Grad Study in Communication

The University of Delaware's Department of Communication offers two in person research-based graduate degrees, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Arts (M.A.), as well as an online professional degree, the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Strategic Communication ​, which is designed primarily for working professionals.

The Ph.D. program was added in 2019, building on the success of our long-standing in person M.A. program. Faculty in the Communication Department have a tradition of utilizing innovative strategies to prepare our students as they choose to pursue an academic career or to bring their research skills to bear in industry or public service. Our research-based degrees are grounded in a social science tradition, giving them a strong foundation built on theory, and quantitative methodology and statistical analyses.

Graduate students in the Communication Department focus their studies in a number of areas including health communication, interpersonal communication, media communication, and political communication.

Our online M.A. in Strategic Communication, designed for working professionals, was added in 2019. Students in this program learn to drive tactical communication initiatives to shape their organization's relationship with all audiences and stakeholders. The program offers dozens of courses, developed by full-time faculty and adjunct instructors who are also PR practitioners. Recruited from across the country, the adjuncts not only teach but develop the courses they helm.

Specialization s include Public Relations or Digital and Social Media, or students can customize their own program of study.

Students with an earned bachelors degree in any background looking to work in the areas of public relations, digital media, social media, and other strategic communication-related positions may alternatively pursue a graduate-level strategic communication certificate​. This certificate will provide professional education and training at the graduate level and will focus on the basic principles a strategic communication professional faces; the theoretical background necessary to understand how to create effective public relations, social media, and strategic communication campaigns; and the methodological skills required to test and understand the effectiveness of currently implemented campaigns. Graduates of this certificate program will have the knowledge and skill set to effectively pursue their desired career within the fields of Public Relations, Digital Media, Social Media, and other Strategic Communication areas.

The graduate and certificate programs in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware are vibrant, exciting learning environments. Explore our website for more information.

If you have any additional questions about the in person Ph.D. or M.A., please contact Professor Jennifer Lambe (jlambe@udel.edu​), Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Communication. Additional questions about the online M.A. or certificate in strategic communication should be addressed to Professor Tara L. Smith (taralynn@udel.edu), Program Director.​