Digital Strategy and Audience Engagement, MS
Accelerate your career in marketing and communications with smart, data-driven digital strategies. Learn and harness analytics, SEO, paid and organic social media campaigns, audience research and strategy development in this master's degree program.
Quick facts
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: Yes
International students (F1) can extend U.S. work experience by 24 months.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
This program's name has changed effective Fall 2026. The previous name was Digital Audience Strategy.
Admission to this program is limited to students who do not have an undergraduate degree in digital strategy and audience engagement or a minor in digital audiences.
Degree description
The Master of Science program in digital strategy and audience engagement prepares you to design and execute digital strategies through a data-driven, multidisciplinary, hands-on curriculum.
You learn to measure and analyze how consumers interact with content online, on social media and on mobile devices. Using those measurement skills, you develop strategies and tactics to grow audiences through search engine optimization, search engine marketing, paid and organic social media campaigns, and digital content creation. You work with clients to develop, test and execute audience growth strategies in real time.
Through required coursework in media law and entrepreneurship, you learn to make sound business decisions regarding consumer privacy, digital data security and community engagement. Through elective courses, you develop additional expertise in areas such as management, audience data and intellectual property. You may also pursue an internship for elective credit.
You graduate from the program ready to drive audience growth, lead digital marketing and further business development.
The MS in digital strategy and audience engagement is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with the Bachelor's of Arts in journalism and mass communication. You can visit Cronkite's accelerated master's program page to learn about eligibility requirements and review how to apply.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
33 credit hours including the required capstone course (MCO 566)
Required Core (21 credit hours) Electives or Internship (6 credit hours) Culminating Experience (6 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information
MCO 503 Media Law (3)
MCO 539 Audience Lifecycle and Growth Strategies (3)
MCO 561 Defining the Digital Audience (3)
MCO 562 Search Engine Strategy for Digital Audience Acquisition (3)
MCO 563 Social Media Campaigns and Engagement (3)
MCO 564 Digital Audience Research and Behavior (3)
MCO 565 Digital Audience Analytics (3)
MCO 566 Digital Audience Management (6)
For electives or internship coursework, students should see the academic unit for the approved course list. Other coursework may be used with the approval of the academic unit.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Apply the values, principles, ethics and legal standards of digital strategy and audience engagement in media work.
- Create digital strategy and audience engagement content and campaigns using professional tools, technology, and techniques.
- Critically evaluate information, content, and research in professional contexts.
Apply the values, principles, ethics and legal standards of digital strategy and audience engagement in media work.
Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in journalism, communications, public relations or a related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: Additional Application Information In 300 to 500 words, the personal statement of intent should describe the applicant's interest in the MS in digital strategy and audience engagement, explain how previous academic or professional experience will inform the applicant's work in the program and how the program will help the applicant achieve their personal or career goals.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Applicants should have a TOEFL iBT® score of at least 5, or a score of 100 if taken before Jan. 21, 2026 in a testing center. Students with an IELTS band score of 7.50 or a Duolingo score of 135 are also considered.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Studying abroad is possible for graduate students. There are more than 50 program opportunities, with programs on every continent. Faculty-directed programs tend to be the best fit for graduate students; taking courses with ASU professors over the summer or during academic breaks offers students close mentorship and professional network growth in many fields of study while they earn ASU credit. Exchange program participation is also possible with careful planning.
Paying for college
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 recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
The digital field is rapidly growing and true experts are highly sought after. Graduates of the MS program in digital strategy and audience engagement are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to launch a new career in digital marketing, content creation, social media and SEO. Graduates are empowered and ready to accelerate their current communications career, able to step into leadership positions to steer digital marketing and communications teams.
Careers in this field include:
- marketing associate
- marketing manager
- market research analyst
- SEO specialist
- social media manager
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm
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CRONK 302
cronkitegrad@asu.edu
602-496-5555
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
