from assigned personal success coaches and virtual communication coaching through the department’s Communication Arts Studio. The BA in communication arts is a strong foundational degree for individuals interested in pursuing advanced study in areas such as business administration, education, law, social work, and beyond.

Individuals interested in the intersection between communication and health may be interested in the University of Florida’s Bachelor of Health Science in communication sciences and disorders. Housed in the university’s College of Public Health and Health Professions, the online program studies the roles hearing, language, speech, and swallowing play in human communication.

Students enrolled in the program can expect to explore topics such as the anatomy and physiology of speech, communication disorders, clinical treatments, and normal communication across the lifespan. Course examples include Audiologic Rehabilitation, Neural Basis of Communication, and Speech Acoustics. The program of study also includes experiential learning activities that allow students to work with individuals with communication challenges.

The degree program is particularly suited to individuals who intend to pursue advanced studies and research in areas such as audiology and speech-language pathology. The university also offers a Master of Arts in communication sciences and disorders.

Liberty University’s evangelical Christian affiliation guides the university in all areas, including its Bachelor of Science in strategic communication program. The degree program is especially ideal for transfer students, as students can transfer in up to 75% of the 120 credits required for the degree. 

Housed in Liberty’s School of Communication and the Arts, the program is delivered entirely online in accelerated, eight-week course sessions. Students may pursue a specialization in social media management, which includes courses such as Digital, Social, and Mobile Communication Strategies. Alternatively, students may follow a general strategic communication plan, which includes courses such as Employee and Organizational Communication and Public Relations and Promotion Tactics.

Liberty students can typically earn their BS in strategic communication in three and a half years of study. Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue job titles such as advertising manager, customer relationship specialist, or public relations manager.

Walden University’s Bachelor of Science in communication features a strong business foundation. The online degree program includes the study of key business skills including business law, information systems, and leadership. It also explores corporate communication areas such as crisis management, employee awareness, and shareholder messaging. Students can expect to build skills in digital, image-based, interpersonal, oral, and written communication.

Walden’s broad-based BS in communication curriculum includes core courses such as Digital Storytelling, Microeconomics, and Stereotypes and Scandals: Exploring the Power of Mass Communication and Mass Media. Students culminate their studies through a communication capstone, which requires them to develop a communications plan that takes into account the strengths, weaknesses, audience, and challenges of an organization. 

Graduates of the program will have the business savvy to pursue careers in areas from advertising and marketing to public relations and politics.

The University of Minnesota offers a fully online program leading to a Bachelor of Science in communication degree. Housed in the university’s Department of Liberal Arts and Education, the degree program explores communication theory and its practical applications in the workplace. Students can choose from three emphasis areas: communication studies, organizational communication and public relations, and writing. 

Core course examples include Communication Technology Trends, Human Relationships and Leadership, and Persuasion. Communication elective offerings include Event Planning and Management, Intercultural Communication, and Visual Communication. Depending on their chosen areas of emphasis, students may go on to pursue career paths as diverse as editing, media relations, political campaign leadership, sports information, and beyond.

The University of Arizona’s Bachelor of Arts in communication takes a scientific approach to the study of how communication shapes our environments and relationships. The degree program is delivered by UA Online and housed in the university’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. It is coursework-based and does not require students to engage in residencies, field experiences, or capstone projects.

The BA in communication curriculum covers areas such as interpersonal communication, new media and information technologies, and persuasion and social influence. Major course examples include Communication and Emotion, Nonverbal Communication, and Relational Communication. Instead of focusing on specialized areas of professional communication, the program provides a fundamental communication education that can be applied to a wide range of careers.

Ottawa University offers a Bachelor of Arts in communication degree program. The program is designed to build students’ skills in critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving in communication contexts. It emphasizes communication in culturally, generationally, politically, and socially diverse contexts.

The curriculum covers fundamental communication skills such as argumentation and debate, critical listening, interpersonal communication, media literacy, and public speaking. It also explores specialized communication platforms through courses like Color, Layout, and Typography; Language of Film; News and Feature Reporting; and Video Production. 

Students have the option to concentrate in speech. The communication curriculum culminates in a comprehensive capstone project or paper on a particular communication area. Graduates of Ottawa’s BA in communication program will be prepared to pursue careers in a variety of areas including advertising, government, mass media, and technical writing.

