Fully Online or In-Person

GRE Waived through fall 2026

Program Description

The Corporate and Public Communication (CPC) major in the Professional Communication Master’s Degree program was designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in dynamic communication roles within both corporate and public sections. This versatile program is available online and on-campus, providing flexibility to accommodate diverse learning preferences.

The overall purpose of the Corporate and Public Communication major in the Professional Communication degree program is to teach essential skills for graduate students to be successful in communication-based careers. Specifically, the CPC program focuses on training graduate students who are seeking to enhance their knowledge and experience in professional communication and/or gain applied skills for professional growth and career elevation in communication-related positions found in many professional sectors, including corporations, small/large businesses, government organizations, non-profits, and public agencies.

As an Applied Communication program, the CPC major takes a holistic approach to training graduate students across several areas directly related to communication careers, such as: marketing communication, organizational communication, strategic communication, conflict resolution, crisis communication, public relations, persuasion, and data collection/data analytic methods. Thus, students learn how to use a variety of communication channels, tools, and platforms to connect with clients, colleagues, audiences, and other stakeholders.

Program goals

This terminal Master’s degree was designed for graduate students currently employed in or seeking professional positions. The program emphasizes applied skills preparing students for a variety of communication careers. The goals of the CPC program include:

Preparing students for professional careers within business, government, not-for-profit organizations, or educational institutions
Providing students with experience in making formal communication presentations
Helping students develop quantitative and qualitative skills in organizational communication contexts and
Equipping students with basic knowledge of communication theories with particular emphasis on those that apply to corporate and public affairs, public information, and issue management

By providing a broad understanding of different communication strategies, techniques, and best practices students graduate the program with:

Tools to be effective communicators, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers
Direct experience planning and implementing marketing campaigns, resolving conflicts, assessing communication practices, and analyzing research
The ability to navigate complex communication challenges
Enhanced knowledge for career fulfillment

Admission Deadlines & Program Application Requirements

Application Deadlines

Fall admission – July 1st
Spring admission – November 1st
Summer admission – March 1st

Admission Requirements

All applicants for the Corporate and Public Communication master’s program must meet both university and program requirements.

Complete and submit the your graduate application online through the Graduate Admissions Application Portal.
Pay a non-refundable application fee of $30. Application packets will not be reviewed until the fee has been paid.
Submit a completed Residency Affidavit. All applicants must submit this form, which is completed online.
Arrange for an official transcript from each college or university attended to be sent to the Office of Admissions. Transcripts may be sent digitally but must come directly from the institutions attended. An unofficial transcript may be uploaded for the College of Applied Studies for review.

Program Application Requirements

In addition to the university requirements, CPC program applicants must meet the program requirements listed below. FSU and the Corporate and Public Communication program applies a holistic approach to the application review process. Applicants that meet the following requirements will be considered for the program but are not guaranteed admission. Admission decisions will be provided through the FSU application portal or by notification from the graduate program faculty or staff.

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and a GPA (Grade Point Average) of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 system) on all work attempted while registered as an upper-division student working toward a baccalaureate degree.
Official Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores. A typical combined (verbal and quantitative) score for CPC applicants is at least a 285. When registering for the GRE, you must select a location code to send the scores to FSU. This code is 5219. Go to the Educational Testing Service website for more information.
- The GRE requirement has been waived for all master’s applicants applying through fall 2026. If applicants choose during this time to not include GRE scores, it is important to have strong GPAs to be considered for admission.
In your FSU application, applicants should submit a self-authored, original, statement of purpose addressing their interest and fit for this program. This statement will be evaluated for its style, clarity of purpose, organization, grammar, and development of ideas. In the statement of purpose, all applicants should ensure an answer to at least these questions:
- Why have you chosen to apply to this master's program?
- What are your career goals and how does this program help you meet them?
- Describe your academic and applied professional/organizational experiences that make you a strong candidate for this program (make sure to address both academic and applied experiences)
- What do you plan to do upon graduation to utilize this degree in your career?
- *The statement of purpose should be well-proofread, answer all questions above, be 2-3 pages in length, and include double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
Applicants must arrange for the submission of three letters of recommendation through the FSU application process that speak to your ability to succeed in this graduate program. At least one (1) letter must be from an academic source, one (1) should be from professional or organizational experience, and the final letter can be academic or professional/organizational in nature.
Submit/upload a resume or curriculum vitae, which is carefully proofread, professional in nature, and outlines all related academic and professional experiences relevant to this program.
Submit/upload a writing sample to demonstrate your writing ability to the admission committee.
- This writing sample should be an original, self-authored 5-10 page paper. Topics can vary and the paper will be evaluated for clarity of expression, writing style, use of format, and potential for graduate-level writing. Examples can include a research paper from an undergraduate course (written by the applicant), professional report, executive summary as part of applied experience, project proposals, or other example of writing that applicants feel demonstrate their writing potential for success in graduate school.
- We prefer this sample to be a sole-authored sample by the applicant, if an applicant wants to submit a co-authored sample, please include a description of your contributions to the sample.

GRE Waiver

The Corporate and Public Communication Program provides a GRE waiver for applicants that meet requirements. To be considered for a GRE Waiver you must complete the form and provide the requested supporting documentation using our online portal.

International Applicants

It is strongly recommended that international applicants submit and complete applications early, at least 3-4 months prior to the application deadlines because it takes extra time to process international documents. Meeting deadlines early and additional requirements will facilitate the application review process.

