For discussion of the actual means of mass communication, see Mass media.

Mass Communication is the term used to describe the academic study of various means by which individuals and entities can relay information to large segments of the population all at once through mass media.

Almost every university that has a journalism program also offer a distinct program - often from the same department - of studies in mass communication, which includes the technical aspects production of newspapers, radio programs, television shows, and films. Unlike journalism and related fields like public relations and advertising, the study of mass communication focuses less on the message that is delivered, and more on the means by which this delivery occurs. The discipline also differs from media studies, which focuses on the effects that mass media have on the population.

Such programs are accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).