In the ever-changing communication and media landscape, Texas Tech University’s Bachelor of Arts in communication studies program builds skills applicable to a wide variety of careers. Housed in the university’s College of Media and Communication, this flexible degree program can be completed entirely online.

The program curriculum covers intercultural, organizational, and small-group communication. It prioritizes civic engagement through classes in argumentation and debate, public speaking, and rhetoric. Course examples include Communicating in a Global Society, Introduction to Digital and Social Media, Public Speaking, and Rhetoric in Western Thought. Each student must also either take a Global Communications course or reach sophomore-level proficiency in a foreign language.

East Carolina University offers a customizable Bachelor of Science in communications program. Students can choose from four concentration options: interpersonal and organizational communication, journalism, media studies, and public relations. 

Depending on their chosen concentration, students can expect to choose from elective options such as Entrepreneurial Journalism, Gender and Communication, International News, and Media Ethics. The journalism concentration also requires students to demonstrate foreign language proficiency. The journalism and public relations concentrations offer students the opportunity to engage in internships for credit.

All communications students must complete two core courses: Introduction to Communication and Introduction to Mass Media. The journalism and PR concentrations have prescribed capstone courses, while the interpersonal and organizational communication and media studies programs offer students the choice to complete a supervised independent study or a senior communication capstone course that focuses on current research in the field.

Southern New Hampshire University offers an online program leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. The degree program allows students to communicate orally, visually, and in writing within its online learning environment. Students can tailor their program to their goals and passions by choosing a career-oriented concentration or by taking a wide scope of communication electives.

Communication students can choose from four concentration options: business communication, new media, professional writing, and public relations. Communication course examples may include Global Communication, Organizational Branding, Social Media Strategy, and Strategic Storytelling. Courses are delivered in six accelerated, eight-week undergraduate terms per year.

Arizona State University offers an online program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in communication. The degree program covers communication topics such as business communication, conflict management, intercultural communication, persuasion and social influence, and beyond. It explores how these communication skills and principles can be applied in various civic, community, and cultural contexts.

The coursework-based program consists of 40 courses, each spanning seven and a half weeks. Course examples include Gender and Communication, Global Awareness, and Leadership in Group Communication. Students have the option to follow a fast-track plan to earn their BS in communication in two and a half or three years.

Colorado State University’s CSU Global Campus offers a fully online program leading to a Bachelor of Science in communications. The program educates students in mass communication and oral and written communication, as well as new media, public relations, and technical writing. Its online courses are offered asynchronously, meaning students can access content online any time, anywhere.

CSU Global’s communication program offers 18 specialization options, which makes it ideal for students interested in communication as it relates to a specific industry or environment. These options range from criminology to emergency management to finance to healthcare management. Communication course examples include Communication Conflict and Persuasion, Communication in the Global Information Age, and Mass Communication and Society.

Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication houses a Bachelor of Science in applied communication program. The online degree program is designed to prepare professionals for internal and external communications in nonprofit, private, and public organizations. It is particularly ideal for students who already have an associate degree.

The applied communication curriculum is divided into four key areas: foundations, practice, strategy, and synthesis. The foundational curriculum covers communication tools, journalism language, public speaking, and visual communication. Practice courses include Mass Media Writing Principles and Techniques of Group Discussion. Strategy course examples include Audience Research, Media and the Creative Process, and Privacy in the Internet Age. 

The synthesis curriculum component includes courses in Ethics, Mass Media, and Society and Qualitative Inquiry in Communication as well as an applied communication capstone. Students may take a variety of interdisciplinary electives to reach the minimum of 120 required credits for the degree.

Appalachian State University offers a full-time, online program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in communication studies. Graduates of the program will be prepared to apply their communication skills to business, communication, education, healthcare, legal, and nonprofit sectors. 

The core curriculum includes courses in Communication Ethics, Communication Theory, Public Speaking in the Disciplines, and Thinking Through Communication. Each student must also take at least two courses in public and professional contexts from options such as Environmental Communication, Gender Communication, and Minorities in Media. 

Students can choose a minor in business or sociology. The business minor requires courses in accounting and economics, and the sociology minor includes the course the Sociological Perspective and six transferable sociology semester hours. Courses are offered year-round in eight-week sessions, and students can complete the program in six semesters.

Washington State University Global Campus is home to a Bachelor of Arts in strategic communication program. Housed in the university’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, the degree program offers summer and fall start dates. It focuses on integrated strategic communication with an emphasis on audience, and explores areas such as branding, market research, multimedia content creation, persuasion, and social media management. 

