Bachelor of Arts in Communication Online
Develop the professional communication and critical thinking skills to contribute to the success of a variety of organizations. This online bachelor’s program offers two career-advancing specializations.
Apply By:
1/14/25
Program Overview
Gain professional expertise with our online bachelor’s degree in communications
Elevate your skill as a writer, editor, and public speaker with the online Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Mount Saint Vincent. Curriculum for this dynamic program deepens your ability to think creatively and critically, and our dedicated faculty are invested in helping you build the confidence and professional skillset to pursue exciting new career opportunities.
This online bachelor in communications lets you tailor your studies to your personal interests by choosing from two career-advancing specializations: Advertising and Social Media or Public Relations and Event Planning. Take advantage of our generous transfer credit policy and multiple start dates per year to achieve your academic and professional goals in less time.
As a graduate of this online bachelor’s, you will be prepared to:
- Think analytically about contemporary and historical issues in media studies and human communication
- Research, organize, and write articles and papers in a variety of styles
- Demonstrate visual literacy through the ability to understand symbolism, aesthetics, and composition
- Research, organize, and deliver an effective oral presentation
- Perform effectively in a position in the communication industry
- Think analytically about contemporary and historical issues in media studies and human communication
- Research, organize, and write articles and papers in a variety of styles
- Demonstrate visual literacy through the ability to understand symbolism, aesthetics, and composition
- Research, organize, and deliver an effective oral presentation
- Perform effectively in a position in the communication industry
Career opportunities in communications:
- Social Media Specialist
- Public Relations Manager
- Brand Strategist
- Editor
- Event Planner
- Sales Representative
- Fundraising Consultant
- Social Media Specialist
- Public Relations Manager
- Brand Strategist
- Editor
- Event Planner
- Sales Representative
- Fundraising Consultant
Also available:
The Mount has multiple undergraduate degree programs online. Explore our online bachelor’s degrees.
Per Credit Hour:
$324
Transfer Credits:
Up to 90
Credit Hours:
120
Tuition
Our affordable tuition won’t compromise your budget
At the University of Mount Saint Vincent, we are committed to providing a high-quality education for less than you would expect. Tuition for the online communications degree is affordable and can easily fit into your budget.
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Course | Per Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.A. in Communication | $324 | $972 | $38,880 |
Tuition Breakdown:
Per Credit Hour
$324
Per Course
$972
Calendar
Take note of these important deadlines
The online bachelor’s degree program in communication is designed with working adults in mind. We offer multiple start dates and faster course completion time to help you earn your degree when it’s convenient for you.
| Term | Start Date | App Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Class End Date | Term Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | 1/27/25 | 1/14/25 | 1/18/25 | 1/23/25 | 1/23/25 | 3/16/25 | 7 weeks |
| Spring 2 | 3/24/25 | 3/12/25 | 3/16/25 | 3/20/25 | 3/21/25 | 5/11/25 | 7 weeks |
Now Enrolling:
Next Apply Date
1/14/25
Start Class
1/27/25
Ready to take the next steps toward earning your online degree?
Admissions
Easily complete your application to our B.A. in Communication online program
The streamlined admission process at the University of Mount Saint Vincent makes it easier to apply and helps you start your academic journey faster. Please read the full admission requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
- No ACT/SAT scores required
- Transfer up to 90 credit hours
- GPA of 2.0 or higher
You must meet the following requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Communication online program:
- Submit online application
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
- Minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
- First time freshman must be out of high school for 2 years
Official transcripts and other documents should be sent from the granting institutions to our Office of Admissions:
Email address: [email protected]
Mail address:
Office of Admission
University of Mount Saint Vincent
6301 Riverdale Avenue
Riverdale, NY 10471
Courses
Explore the coursework in our B.A. in Communication online
For the University of Mount Saint Vincent’s Bachelor of Arts in Communication online, the curriculum comprises 40 courses for a total of 120 credit hours, including seven Communication core courses.
COMM 110: Introduction to Human Communication
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides an overview of the Strategic and Human Communication concentration. Topics include the history of the communication field, human communication theories, verbal and nonverbal communication, culture and communication, interpersonal and small group communication, and communication in organizations.
COMM 120: Introduction to Media Studies
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides an overview of the Digital Arts and Media Studies concentration. It focuses on mass mediated communication fields including newspapers and magazines, sound recording, radio, broadcast television, cable television, movies, advertising, and online media.
COMM 210: Public Speaking
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to develop effective and responsible public speaking skills. The course will focus on researching, organizing, writing, and presenting various types of speeches including informational and persuasive.
COMM 220: Visual Communication and Design
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
During this course, students learn to understand and apply type-image relationships, color, and form in digital design, including basic layouts. The course presents foundations and relevant concepts in visual literacy, symbolism, and aesthetics as applied to practical considerations, such as composition, motion and design.
COMM 230: Media Writing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a study of the basic procedures and techniques of print news reporting, writing and editing as well as writing for the electronic news media, online sources, public relations, and advertising.
