Mass Communication (Specialization in Social Media)

Get Connected with a Master’s Degree in Social Media

The Internet and social media have forever changed our world. Today we are more connected than ever before. Social media tools have redefined the ways in which we communicate, work, receive news, find information, go shopping, and access entertainment. Social media have even altered the worldwide lexicon, changing both the way we speak, the words we use, and how we write. Its personal and professional impact is global - and here to stay.

An Innovative Degree for the Future of Communications

To teach today’s professionals how they can employ social media, the University of Florida has developed the first-of-its-kind online Master of Arts in Mass Communication with a specialization in Social Media. Specifically focused on addressing the growing pervasiveness of social media throughout our global society, it’s an advanced degree that examines the impact of social media and explains how it can be used to influence the future of communication, marketing, journalism, politics, entertainment, public relations, and more.

A world leader in academic excellence, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications has established a modern and forward-thinking degree for the next generation of communicators. This engaging online master’s degree in Social Media brings students up-to-speed with the advanced uses, communication techniques, business opportunities, and trends from the growing realm of social media.

Throughout your coursework in the Master’s in Social Media online program, you will:

• Uncover creative ways to implement social media in a variety of professional settings.
• Explore the uses of social media in advertising, marketing, journalism, branding, and public relations.
• Learn to track, collect, analyze, and utilize a diverse range of social media metrics and data.
• Examine ways to employ social media to connect and communicate globally.
• Discover how social media developed and found its place in our global society.
• Focus on the future of social media and assess what lies ahead for this digital medium.
• Use the power of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Tumblr, Vimeo, and other social networks in your current or future career.

Why Social Media at the University of Florida?

It’s important for higher education to stay relevant and be up-to-date with cultural change, new technologies, and innovation. At UF we have made it our mission to provide students with advanced degree options that are innovative, academically robust, professionally relevant, and forward thinking. By earning a master’s degree in Social Media online from UF, students have the opportunity to stay active in their current profession while building the future-focused tools, techniques, and practical knowledge to take advantage of new opportunities, add value to their current position, and expand their professional reach.

• Innovative Curriculum: A modern curriculum focused on the information and techniques you can use to revitalize your career and create new opportunities – learn to adapt, craft, and deliver customized social media content.
• Engaging Opportunity: As the first of its kind, a degree in social media can help you stay ahead of the curve while helping you establish yourself as an innovator and asset to your company.
• Modern Education: Learning online at UF means participating in an academically thorough, highly interactive learning experience that includes direct networking and contact with our industry-experienced faculty.
• Flexible Approach: In as little as 18 months you can earn a master’s degree from a leader in higher education while continuing your personal and professional pursuits.
• Immediate Applicability: What you learn during the UF Master’s in Social Media program can be directly implemented in your current professional or creative endeavors.

Program Curriculum

The online Master of Arts in Mass Communication – Social Media offers a focused curriculum that combines the study of social media and communication theory with exploration of emergent technologies and techniques. The degree includes 33 credit hours; 30 credits of coursework plus three credits earned through a capstone project course.

While enrolled, you will take up to three courses at a time, with each course lasting 12 weeks. Students can earn the degree in as little as 18 months. No thesis is required.

Core Courses Credits

• Digital Communication Theory 3
• Research Methods in Digital Communications 3
• Introduction to Multimedia Communication 3
• Introduction to Social Media 3

Elective Courses Credits

• Advertising and Social Media 3
• Social Media Metrics and Evaluation 3
• Branding Using Social and Mobile Media 3
• Social Media Management 3
• Social Media and Virtual Worlds 3
• Social Media and Society 3
• Professional Internship 1-3
• Individual Work/Independent Study

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Transcripts must be provided from all colleges and universities previously attended.Two years of relevant work experience are required. It is up to the Admission Committee to determine whether work experience is relevant. Internships may be considered as work experience. Applicants must submit current resume/curriculum vitae.The UF College of Journalism and Communications requires that all applicants have a 3.0 GPA in all college hours after the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours of their undergraduate program. The GPA for graduate work is not used to determine eligibility.Prospective students who have taken the GRE prior to August 2011 will be required to have a 550 Verbal and 550 Quantitative on the old scale. This corresponds to 156 on Verbal and 146 on Quantitative for the new scale. Applicants who have GRE scores that are more than five years old must retake the exam.Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation. These references should come from professional or academic references.All applicants must submit a personal goal statement. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 80

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Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Financial Aid Programs

Online students at the University of Florida are eligible for consideration for a wide range of federal, state and institutional aid as administered by the Office for Student Financial Affairs (SFA), which also administers a limited number of privately funded scholarships. These include:

• Grants. Considered gift aid — no repayment required — and awarded to students showing the greatest financial need.
• Scholarships. Considered gift aid, as they do not have to be repaid and do not require recipients to perform services.
• Student Employment. Considered self-help aid, as students are offered aid in exchange for a service. The Student Employment Office assists enrolled students seeking part-time employment through various job programs.
• Loans. Considered self-help aid as loans are a form of aid that must be repaid. UF primarily offers student loans through the Federal Direct Loan Program, but there are a number of other loan programs available at UF.
• Non-SFA Administered Aid. Numerous aid programs are administered by entities outside of SFA including State of Florida aid programs, SFA Resource Center scholarships, academic scholarships and endowed scholarships.

Accreditation

A Tier 1 institution, the University of Florida has earned full accreditation from the nation’s most prestigious accrediting bodies. The university is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Regional accreditation ensures the University of Florida’s curricula meet the rigorous and up-to-date standards of education and professionalism as set by the U.S. Department of Education.

With these accreditations, graduates of the UF Master of Arts in Mass Communication – Social Media program can be assured their degree meets the highest standards of scrutiny and academic rigor and will be respected around the world.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
The University of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor, master, specialist, engineer, doctoral and professional degrees.

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications ranks among the best journalism and communications programs in the nation. The strength of its programs, faculty, students and alumni throughout its history has earned the College ongoing recognition as one of the elite programs of journalism and communications in the United States.