The BA in strategic communication curriculum includes core courses in Multimedia Content Creation and Writing in Communication. Upper-division Communication course offerings include Consumer Insights and Branding, Creative Media Strategies and Techniques, and Reporting Across Platforms. Graduates of the program will be prepared to thrive in environments such as advertising, corporate communications, public relations, and social media marketing.

National University offers its Bachelor of Arts in integrated marketing communication entirely online. Courses are offered in four-week sessions, allowing students to focus on one subject at a time. Students can expect to learn about areas such as advertising, communication technologies, direct marketing, public relations, and sales promotion. Students will have opportunities to work with platforms in broadcast, mobile, personal, print, and social media. 

The core integrated marketing communication curriculum includes courses in Critical Thinking and Ethics, e-Marketing, Intro to Global Communication, and Intercultural Communication. The curriculum culminates in a capstone marketing project. Successful students will leave the program prepared for careers in advertising, fundraising, marketing, public relations, sales, and other persuasion-related fields.

Northern Arizona University offers an online program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in communication studies. Students can choose an emphasis area in general communication or organizational communication. The communication core curriculum includes courses in Communication Analysis, Group Communication, and Rhetorical Communication. The emphasis on organizational communication includes courses in Mediation and Conflict Management and Methods of Interviewing.

Other course offerings include Argumentation and Debate; Race, Gender, and Media; and Rhetorics of Nature and Environmentalism. Students fulfill their senior capstone requirement through a seminar in Communication Studies, which involves preparing and presenting a research project. Graduates may go on to pursue careers in advocacy, community education, nonprofits, religious leadership, technical communication, and beyond.

Missouri State University offers a Bachelor of Science in communication studies online. The program includes a broad-based communication curriculum and work in a specialization area. Students may follow a general communication studies program or specialize in intercultural communication and diversity. In addition to the coursework, students can expect to pursue a volunteer experience and an online minor such as criminology, diversity studies, religious studies, or screenwriting.

Required general education courses include Cultural Competence, Natural World, and Public Issues. Additional Communication Studies course offerings include Communications and Diversity in the Workplace, Gender and Communication, Introduction to Argumentation, and Persuasion. In their final semester of study, students can expect to complete a course in Professional Development in Communication, a communication internship, and a program assessment.

The University of Memphis Global offers a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies. The degree program covers analysis and critical thinking, communication ethics, mediated communication and message production, and rhetorical research. The communication studies major core includes courses in Communication Inquiry and Oral Communication. Communication studies courses include Communication Ethics, Media and Information Literacy, and Rhetoric and Civic Controversy. 

Students may focus on media and culture, professional and relational communication, or rhetoric and public advocacy. Depending on each student’s focus area, they may choose from courses such as African-American Rhetoric, Health Communication, and Reality TV. The program of study culminates in a senior capstone research project and portfolio.

The University of North Dakota’s Bachelor of Arts in communication program is available entirely online. The degree is suitable for individuals with interests in advertising, public relations, writing, and beyond. Students can choose from six specializations, including digital journalism, social media strategy, and strategic communication.

Online courses are delivered asynchronously, meaning students can access course material and complete activities at any time of day. Students also have the option to complete the program in a hybrid format that blends online learning with classes on the university’s campus in Grand Forks, ND. 

The UND Communication curriculum includes courses such as Audio Production and Broadcasting, Digital Video Production, Media and Diversity, and Writing for New and Traditional Media. All communication majors must fulfill an experiential learning requirement, which most do through internships in settings such as ad agencies or news channels.

Students who are interested in earning a communications degree from a Christian institution may choose Mississippi College. The college offers students the option to earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in communication. The communication degree is offered in an accelerated hybrid format, with courses offered in the evenings and online. 

The Mississippi College Department of Communication offers areas of study in interpersonal and public communication, journalism, mass media, public relations, and sports media. The interdisciplinary program prepares graduates for careers such as political campaign management and public relations, or for further study in areas such as law and religious seminary. 

Since its establishment in 1966, Bellevue University has focused on adult education. The university continues to provide flexibility and convenience for working students through online program options toward degrees such as the Bachelor of Arts in communication studies. The degree program is designed to build contemporary skills in areas such as digital media, intercultural communication, social media, and technical communication. 

Core courses include Communication in the Digital Age, Critical Thinking and Communication, and Oral Communication Skills. Students are required to choose an emphasis in mass media or organizational and strategic communication. All Bellevue students are also required to take a series of three courses in citizenship: American Vision and Values, Freedom and Responsibility, and Tradition and Change.