Degree Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of thirty-three (33) hours of graduate-level coursework, which includes a capstone final project and a project defense in their last semester. All thirty-three hours must be graduate-level coursework (5000 level and above). Twenty-seven (27) hours must be letter graded.
Required coursework includes:

Twenty-four (24) hours of core classes that include theory and principles, research methods, and application
Six (6 hours) of elective courses
Three (3 hours) capstone course
Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination (0 Credit hours)

Master of Science (MS) in Corporate and Public Communication (fully online or in-person)

This program requires a minimum of thirty-three (33) hours of graduate-level coursework, which includes a capstone final project and a project defense to be completed during the students' last semester. It is possible to complete the program in as few as two years if some coursework is completed during summer sessions. All courses must be passed with a “B-” grade or better and students are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout enrollment in the program. The program requires students to take:

Program Core Courses

Theory and Principles (6 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5126 (3hrs) Organizational Theory and Practice
COM 5XXX (3hrs) Foundations of Public Communication

Research and Methods (6 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5319 (3 hrs) Communication Research and Analytics
COM 5127 (3 hrs) Assessing Organizational Communication

Applications (12 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5525 (3 hrs) Corporate and Strategic Communication
SPC 5442 (3 hrs) Group Dynamics and Leadership
COM 5807 (3 hrs) Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution
COM 5XXX (3 hrs) Advanced Multimedia Techniques for Professionals

Program Elective Courses (6 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5576 (3 hrs) Consumer Behavior in Corporate Communication
SPC 5545 (3 hrs) Studies in Persuasion
RTV 5423 (3 hrs) New Communication Technology
SPC 6236 (3 hrs) Contemporary Rhetorical Theory and Criticism
COM 5316 (3 hrs) Statistical Methods in Communication Research
COM 5XXX (3 hrs) Crisis Communication Management
COM 5906 (3 hrs) Directed Individual Study

Capstone Project & Comprehensive Exam

COM 5947 (3hrs) Capstone Course in Corporate Communication

The Capstone course is an applied professional communication project where students demonstrate cumulative mastery of knowledge and skills from core program courses.

Graduate students research and execute an in-depth capstone project after completing program core course requirements. This project is comparable in scope to a master’s thesis where students demonstrate the ability to produce work that represents independent and critical thinking while applying concepts and theories toward a professional communication situation.

COM 8966 (0hrs) Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive exam test student mastery of program core courses. The exam has both a written and oral portion. Graded S/U.

*Students registered for COM 8966 for zero semester hours while enrolled in additional courses will not be charged for the zero-credit hour course. However, when registering for a zero-credit hour course ONLY, students will be charged for one semester credit hour at the Florida In-State Resident tuition-rate.

For detailed course descriptions, refer to the MS/MA Student Handbook available under the Quick Links menu.

Master of Arts (MA) in Corporate and Public Communication (fully online or in-person)

This program requires the same minimum thirty-three (33) hours and grade point average requirements as the Master of Science. However, these students must complete six (6) or more semester hours of graduate credit in humanities courses. They must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language, which may be accomplished in any of the following ways:

Certification of proficiency by the appropriate FSU language department
Twelve (12) semester hours in a foreign language in a college or university with an earned average of 3.0 in those courses
Four (4) years of a single language in high school

Program Core Courses

Theory and Principles (6 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5126 (3hrs) Organizational Theory and Practice
COM 5XXX (3hrs) Foundations of Public Communication

Research and Methods (6 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5319 (3 hrs) Communication Research and Analytics
COM 5127 (3 hrs) Assessing Organizational Communication

Applications (12 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5525 (3 hrs) Corporate and Strategic Communication
SPC 5442 (3 hrs) Group Dynamics and Leadership
COM 5807 (3 hrs) Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution
COM 5XXX (3 hrs) Advanced Multimedia Techniques for Professionals

Program Elective Courses (6 credits 5000 level or above)

COM 5576 (3 hrs) Consumer Behavior in Corporate Communication
SPC 5545 (3 hrs) Studies in Persuasion
RTV 5423 (3 hrs) New Communication Technology
SPC 6236 (3 hrs) Contemporary Rhetorical Theory and Criticism
COM 5316 (3 hrs) Statistical Methods in Communication Research
COM 5XXX (3 hrs) Crisis Communication Management
COM 5906 (3 hrs) Directed Individual Study

Capstone Project & Comprehensive Exam

COM 5947 (3hrs) Capstone Course in Corporate Communication

The Capstone course is an applied professional communication project where students demonstrate cumulative mastery of knowledge and skills from core program courses.

COM 8966 (0hrs) Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive exam test student mastery of program core courses. The exam has both a written and oral portion. Graded S/U.

*Students registered for COM 8966 for zero semester hours while enrolled in additional courses will not be charged for the zero-credit hour course. However, when registering for a zero-credit hour course ONLY, students will be charged for one semester credit hour at the Florida In-State Resident tuition-rate.

For detailed course descriptions, refer to the MS/MA Student Handbook available under the Quick Links menu.

Combined BS/MS Professional Communication Program

Academically strong students may complete the bachelor’s program in Professional Communication and master’s program in Corporate and Public Communication at an accelerated pace by applying to the combined bachelor’s/master’s program. Courses taken for undergraduate credit do not count toward a graduate degree, unless the courses are in Communication at the 5000 level or above and are taken after being accepted into the BS/MS program. (There is no blanket approval to substitute courses. Any course substitutions must be approved by all members of your committee BEFORE substituting).