Communicate with purpose. Plan, develop, and deliver messages to your audiences in an informative and persuasive manner which advances group and organizational goals.

The B.A. in Strategic Communication enables students to demonstrate knowledge of how various entities such as businesses, non-profits, government agencies, and grassroots movements, as well prominent individuals and leaders, create targeted, research-based, trustworthy, and creative communication to accomplish their goals within their organizations and communities as well as external audiences. Students learn and practice various communication skills, and achieve an understanding of the work of communication strategists. Students gain knowledge regarding ethics in communication, collaboration, futuristic thinking, the media’s role in society, the influence process through messages, and how communication flows between leaders and followers in group and organizational settings. 

• Multidisciplinary Program: The program brings together Communication and Organizational Leadership to provide students with the skills and competency to understand their audience, the purpose and creation of their message, and how to strategically communicate their message in support of the organizational mission. 
• Holistic Approach to Communication: The program serves as an overarching umbrella for communication studies in the areas of public relations, advertising, and management communication. It emphasizes the strategy rather than specific tactics of communication to achieve internal and external goals of organizations, government agencies, and grassroots entities.
• Practical and Achievement Focused: The program enables students to learn how groups and entities may engage in meaningful and advance planning for long- and short-term goal achievements. Those goals and achievement strategies are purposefully communicated through transactional processes with internal stakeholders and external audiences to achieve practical results.
• Action-Oriented: Strategic communication fosters action-oriented behavior through messaging and influential messages in groups, society, government, and organizations to make strategic and informed decisions.
• Fosters Self-Efficacy: The program builds students’ self-esteem and self-confidence to become self-reliant. Through the advancement of communication skills and approaches in the areas of writing, listening, speaking, performing, presenting, persuading, and attracting that includes strategic planning, organizing, evaluating, revising, editing, and collaborating, students build their communication self-systems composed of attitudes and cognitive and affective abilities. 

Guided Course Plan

View Guided Course Plan

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of B.A. in Strategic Communication program, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate the ways in which individuals in for-profit and nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and grassroots entities use strategic communication to achieve goals internally and externally.
• Identify the unique features of audiences and the effects of communication as a transactional process on those audiences.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the influence of messages and messaging on groups, society, government, and organizations in the environments in which they act.  
• Showcase a professional portfolio in which students applied strategic communication principles to examples, case studies, and practice activities and assignments.
• Demonstrate enhanced skills in writing, listening, speaking, and problem solving, including planning, organizing, evaluating, revising, editing, and collaborating.

Demand for Strategic Communication Professionals

Graduates of the B.A. in Strategic Communication program are prepared for careers within various types of organizations as communication specialists in roles such as

• Client Communications Manager
• Government Affairs Manager
• Communication Specialist
• Communication Coordinator
• Corporate Communications Lead
• Corporate Communications Lead
• Consumer Communications
• Integrated Systems of Communication
• Internal and External Communications
• Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Manager
• Product Communications Manager
• Social Media Director
• Strategic Communicator
• Strategic Communication Coordinator, Manger, Consultant, Director
• Strategic Communication Analyst
• Strategic Communications Lead
• Strategic Communication and Marketing
• Strategic Communication Specialist
• Strategic/Corporate Writing
• Strategic Enrollment Communications
• Technology and Communications

Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% growth in U.S. employment for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations.

The May 2020 median annual wages 

• for advertising, promotions, and market managers $141,490
  • for advertising and promotions managers $133,460
  • in the top industries for advertising and promotions managers
    • advertising, public relations, and related services $150,930
    • management of companies and enterprises $126,420
    • information $119,090
    • wholesale trade  $96,380    
  • for marketing managers $142,170
  • in the top industries for marketing managers 
    • professional, scientific, and technical services $150,840
    • finance and insurance $150,280
    • management of companies and enterprises $149,480
    • manufacturing $143,800
    • wholesale trade $134,630    

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing… (visited April 14, 2021).

Public Relations Specialists

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 7% growth in U.S. employment for public relations specialists from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations.

The May 2020 median annual wages 

• For public relations specialists $62,810
  • In the top industries for public relations specialists
    • business, professional, labor, political & similar organizations $68,610
    • government $67,590
    • advertising, public relations, and related services $64,880
    • educational services: state, local, and private $59,360

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Public Relations Specialists, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specia… (visited April 19, 2021).

Admissions and Tuition Information

• The minimum GPA is 2.75 
• Applicants with a GPA of 2.74-2.50 are considered for admission on a case by case basis.
• SAT and ACT testing scores are now optional for freshman applicants.
• Estimated Tuition
• View costs and tuition information

Scholarships, Professional Opportunities & Student Organizations

• Scholarships
• Media Association of Pittsburgh Scholarships
• Study abroad: Students may select to study a semester abroad program through the university or complete a shorter study abroad program with other RMU students through a faculty-led education abroad program.
• Internships at The Washington Center
• RMU Sentry Media, RMU Radio and RMU-TV offer opportunities for paid managerial positions.
• Work-study and scholarship opportunities
  • Academic Media Center
  • Sentry Media
• The University Honors Program

Student Organizations

• View Student Organizations

Contact Us

The School of Communication and Media faculty is a team of dedicated teacher-scholars, award-winning artists, practitioners, and academics who are committed to your long-term success.

Meet the Faculty

Michele Edwards, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication
Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership
Email: edwards@rmu.edu