What is a Strategic Communication Degree?

Graduates with a strategic communication degree from Florida Tech enter the workforce with an array of skills that prepare them for a career in a variety of communication disciplines. Strategic communication expertise opens the door to jobs in public relations, marketing, publishing, media, organizational communication, intercultural communication and more. Much like a public relations degree, students create and present communications to diverse media outlets. But a strategic communication degree also provides mastery of research, analysis, critical thinking and technology, developing graduates who are able to offer strategic counsel in a leadership capacity for any organization.   

A Public Relations Degree Combined with Marketing, Media, and Publishing

Students in the first year of a strategic communication degree program immediately begin an integrated marketing communications focus with hands-on exposure in the media practicum course. Students work for the campus newspaper or WFIT, the on-campus public radio station. In addition, students complete an internship with a local newspaper, radio, television, social media, public relations, or marketing organization. Learning inside and out of the classroom expands students’ experience from Florida Tech’s intimate learning environment to understanding the many career options available in the industry.

Hit the Ground Running

Students in the first year of a strategic communication degree program immediately begin gaining practical experience through the media practicum course. Working for the campus newspaper or WFIT, the on-campus public radio station, students engage in an active communication role to strengthen their skills. Students also complete an internship with a local company working for public relations, social media or marketing organization, or media organizations like newspaper, radio, or television.

Top communication schools like Florida Tech prepare students with the consultative expertise they need in one of the most diverse careers available today. An integrated marketing communications curriculum focuses on the critical topics in the industry, including public relations, marketing and media, corporate social responsibility, and political communications. As a result, students gain a breadth of knowledge and skills essential for today’s global communication environment, making Florida Tech one of the best colleges for public relations and strategic communications.

Superior Credentials

US News & World Report ranks Florida Tech a Tier One Best National University (2013), and the Times of London Higher Education ranks Florida Tech among the top 20 small universities in the world. In addition, Florida Tech ranked in the top 10 percent for return on investment 20 years after graduation in the 2016 PayScale College ROI Report. Florida Tech has also been ranked a Barron’s Guide “Best Buy,” and is the top private university in Florida according to Washington Monthly.

A Faculty Rooted in Strategic Communication

The rapidly changing communications industry demands professionals with relevant experience who can guide students to master professional excellence, ethics, and leadership. Students earning a multiplatform journalism degree at Florida Tech are part of a small, collegial community where professors mentor students in a collaborative learning environment. The faculty boasts expertise in fields including public relations, corporate social responsibility, healthcare, communication and social issues, crisis management and politics.

An experienced faculty is key to these recognitions. Florida Tech’s professors design and update curriculum to reflect the demands of a professional communications practitioner in today’s global environment. Working closely with students, the faculty is regularly available for advising and one-on-one mentoring, establishing relationships that exist long after graduation. The faculty is involved in communication research, often collaborating alongside students, on topics such as corporate social responsibility, reputation management, or political communication. This intimate learning environment, coupled with hands-on internships, are two reasons Florida Tech is considered one of the best colleges for public relations.

Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-tech Corridor

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a BS in Strategic Communication degree. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.

The area has the fifth largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.

Florida Tech communication students participate in different activities outside the classroom to enhance their skills in devising a strategic communication plan while also experiencing the type of work they’ll likely face on the job. Working on projects with colleagues, faculty and real clients challenges a student to use classroom learning in the real world, encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills.

Media Practicum Course Offers Peerless Study and Internship Opportunities

Learning inside and out of the classroom expands students’ experience to better understand what is involved in different fields such as advertising campaign planning or developing an integrated marketing communications plan. All students complete practicum courses early in the program.

All strategic communication students must complete an internship in their junior or senior year. Students have worked for local public relations agencies, in corporate communication offices, for media organizations, in healthcare agency marketing departments, in athletic communication departments (both collegiate and professional leagues), in fundraising and development offices, in event planning and marketing, among others.

Cutting-Edge Senior Design Project

The senior year design project gives students a chance to create their own media-related project. The experience they’ve gained while working on campus, or in journalism or public relations internships, provides students with specific knowledge for working on a project such as a marketing campaign for a class “client” or the production of a documentary. Florida Tech’s computer labs include video, audio, and visual editing software to assist in this project.

This project showcases a student’s ability to plan, execute and analyze a communication issue, and could include a project such as developing a crisis communication plan. 

With a degree in strategic communication from Florida Tech, students have excellent training to begin a career in strategic communication, working as a public relations specialist, social media coordinator, campaign planner and strategist, or public information officer.

Communication careers involve a wide range of opportunities. Being an effective writer is central to these career options. Conducting research, writing content, developing messages, working with the media, and managing response or crisis scenarios are part of the critical duties communication careers demand.

Get Recruited Upon Graduation

With a strategic communication degree, graduates find employment in positions including corporate communication officer, social media coordinator, editor, marketing communication specialist, or public relations agent.

Career Outlook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides detailed information about hundreds of careers, including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things. The handbook reports that communications jobs in the professional, scientific, and technical service industries have the highest wages.

According to the Bureau, employment in communication careers is expected to grow 6% through 2024, as organizations continue to emphasize the production of media content and customer relations to enhance their reputation and visibility. Digital media, including websites, blogs, and social media, also increase employment opportunities for a career in public relations and strategic communication. Experienced writers also find work in public relations departments to support efforts in reputation management initiatives.

Other Career Options

A career in strategic communication includes positions such as:

• Public relations specialist
• Public information officer
• Campaign planner
• Social media coordinator
• Marketing communication director
• Market researcher
• Web content writer
• Political consultant
• Advertising copywriter
• Brand manager
• Script writer

FastTrack Global Strategic Communication Master’s Program

Students can also choose to continue their education in graduate school, pursuing mass communication and journalism, corporate communications, publishing, instructional design, multimedia development, teaching, or law.

Eligible multiplatform journalism students can take graduate level course work while still an undergraduate with the FastTrack Global Strategic Communication Program, which allows students to take graduate coursework while still an undergraduate, allowing them to finish a graduate degree in less time than they could in a traditional program.