Online Bachelor of Arts in Communication
An online Bachelor of Arts in communication from Arizona State University prepares you to understand how people connect, collaborate and create meaning across cultures and communities. You'll study communication through a humanities lens while building the writing, research and leadership skills that translate into careers across business, education, nonprofit work and public service. Hands-on qualitative research, including interviews and focus groups, grounds your coursework in real human experience.
Quick facts
Next start date: 01/11/2027
Total classes: 40
Weeks per class: 7.5
Total credit hours: 120
This program is also available in-person.
Explore campus options
What is a BA in communication?
Will my diploma say ‘online’?
No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”
Communications degree courses
Your coursework explores themes within two focus areas:
- Communication and healthy relating: Explore how communication shapes relationships to establish trust, navigate conflict and foster connections across personal and professional contexts.
- Workplace, organizational and leadership communication: Develop the ability to guide teams, manage conflict and drive alignment through strategic communication that supports decision-making and delivers organizational results.
Additional topics may include interpersonal and intercultural communication, conflict and negotiation, gender and communication and civil communication. To culminate the program, you’ll complete a research project using qualitative methods.
What can you do with an online communications degree?
This BA prepares you for roles that support business, brand and organizational communication, from everyday operations to high-stakes public-facing situations. In the private sector, graduates pursue roles such as:
- Brand or content strategist
- Corporate communications manager
- Communications director
- Executive communications manager
Some graduates move into marketing management roles: marketing managers earn a median annual wage of $161,030 and the field is projected to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Public sector opportunities include government roles in policy advising, speechwriting and analysis, as well as positions in social services and education. This degree also prepares you well for graduate study.
Community Health Worker
Corporate Trainer
Event Planner
Human Resources Manager
Medical and Health Services Manager
Public Relations Manager (PR Manager)
Public Relations Specialist
Sales Manager
Social Services Director
Learn from ASU research faculty with expertise in organizational rhetoric and crisis communication
From Royal Society and American Academy Fellows to Marshall and Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipients, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is home to prestigious students and faculty members who include:
- Fulbright American Scholars
- Guggenheim Fellows
- MacArthur Fellows
- Nobel laureates
- Pulitzer Prize winners
How to apply
first-year student
You’re considered a first-year student for application purposes if you’ve never attended college or have fewer than 12 transferable credit hours.
Don't meet admission requirements?
You can still gain general admission to most online programs at ASU through Earned Admission. Through this pathway, you can demonstrate your ability to succeed at ASU by completing online courses with a 2.75 GPA or higher.
To begin, submit an application to ASU. An enrollment coach will reach out with more information if Earned Admission is right for you.
*Some programs may have higher admission requirements. You must meet all program requirements to be admitted.
The largest and most diverse college at ASU
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences takes a transdisciplinary approach to education with a vast spectrum of degrees in the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities. We inspire students to become socially aware critical thinkers and global citizens.
31,572
students enrolled as of fall 2024
$161 million
in research expenditures in FY23
21
interdisciplinary schools and departments
100+
undergraduate degrees
Tuition calculator
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs. Learn more.
