We have ranked the fastest online bachelor's degrees in Communication. This list is designed to inform prospective students, parents, high school guidance counselors, or anyone looking for accelerated online bachelor's degrees in Communication.
Colleges and universities are increasingly moving towards offering a variety of fast online bachelor's degrees in many subjects.
One way that colleges have recently proposed to do this, is to allow for three year bachelor's degrees that accelerate the pace at which classes are completed by reducing the number of credits required.
One proposal is to eliminate the need for elective classes within a bachelor's degree. In this regard, the degree would be more hyper-focused and attainable in a shortened timeframe, similar to an undergraduate certificate program.
Another way that colleges are shortening the time to get a bachelor's degree is by offering credit for work experience, which can be experience in the field in business, in the military, or earned in other ways. There is no one size fits all for any given program; it's important to see what the requirements are to get course credit for work experience at the college and within the degree that you're considering.
The flexibility of online college also allows for students to work at their own pace. At some colleges, such as Western Governors University, students don't have to wait until a semester ends to start a new set of classes. Western Governors University allows students to start a new class as soon as they've finished a previous class. In this way, the pace can be set by the student, and for motivated students, classes can be taken and completed much quicker than with the traditional model.
Communication is listed as the second best online degree to get in our article The Best Online Degrees To Get For Careers, given its high income potential.
| Communication Careers | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Communications Executives | $233,682 |
| Communications Directors | $185,052 |
| Public Relations and Fundraising Managers | $125,620 |
| Communications Managers | $124,100 |
Fast Online Bachelor's Degrees in Communication
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University | Scottsdale, Arizona |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | Manchester, New Hampshire |
| 3 | Purdue University Global | West Lafayette, Indiana |
| 4 | Colorado State University-Global Campus | Aurora, Colorado |
| 5 | Western Governors University | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 6 | Walden University | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Ranking Methodology
This ranking was created using Successful Student's ranking algorithm. This algorithm uses the following data points to calculate a school's ranking placement:
- Acceptance rate
- Graduation rate
- Cost of undergraduate tuition
- Percentage of first time undergraduates awarded aid
- Percentage of students who are fully online
- Academic influence
Arizona State University
Scottsdale, Arizona
Arizona State University offers accelerated online bachelor's degrees that can be completed in three years.
The university offers to fast online communication bachelor's degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication
- Bachelor of Science in Communication
The BA in Communication takes a human approach to communication and its effects across domains such as businesses, identities, effects on relationships, and communities.
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire
Southern New Hampshire University participates in the Sophia Learning program. Sophia Learning allows students to take certain basic classes as quickly as possible for flat fees within defined periods of time.
For example, online students can pay $99 and complete classes in one month, or $299 for four months, and lastly, $599 for one year. A motivated student could finish all the possible classes offered as part of the general education courses within one year, or possibly sooner, by going this route.
Another benefit is that these prices are significantly less expensive than paying for the same classes at a college's tuition rate.
Also, the classes are pass/fail, so the passed classes won't affect the student's grade point average.
The courses taken through Sophia Learning will transfer to Southern New Hampshire University.
Communication degrees at SNHU:
- Bacher of Arts in Communication
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication: New Media
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Business Communication
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Public Relations
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Professional Writing
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, Indiana
Purdue University Global is a leading online college, with a large network of alumni working in many professional careers.
Purdue University Global has an online bachelor's in Communication.
What makes this an accelerated degree program, is that Purdue University Global accepts prior experience for class credit. Students with qualifying experience have been able to graduate in 2.3 years.
This degree offers three concentrations (which are optional):
- public relations
- digital communication
- business foundations
Purdue University Global allows students to attend classes on a three week trial period, at no cost, and with no commitment, so that students can see if the program is a good fit for them.
Purdue University Global accepts qualifying transfer credits, which can also reduce the time to graduate.
Colorado State University-Global Campus
Aurora, Colorado
Students attending Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) can take their Online Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Program to potentially get credit for prior work experience. Students must be eligible to take the exam. The eligibility requirements to take a PLA test are:
- Have four years of relevant prior work experience
- Have completed three classes within Colorado State University Global
Students who are pursuing a bachelor's degree can earn up to 30 PLA credits.
These credits apply to the 90 transfer credit total that is accepted by Colorado State University Global.
CSU Global offers an undergraduate specialization in Healthcare Communication.
This specialization develops skills to work within a healthcare setting, nonprofit organization, public relations firm, and other organizations with a health-centered mission. Students will learn to effectively disseminate health information through electronic, print, and social media platforms.
CSU Global
Courses include:
- Introduction to Healthcare Communication
- Persuasive Campaigns
- Leading Through Conflict Resolution
- Professional Communications
Classes are 8 weeks in length.
Students can start the program monthly.
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah
The online Bachelor of Science in Communications at Western Governors University is a degree that can be completed in an accelerated pace.
Western Governors University lets online students continue to the next class as soon as they've finished the previous class, without having to wait on a predetermined timeframe (like a semester based system).
This allows motivated students to work through their classes in a much faster time than traditional systems would allow. Students can potentially finish this degree in 19 months, which is much faster than traditional degree programs.
This degree is an interdisciplinary degree, teaching business and communication principles together.
There are 38 courses, which include:
- Principles of Management
- Navigating Complex Problems
- Evaluating a Communications Strategy
- Crisis Communication
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Walden University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Communication.
Walden accepts prior experience for college credit.
There are three concentration options offered in this degree:
- Organizational Society, Branding, and Global Citizenship
- Possibilities, Problems, and the Human Condition
- Healing, Hierarchy, Healthcare, and Wholeness
Credits: 181 quarter credits
Students can transfer up to 135 qualifying quarter credits (45 quarter credits must be taken at Walden).
The Organizational Society, Branding, and Global Citizenship concentration teaches how to understand communication within organizations. This includes learning the relevant purposes, channels, types, and levels of organizational communication.
The Possibilities, Problems, and the Human Condition concentration examines communication within cultures, groups and personal patterns of communication, and how they can facilitate or hinder communications within humanity.
The Healing, Hierarchy, Healthcare, and Wholeness concentration consists of learning communication principles within the healthcare environment, including communication with patients, and communication within the relevant industry information systems, and the industry's regulatory requirements.
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