Advance Your Career in as Few as 9 Months
Our 100% online Master of Arts in Communication, Digital Media and AI prepares you to lead in a rapidly evolving communications landscape. Gain cutting-edge skills in digital storytelling, emerging technologies, and ethical artificial intelligence (AI) to stay competitive across a wide range of communication, media, and technology roles.
Built with working professionals in mind, this flexible program allows you to thrive in school without stepping away from your full-time career.
Master's in Communication Degree at a Glance
Why Choose UIC’s Online Master of Arts in Communication, Digital Media and AI?
Whether you’re starting your career, advancing in your field, or transitioning into digital media and AI-focused communication roles, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) offers the expertise and support to help you move forward.
Why get your MA in Communication at UIC?
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Expert Faculty Learn from leading scholars in digital media, AI, journalism, and global communication at Chicago’s only public research university.
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Innovative Curriculum Build up-to-date knowledge with a focus on the informed and responsible use of communication technologies.
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Affordable Path Maximize your investment with a cost-efficient master’s degree you can complete on your schedule.
Contact Us: Learn How Our Online MA in Communication Fits Your Life
Online MA Comm Program Page Ping
Future-Focused Curriculum for Today’s Digital Landscape
Offered through UIC’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, this graduate degree integrates communications, digital media, and AI, to prepare you for emerging industry demands. With a strong focus on the ethical and social impact of technology, you’ll explore how digital media and AI intersect with issues of responsibility, diversity, inclusion, and public culture.
Course topics include:
Topics
- Digital journalism
- Social media analysis
- Social responsibility
- Public engagement
- Issues management
Topics
- Digital privacy
- Social advocacy
- Influencer marketing
- Leadership
- Access and equity
Topics list
- Strategic communication
- AI and technology
- Digital information
- The impact of AI
Courses
Courses are developed by full-time faculty who conduct research in their field, ensuring you gain current knowledge, relevant in today’s marketplace. Finish 8 courses (5 core, 3 electives), totaling 32 credit hours, in 8-week asynchronous online sessions designed to fit your schedule.
Click the arrows below to view the course descriptions.
MA in Comm Core Courses
COMM 435. Data, Privacy, and Ethics in the Digital Age | 4 Credit Hours
Datafication and privacy. Topics include commodification of personal information through various devices and platforms; the quantified self; legal, ethical, and contextual approaches to privacy; politics of algorithms. Prerequisite(s): COMM 301; or admission to the MA in Communication, Digital Media, and AI.
COMM 512. Digital Marketing and Public Relations | 4 Credit Hours
Strategies for AI, digital, and social media engagement to create effective campaigns. Emphasis on proven theories and techniques to embed consumer cultures, enhance brand visibility, and leverage engagement.
COMM 514. Social Media Influencers, Branding, and Marketing | 4 Credit Hours
Influencers as branding and marketing makers. Focus on social and technological implications. Topics like attention economy, AI-driven content creation, hyper-personalization, digital labor, and micro-celebrity covered.
COMM 515. AI + Digital Journalism | 4 Credit Hours
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Journalism issues and best practices. Focus on theory and practice. Responsible AI and reporting. Ethical & legal copyright issues. Factchecking & transparency. Digital storytelling using AI tools & techniques.
COMM 520. Data Metrics, Research, and Digital Literacies | 4 Credit Hours
Practices, procedures, and methods focusing on digital communication research using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Emphasis on research conceptualization, data analysis, social media metrics and AI, ethics, literacies.
MA in Comm Elective Courses
COMM 425. Digital Advocacy | 4 Credit Hours
Social media, social movements and advocacy efforts in the digital era. Topics covered include hashtag activism, global movements, digital activism, online mobilization around social injustice. Prerequisite(s): COMM 301.
COMM 440. Technology, Social Justice, and Sustainable Futures | 4 Credit Hours
Complex interplay between technology, humans and the environment. Anthropocene and climate change. Sustainable design. Electronic waste. Environmental racism. Futurology and Afrofuturism. Technological diffusion and planned obsolescence. Prerequisite(s): COMM 301; or approval of the department.
COMM 445. Politics and Platforms | 4 Credit Hours
Exploration of the politics embedded in digital platforms’ policies and practices. Topics include content moderation, mis/disinformation, AI, digital activism, privacy and surveillance, influence, and community. Prerequisite(s): COMM 301.
Real-World Skills You'll Master
This program helps you understand both the uses and consequences of communication, digital media, and AI. You’ll learn terminology, communication strategies, digital theories, and research methods, and how to apply these concepts and tools in your personal and professional life.
Graduate with practical, career-ready skills in:
- Digital journalism
- Social media analysis
- AI ethics
- Strategic communication
- Data literacies
Career Outcomes with a Master of Arts in Communication, Digital Media and AI
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Employment Rates
Employment for graduates with an MA in Communication Studies is projected to grow at a rate of 4.4%, compared to 2.8% for all occupations, according to 10-year forecasts from Hanover.
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Earnings Potential
The median annual salary for professionals in advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales management is approximately $139,850, according to the U.S. BLS.
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The Impact of AI
As AI becomes more sophisticated and widely adopted, organizations increasingly need professionals who can effectively communicate, apply, and guide its use.
Jobs You Could Get with an Online Master's in Communication
Graduates of this program are well positioned for a variety of communication, media, and technology roles across the public and private sector.
Explore the career paths below to see how your skills can translate into in-demand positions.
Leadership & Management Roles
These roles combine leadership, strategy, digital communications, and increasingly AI-enabled tools.
Public Relations Mangers
- Median annual wage: $138,520 for PR Managers and $132,870 for PR and Fundraising Managers
- Job outlook: 5% (faster than average)
Marketing & Advertising Managers
These roles often pay higher than many traditional communication roles, especially at senior levels. Salaries are often six figures, depending on experience and industry.
Source: U.S. BLS
Market Research Analysts & Marketing Specialists
These roles involve interpreting data on consumers, trends, and online engagement—skills directly relevant to digital media & AI roles
- Median Annual Wage: $76,950
- Job Outlook: 7% growth (much faster than average)
Source: U.S. BLS
Media & Communication Workers
- Median Annual Wage: ~$70,300
- Annual Openings: ~104,800
Source: U.S. BLS
Public Relations Specialists
Demand for PR specialists is driven by reputation management, social media strategy, and digital engagement.
- Median Annual Wage: $69,780
- Job Outlook: 5% growth (faster than average)
Source: U.S. BLS
Emerging AI-Influenced Career Pathways
AI skills strongly increase competitiveness in digital communications and marketing, content strategy, data and analytics, and user experience and digital product communications. Emerging AI roles include:
- AI Marketing Analyst
- AI Strategy Consultant
Disclaimer
The online Master of Arts in Communication, Digital, Media and AI is a Full Cost Recovery Program and is not eligible for tuition waivers by University of Illinois employees.