COMM 375: Internship I
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
During this course, students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to one of the areas of communication. Frequent meetings with an advisor plus a final project are required. Permission of Communication Department Internship Coordinator required. Junior or Senior majors only.
COMM 490: Seminar in Communication
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
During this course, students will select a topic in one of the areas of concentration and develop it into a major paper including an original research study. Students will also present their findings in a formal oral presentation. Senior majors only.
Students selecting the Advertising & Social Media Track must choose five of these courses.
COMM 290: Communication in a Digital World
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Data mining machines constantly probe and survey us to know our tastes, purchasing habits, social media contacts, and preferences for entertainment and virtual spaces. This introductory course overviews recent social and technological shifts in digital spaces and explores the ubiquity and exponential growth of new Internet based data sources, in other words, Big Data. Participants will share observations through critical readings, discussions, observations, short papers, and computer lab activities.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Critically examine the social and cultural consequences of Web 2.0 technologies, networks, information architectures and resources, social media and computer-mediated communication, and mobile computing platforms
- Use and demonstrate data exploration skills:
- Analyze, quantify, plot, interpret, revise and refine data, analyze and visualize cluster data, interpret them and write about them; apply strategies to selectively clean data and use dynamic transformation to both generate and modify content
- Present data summaries in charts or tables and simple visualization using Excel and Sofastats and opensource applications
COMM 309: Photo Design with Photoshop
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
During this course, students explore conceptual and technical aspects of digital imaging, including image capture, color management, editing and correction, composition and layout, and several types of image composites. Master the basics of design with Photoshop, then construct seamless and complex images using masking and compositing techniques.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Effectively use the basics of photo design with Photoshop: The essential basics include:
- Enhancement of tone and luminance
- Selection of image elements or fragments by color, shape, and contrast
- Addition or subtraction of color, gray tones sharpening of images, blur or soft focus of images removal of parts of images, cutting and deleting selected pixels adding or subtracting numbers of pixels by image resizing & changing resolution
- Alteration of individual pixels (pixel by pixel) by painting, dodging, burning, feathering, blending, blurring, sharpening, cloning, anti-aliasing
- Construct and composite seamless and complex photos in the design of photo series (triptychs) using advanced masking:
- Masking and compositing techniques include: channel selection, operation and manipulation, layer masks and clipping masks
- Color adjustment and correction, alteration of color balance, matching and replacement of color, retouching, advanced blending, photo filters, printing
- Appreciate and use the aesthetics of photographic composition, realistic, surreal and abstract subject matter
COMM 310: Feature and Magazine Writing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course centers around methods in design, typography, and editing in magazine production. Students also learn how to research, write, and market quality articles in magazine format.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Learn how to find and recognize a good feature story and effective storytelling elements
- Understand specific magazine markets and editorial content
- Learn how to write and structure various forms of longer feature articles in a way that’s compelling to readers
- Develop a strong writing voice and style
- Demonstrate competence regarding pitching, querying, and article layout
COMM 343: Introduction to Advertising
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to introduce students to the history of advertising in the U.S. and the development of brands. Students will learn fundamental strategies that advertisers use to capture consumer attention, create sales pitches, compete in the marketplace and adapt to the introduction of new technologies. Additional emphasis is given to ethical considerations as they relate to advertising and promotions.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Analyze historical and modern advertisements through the lens of theoretical constructs and field-specific objectives
- Understand the advertising profession and basic functions of each role
- Understand brand development and its applicability to the field of advertising
- Apply copywriting techniques to written messages
- Create an effective advertising campaign that collectively integrates specific concepts, trends, and strategies across various mediums
COMM 345: Strategic/Promotional Writing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to complement other courses in public relations and strategic communication by providing opportunities for students to practice and be critiqued on their copy and design work for multiple kinds of PR, and professional business writing (e.g., news releases, business reports, business correspondence, project proposals, advertising copy).
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand key principles of effective online presentations
- Articulate verbally ideas and concepts learn from other researchers and their research
- Conduct the pre-fieldwork exploratory research and literature reviews required for project proposal
- Discern the basic elements of the sociological research and theory: culture and structure and how they complement each other; to view the community through cultural, ethnic, and political lenses
COMM 403: Interaction Design
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course offers an in depth study of programming, design patterns and experimentation in interactive environments, including IOS app development, web development, and game engines.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Create interactive web interfaces and browser-based art and animated scenes, design timeline-based authoring, Create user-centered navigation experiences. Compare the visual design elements of the user interface(UX/UI), HTML5 gaming, game programming, and game engines in two and three dimensions, and HTML5 web design, and experimental art applications (using Adobe Animate, Dreamweaver, Construct 3 game developer, JavaScript Canvas and P5.js applications.)
- Evaluate the relevant concepts in the perception and aesthetics as they relate to practical considerations such as composition, motion, and design on the Web.
