Program Overview

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Strategic Communication at Columbia University is designed to respond to the urgent need for strategic perspectives, critical thinking, and exceptional communication skills at all levels of the workplace and across all types of organizations.

Program Options

The program offers two options:

• Master of Science in Strategic Communication: Full-Time: For early-career communication professionals and career-changers. Students attend courses on Columbia’s New York City campus. The program can be completed in 12 months (three consecutive semesters) or 16 months.
• Master of Science in Strategic Communication: Part-Time: Starting fall 2025, the program will offer two new, flexible part-time options for working professionals.
  • Experienced option: Designed for individuals employed full time who currently hold (or previously held) a leadership role.
  • Early/Mid-Career option: For individuals employed full time with up to eight years of professional work experience. Both options start in the fall and students complete their degree in 24 months. Classes are primarily online with three multi-day on-campus residencies.

Program Details

• Time Commitment:
  • Full-Time: 12 or 16 months
  • Part-Time: Up to three years
• Course Formats:
  • Full-Time: On Campus
  • Part-Time: Online with Residencies
• Required Experience:
  • Full-Time: Early-career communication professionals or career-changers
  • Part-Time:
    • Experienced Option: Individuals employed full time who currently hold (or previously held) a leadership role
    • Early/Mid-Career Option: Individuals employed full time with up to eight years of professional work experience

Fast Facts

• The program was launched in 2002, pioneering the field of Strategic Communication.
• Learn from leaders in the professional world, alongside top academics in the field.
• More than 800 program alumni, who hold pivotal roles in a wide variety of organizations.

Why Apply

• Extraordinary faculty with a passion for teaching, who will help you explore the latest communication theories and practical applications to advance your career.
• A hands-on, interactive, small-class environment in which everyone can learn and thrive.
• Lifelong friendships and connections with your cohort and highly engaged faculty, staff, and alumni.

Featured Faculty, Students & Alumni

The program features a range of accomplished faculty, students, and alumni, including:

• Bennie Johnson, CEO of the American Marketing Association
• Jalen Young, Columbia HBCU alumnus and screenwriter
• Amerika Blair, Strategic Communication alumna making an impact in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama
• Yanning Tan, Strategic Communication student who turned a hackathon idea into an award-winning AI tool
• Ketaki Sonali Upasani, M.S. in Strategic Communication student who amplifies voices through photography and filmmaking

Program News

The program has a range of news and updates, including:

• Building thriving communities through strategic storytelling
• How a Strategic Communication student turned a hackathon idea into an award-winning AI tool
• How one student amplifies voices through photography and filmmaking

Curriculum Preview

The program offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers the latest communication theories and practical applications.

Meet the Faculty

The program features a range of accomplished faculty, including Ethan McCarty from SPS’s Strategic Communication program and Elizabeth Reis, a Bioethics lecturer.

From the Blog

The program has a range of blog posts, including:

• Insights from Columbia University’s event on change management
• Lessons from studying in New York City: culture, communication, and self-advocacy
• Celebrating Pride Month in the face of continuing threats to LGBTQI+ rights

Connect with Us

The program is part of the Columbia University School of Professional Studies.