Earn Your M.S. in Communication While Working — New Flexible Formats

This article is sponsored by Columbia University.

Beginning in fall 2022, the Part-Time and Executive Paths in Columbia University’s Strategic Communication master’s program are moving primarily online, making them more accessible to working professionals in New York City and beyond.

The Executive Path now combines online instruction with two on-campus intensives each semester. This option can be completed in just 16 months and is ideal for experienced professionals working full-time in leadership roles.

The Part-Time Path is also primarily online, with an on-campus intensive at the start of each of the first two semesters. This option, which can be completed in as little as 24 months or up to 36 months, is ideal for mid-career professionals looking for flexibility in their course load.

Hear from the program director and three students to learn how the Part-Time and Executive Paths are convenient options for professionals seeking to advance their careers, no matter where they are in their professional communication journey.

“The world has changed. Students want greater flexibility and we’re ready to meet the demand. Our new Part-Time and Executive Paths are primarily online, which means working professionals and top talent from outside the New York region have greater opportunity to join our world-class program,” Program Director Dr. Kristine Billmyer says.

Columbia’s Strategic Communication Master of Science (M.S.) program equips students with insights and skills adaptable to the entire marketing and communications field. The program has produced more than 800 alumni to date, holding a range of positions in various organizations, including the United States Secret Service, MuleSoft, JetBlue and Google. Courses range from data analytics to crisis management and storytelling.

Adriana Ball, a Part-Time Path student graduating this spring, attributes her success as a fintech publicist to Columbia’s Strategic Communication Program. “I chose the Part-Time Path because it provided me the flexibility to continue working full-time while pursuing my master's degree,” she says. “This was really important to me. The part-time program structures its curriculum to take place in the evening, with classes between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. This allowed me to continue focusing on my professional career while pursuing higher education after hours.”

Shanti Reddy, a recent graduate of the Part-Time Path, had been working at Twitter for nearly six years when she decided to apply for and enroll in the M.S. in Strategic Communication program. She was finally ready to earn an advanced degree in marketing and communications and make the leap to a position with more leadership and growth opportunities. While her career move was “nerve-wracking” — she joined tech startup Codecademy as a creative producer in October — Reddy says Columbia’s Strategic Communication program has had an immediate positive impact on her career.

“I was at a point in my career at Twitter where I was looking to grow professionally and personally,” she says. “This is when I started courses at Columbia, and I believe the curriculum is very much complementary to my day-to-day role. I’m able to bring what I learned from digital media and analytics and strategic visual communication into my meetings. So whether it’s public relations or crisis communications, or dissecting the efficacy of marketing campaigns, this program and my role go hand in hand. I’m also able to take my lessons from my job and incorporate them into school.”

Robert Murphy, Executive Path student and director of external communications for Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., says the best part of the program has been the exposure to the diverse perspectives of the program’s faculty and students.

“I entered the program as a 25-year veteran of the communications industry with a lot of leadership experience,” he says. “It was humbling and rewarding to experience other people’s viewpoints. I feel they challenged my own assumptions and expanded my thinking processes. I will take that experience forward in how I approach my work and group dynamics.”

Learn how the M.S. in Strategic Communication program can help you advance or pivot your communication career — join program representatives for an online information session on Monday, 9 May at 5 p.m. EDT and hear about the options suited for professionals seeking to earn a degree while working.