COMM 418: Creative Advertising Strategies
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course uses a team-based approach in the development of an integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaign for a real world client. Course participants will work in teams and design integrated strategies to solve an advertising problem as agreed upon with their client. Toward the end of the semester, teams will pitch their ideas to the client for industry critique.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Learn the fundamentals of strategic advertising campaign design
- Learn principles of developing a strong client relationship
- Learn the fundamentals of advertising/marketing visual and copy design
COMM 290: Communication in a Digital World
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Data mining machines constantly probe and survey us to know our tastes, purchasing habits, social media contacts, and preferences for entertainment and virtual spaces. This introductory course overviews recent social and technological shifts in digital spaces and explores the ubiquity and exponential growth of new Internet based data sources, in other words, Big Data. Participants will share observations through critical readings, discussions, observations, short papers, and computer lab activities.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Critically examine the social and cultural consequences of Web 2.0 technologies, networks, information architectures and resources, social media and computer-mediated communication, and mobile computing platforms
- Use and demonstrate data exploration skills:
- Analyze, quantify, plot, interpret, revise and refine data, analyze and visualize cluster data, interpret them and write about them; apply strategies to selectively clean data and use dynamic transformation to both generate and modify content
- Present data summaries in charts or tables and simple visualization using Excel and Sofastats and opensource applications
COMM 309: Photo Design with Photoshop
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
During this course, students explore conceptual and technical aspects of digital imaging, including image capture, color management, editing and correction, composition and layout, and several types of image composites. Master the basics of design with Photoshop, then construct seamless and complex images using masking and compositing techniques.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Effectively use the basics of photo design with Photoshop: The essential basics include:
- Enhancement of tone and luminance
- Selection of image elements or fragments by color, shape, and contrast
- Addition or subtraction of color, gray tones sharpening of images, blur or soft focus of images removal of parts of images, cutting and deleting selected pixels adding or subtracting numbers of pixels by image resizing & changing resolution
- Alteration of individual pixels (pixel by pixel) by painting, dodging, burning, feathering, blending, blurring, sharpening, cloning, anti-aliasing
- Construct and composite seamless and complex photos in the design of photo series (triptychs) using advanced masking:
- Masking and compositing techniques include: channel selection, operation and manipulation, layer masks and clipping masks
- Color adjustment and correction, alteration of color balance, matching and replacement of color, retouching, advanced blending, photo filters, printing
- Appreciate and use the aesthetics of photographic composition, realistic, surreal and abstract subject matter
COMM 344: Introduction to Public Relations
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to introduce students to principles of public relations and the field. Students will learn about the development and maintenance of relationships between a variety of different kinds of organizations/clients and their publics. Class assignments are structured to encourage students to become better writers, speakers, designers, and strategic thinkers.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand the fundamentals of PR departments, competencies, tactics, and tools
- Evaluate and write PR essential documents such as media kits, press releases, pitch letters, etc
- Analyze and critique actual PR case studies
- Develop a PR portfolio
- Demonstrate computer literacy
COMM 345: Strategic/Promotional Writing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to complement other courses in public relations and strategic communication by providing opportunities for students to practice and be critiqued on their copy and design work for multiple kinds of PR, and professional business writing (e.g., news releases, business reports, business correspondence, project proposals, advertising copy).
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand key principles of effective online presentations
- Articulate verbally ideas and concepts learn from other researchers and their research
- Conduct the pre-fieldwork exploratory research and literature reviews required for project proposal
- Discern the basic elements of the sociological research and theory: culture and structure and how they complement each other; to view the community through cultural, ethnic, and political lenses
COMM 355: Organizational Communication
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a theoretical exploration of communication processes in a variety of organizational contexts. The course explores how communication affects working relationships.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- The development of a variety of interpersonal and presentational skills for working in different work team situations and on a diversity of projects.
- The ability to use self-reflection in the process of improving one’s ability to function in different work team situations
- Be able to identify and articulate critical theory and principles of organizational communication
COMM 403: Interaction Design
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course offers an in depth study of programming, design patterns and experimentation in interactive environments, including IOS app development, web development, and game engines.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Create interactive web interfaces and browser-based art and animated scenes, design timeline-based authoring, Create user-centered navigation experiences. Compare the visual design elements of the user interface(UX/UI), HTML5 gaming, game programming, and game engines in two and three dimensions, and HTML5 web design, and experimental art applications (using Adobe Animate, Dreamweaver, Construct 3 game developer, JavaScript Canvas and P5.js applications.)
- Evaluate the relevant concepts in the perception and aesthetics as they relate to practical considerations such as composition, motion, and design on the Web.
COMM 413: Public Relations Project Management
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines public relations through the integration of theory and practice in the planning, implementation and evaluation of an actual PR campaign and/or event. Emphasis is placed on the effective design of messages and their distribution among key publics/stakeholders. Course participants will interview for and be selected into a variety of management and team roles in a PR organization made-up of students in the class.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Reinforce the foundational principles in the practice of public relations
- Develop strong client communication programs through work on a variety of public relations projects
- Instill the importance of critical analysis and self-reflection into the overall quality of project outcomes as well as individual and team performance
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