Graduates of Bellevue’s BA in communication studies program will be prepared for careers in areas including corporate communication, journalism, public relations, and social media strategy.

The University of Texas at El Paso offers a Bachelor of Arts in organizational and corporate communication. Offered through the university’s UTEP Connect Extended University, the fully online degree program is designed to accommodate students’ busy schedules and personal and professional obligations. It is suitable for individuals interested in human relations, media relations, and/or public relations.

The core UTEP curriculum covers a broad scope of areas, including natural, political, social, and behavioral sciences; U.S. history; and visual and performing arts. Courses specific to the organizational and corporate communication curriculum include Ad Sales and Management, Communication and Conflict, New Media Advertising, and Writing for Public Relations and Corporate Communication.

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin offers a flexible, online program leading to a Bachelor of Arts in communication degree. The program studies how communication theories and modern media apply to business and society worldwide. Students have the option to pursue any of the university’s online major options. 

Communication students can expect to learn about topics such as crisis communication, interpersonal communication, public messaging, and rhetoric in Western thought. Elective course offerings cover argument and persuasion, advertising strategies, communication law, political communication, and beyond. Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue job titles such as brand manager, copywriter, or public relations professional.

Webster University’s Bachelor of Arts in media communications is ideal for individuals interested in various forms of media, from animation to screenwriting. The core curriculum covers media production, theory, and writing through courses such as Cultural Diversity in the Media, Ethics in the Media, and The Law and the Media. 

Each student selects a 12-credit concentration from any discipline in the School of Communications, which includes advertising, audio, gaming, journalism, and photography. Each student must also pass a portfolio review in their junior year of study. Students have the option to culminate their studies through a senior research thesis or a communications internship.

SUNY Oswego’s broadcasting and mass communication completion degree is a strong option for individuals who already have an associate degree in a media or communications-related field. The online completion program consists of upper-division courses only. Prospective students who do not hold an associate degree must complete some lower-division requirements at SUNY Oswego or a local institution with sufficient facilities. 

The continuing curriculum covers media distribution, production, and writing for platforms such as audio, broadcasting, copywriting, media management, and video. The degree can be earned in two years of full-time study, but the program is primarily designed to be completed by working students on a part-time basis. Graduates will be prepared for careers in areas such as advertising, broadcasting, business, and public relations.

Truman State University’s undergraduate major in communication explores communication in technical and multicultural contexts. The degree program is rooted in theory and complemented by practical opportunities through engagement in the university’s student newspaper, travel magazine, weekly television show, and radio announcing. Students are also offered opportunities to join the university’s Advertising and Public Relations Club or the Speech and Debate Team. 

Students may choose an emphasis in communication studies, journalism, or public communication. Depending on their chosen emphasis, students may take courses such as Communication Law, Media Criticism, Persuasion Theory, and Rhetoric and Civil Life. The culminating capstone course covers preparation for the senior communication exam and for professional success. Truman alumni job titles include multimedia journalist, social communication specialist, and sports reporter.

Siena Heights University’s Bachelor of Arts in professional communication program is suitable for individuals with interest or experience in communications fields, from journalism and graphic arts to film and web design. Individuals who earn their BA in professional communication from Siena Heights may go on to work as bloggers, creative directors, freelance writers, media buyers, public opinion researchers, and beyond.

The curriculum includes required courses in Business Ethics, Communication Skills for Managers, Leadership, and Technology and the Human Condition. Additional course offerings include Conflict Resolution, Consumer Behavior, Group Dynamics, and Organizational Behavior. The curriculum culminates in a capstone seminar in Professional Communication.

Purdue University offers a Bachelor of Science in communication program through its Global campus. The online degree program offers multiple start dates throughout the year to suit students’ individual circumstances. Each student can expect to devote 15 to 18 hours to the degree program each week throughout each 10-week term. 

Core communication courses include Communicating in a Diverse Society, Group Dynamics and Team Building, and Tools for the Digital Age. Students may customize their programs of study through electives in areas such as entrepreneurship, human resources, leadership, sales, and technical communication. Students also have the option to complete a relevant internship for academic credit.

Students also have the option to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in communication through the university’s accelerated dual-degree program option. The BS in communication is designed to prepare students for entry-level work in fields such as advertising, marketing, organizational communications, and public relations.