March 26, 2020
Journalism and mass communication graduate program ranked among Top 10 of nation's affordable online graduate degrees
Submitted by Steve Smethers and Raluca Cozma
The A.Q. Miller School's recently inaugurated online master's degree has been named in the Top 10 of the nation's most affordable online programs in journalism and mass communications.
The ranking comes from Online U, which has been in the business of ranking affordability and other factors relating to potential students' choices among online degree programs since 2014. K-State is seventh on the list, with an annual tuition of $8,615. The top affordable program is Marshall University, which charges $3,948 per year.
The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications launched its online master's a year ago after research among alumni and related constituencies revealed a significant demand for such a degree, primarily in Kansas City, Wichita and other metropolitan areas. The degree consists of 30 hours and is primarily focused on strategic communications classes with grounding in mass communication theory and research. The program allows students to earn credit for on-the-job research and provides electives in such areas as strategic communication management and audience analytics.
In the inaugural year, the program has attracted students from Kansas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas and Maryland.
"We envisioned this program to bring value to busy professionals who seek to upgrade their credentials or are interested in leadership positions at media organizations, nonprofits, or public relations and advertising agencies," said Raluca Cozma, associate director for graduate studies in the A.Q. Miller School. "This ranking by Online U shows that our program brings a good return on our students' investment, while allowing them the flexibility to work on a solid degree remotely, from all corners of the world."
Cozma added that a new course on social media data visualization has been added to the program, and a new graduate certificate designed to train high school media advisers is being developed in cooperation with the Journalism Education Association, the national organization for scholastic journalism that is headquartered in Kedzie Hall.
"During this time of escalating student debt, it's gratifying to know that we are offering an affordable degree that meets market demands," said Steven Smethers, director of the A.Q. Miller School.