Business - Marketing and communication

UX will continue to grow more relevant as technology advances. People have increasingly close relationships with technology in their home and work lives. This means there will be an increased need for professionals with UX knowledge as the use of digital tools, services and platforms expands. Additionally, UX can apply to both physical and digital systems, and experts are needed for all types of UX design and communication.

As communication is a key factor in the UX design process, professionals must effectively share their research findings with colleagues, leaders and other stakeholders. Upon graduating from this program, you’ll be equipped to communicate successfully and develop effective design, making interactions between users and systems more positive, productive and predictable.

Who’s a good candidate for this bachelor’s program?

This technical communication degree may be a great fit if you enjoy using technology and are interested in helping people design and create communication products. UX centers on a mix of creativity and problem solving, and professionals spend time with end users testing products and imagining solutions. Ideal candidates will be comfortable with clarifying ambiguity and being creative in their roles.

The field of technical communication and UX doesn’t necessarily require a high level of technical skill or computer science knowledge. This field is open to individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, emphasizing the creation of meaningful and positive user experiences through thoughtful design.

This bachelor’s degree can also be completed as part of an accelerated master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in as little as one extra year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master’s degrees include:

• Master of Science in user experience.

How does this program compare to other UX degree concentrations?

While all of ASU Online’s UX degree concentrations include a curriculum focused on the interaction between individuals and systems, how they frame UX differs. This UX concentration focuses on the communication side of UX through gathering user information, analyzing data, designing communication products and communicating research findings to stakeholders.

Differently, the Bachelor of Science in graphic information technology with a concentration in UX hones in on the physical design process to create easy-to-use applications, desktop software, websites and other digital or physical products. If you’re interested in why users react the way that they do, the Bachelor of Science in human systems engineering with a UX concentration explores how psychology is integrated into a design approach to solve complex human-computer interaction problems.

A marketing degree is relevant across multiple industries, making it ideal for a diverse variety of students and professional paths. Throughout your coursework, you’ll develop a multitude of marketing and business-related competencies, such as the ability to:

• Administer, allocate and organize resources to achieve marketing objectives.
• Drive corporate performance through effective outreach and engagement of customers.
• Support innovation and inform overall business strategy.
• Understand the science of consumer behavior.

While marketing is often thought of in the context of for-profit businesses, nonprofits and government departments also require talented marketing staff. You’ll graduate equipped to work in different aspects of marketing in almost any type of organization, depending on your interests and areas of professional focus.

Understanding the science behind consumer behavior

In this program, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the principles that influence consumer decisions and the essential role marketing plays in every organization. Through your courses, you’ll build diverse transferable skills, including critical thinking, effective communication, personal sales and sales management.

A wide range of competencies equips you to excel in various areas of marketing, ranging from advertising and promotion management to marketing analysis and strategy. Although marketing spans various industries, organizations often share the common goal of promoting, selling and building awareness of products and services. You’ll have the consumer behavior insights to make an impact wherever your interests lead you.

Technical communication turns complex concepts into easy-to-use and understandable communication. In this program, you’ll learn the skills to transform dense data into clear, user-centered content. You’ll also create relevant and actionable information by evaluating your audience’s background, goals and experience.

This program includes hands-on projects using design thinking and problem-solving strategies, while teaching skills such as editing, web development, visual communication, usability testing and user experience. You’ll also learn market-standard digital tools to deliver pertinent content into the hands of users. In this profession, you may develop proposals, infographics, websites and tutorials.

Choosing the right technical communication degree for your career goals

If you’re looking to specialize, ASU offers several concentrations within the technical communication degree:

• Technical communication (general track): Covers writing, editing, design and usability across industries, preparing you for versatile roles.
• Data visualization: Teaches you to present data clearly using charts, graphics and storytelling.
• Social media management: Focuses on writing and strategy for platforms that connect organizations to targeted audiences.
• User experience: Explores how people interact with digital products and how to design content that improves those interactions.
• Medical and health concentration: Combines health care knowledge with communication strategies to support public health and patient education.

Mass communication is the flow of information from a single media source to a large audience. By analyzing content across TV, print, audio and social media, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of media’s role in shaping values, identities and decisions. This foundation prepares you for careers that rely on media literacy and strategic insight, including advocacy, business, marketing, politics and public affairs.

