NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University Master of Arts in mass communication with a public relations specialization was ranked the No. 1 most affordable online degree in the United States by OnlineU, an organization that provides a free and comprehensive guide that enables students to compare all online colleges in the U.S.

“This online degree is designed for working professionals who can’t sit in a traditional classroom at a designated time and earn an advanced degree,” said Dr. John Hendricks, chair of the mass communication department and graduate program coordinator at SFA. “It allows students to work on the degree at their own pace and in their own environment.”

OnlineU researches accredited online colleges and then provides rankings based on data collected about each program’s degrees, tuition amounts and coursework details.

The Master of Arts in mass communication at SFA offers three specializations: advertising and public relations, broadcasting, and journalism.

“Students can focus their attention on any aspect of mass communication by taking an extra class or two,” said Hendricks, “or by focusing their interests in a certain area with the capstone project, which might include a media project, thesis or comprehensive exam.”

In addition to the public relations specialization ranking, OnlineU also named SFA’s master’s degree in mass communication with a journalism specialization as the No. 2 most affordable online degree for journalism in the nation.

To learn more about SFA’s mass communication degrees, visit sfasu.edu/masscomm.