This liberal arts program is composed mostly of electives — giving you the flexibility to tailor your coursework to your interests and transfer credits. Topics include:

• Digital and social media
• Media and pop culture
• Media ethics and law
• Political communication
• Race, gender and representation in media

The flexible structure and elective-rich curriculum make this degree especially transfer-friendly, allowing you to apply previous credits and customize your academic path.

Who’s a good fit for this mass communication degree?

This degree is a strong match for students interested in understanding the impact of media on society. While this program doesn’t focus on journalism, coursework emphasizes media systems, cultural influence and communication theory. You’ll examine the inner workings of media and graduate ready to analyze and interpret the messages that shape how people think, communicate and engage with the world.

This program allows you to build a custom degree by combining two academic disciplines into one major.

You’ll select two concentrations from more than 40 available options, with advisors available to help you choose the ones best for you. It's an ideal program for those who are undecided on a major or want to pursue multiple areas of study.

One of the most popular combinations is to pair a concentration in business with a second focus in psychology. Other complementary options include:

• Applied business data analytics and business
• Business and project management
• Business and real estate
• Counseling/applied psychology sciences with family studies
• Family and human development and communication
• Personal health and integrative health
• Project management and sustainability
• Science, technology and society with technical entrepreneurship and management
• Sales and marketing essentials and organizational leadership

A culminating experience with a focus on experiential learning

IDS 401 is the program’s culminating experience in which you’ll arrange, plan and execute a learning project. Throughout this course, you’ll be guided in applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating interdisciplinary concepts to a real-world problem.

You’ll choose from one of the three options below. The College of Integrative Sciences and Arts will work with you to help you find a project that fits your interests. No matter which you choose, the experience will integrate both your concentrations in a meaningful way:

• Applied study: The applied study is a traditional work experience where you’ll spend 120 hours at a site of your choosing putting your integration and concentration area knowledge into practice. In addition to the hours completed onsite, there will be an online class component where you’ll reflect on your internship work.
• Directed study: A directed study is a thesis, creative or research project that you’ll design in consultation with a faculty member. This option is best suited for you if you’re interested in graduate school or have a creative project you’re interested in pursuing. This can be a great way to start a CV, create a portfolio or design your own project.
• Research fellows: You’ll partner with School of Applied Sciences and Arts faculty to assist them with research and ongoing faculty-led projects. This option is highly competitive, so you should begin planning for this option early.

Upskill with a master’s degree

This bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master’s degrees include:

• Master of Liberal Studies
• Master of Project Management
• Master of Science in organizational leadership

In addition to strengthening your verbal and written communication skills, this degree offers a foundation in evidence-based communication theory and research. You’ll gain analytical and practical expertise to interpret communication patterns, make data-informed decisions and adapt to a constantly shifting environment. You’ll also enhance your abilities in project management, team leadership and strategic communication planning.

Additionally, courses delve into the technical and empirical aspects of communication, covering quantitative research methods such as surveys, experiments and statistical analysis. Through internships and applied project opportunities, you’ll gain experiences that bridge the gap between theory and real-world applications.

Communication degrees prepare for a variety of career paths

Earning this degree can support your career aspirations across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Communication skills are sought by employers across industries, including business, education, technology, health care, media, government and more. No matter your area of interest, you’ll find roles that demand effective information exchange, leadership and problem-solving abilities.

Additionally, this program can be a stepping stone toward achieving a leadership or management position. Coursework provides opportunities to learn about influencing organizational communication and communicating with stakeholders. You’ll also be poised to navigate conflict, convey clear public messaging, and foster equity and inclusion in the workplace.

How our BA and BS in communication compare to each other

While both our BA and BS in communication share a commitment to global awareness and build skills in interpersonal communication, data analysis and critical thinking, there are key differences. Our online BA in communication centers on culture and society, and has a foreign language course requirement. You’ll also gain the ability to synthesize qualitative feedback from focus groups and other methods.

If you choose to pursue this BS, your courses emphasize strategic communication and include a science and society elective. There’s also a focus on quantitative research methods. You’ll gain expertise in surveys, data visualization and other tools to tell effective stories using quantitative data.

Both the BA and BS offer the opportunity to participate in our Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Arts in communication.