Related Certificates
- Graduate Certificate in Mediation and Negotiation
- Graduate Certificate in Rhetorical Leadership
- Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
The Department of Communication offers MA and PhD programs. The Master of Arts is designed to provide breadth and depth of study in the following areas: Organizational/Professional Communication, Intercultural/International Communication, Interpersonal Communication/Mediation, and Rhetoric/Public Communication. The program provides initial and advanced preparation for a variety of careers including continued study leading to the PhD degree.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus these departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program:
- Possess the equivalent of an undergraduate major in speech, speech communication, or related areas.
- Possess an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 in the major.
- Submit a reason statement describing your qualifications and reasons for applying to this program, as well as the fit between your interests and department offerings.
- Submit your curriculum vitae outlining relevant qualifications, employment, and experiences.
- Submit three letters of recommendation from persons capable of judging the applicant’s capacity for success in a graduate program of study.
- Submit a sample of written work from an academic and/or professional assignment.
Applicants may be admitted with specific program-defined course deficiencies provided that the deficiencies amount to no more than two courses.
The student is expected to satisfy deficiency requirements within three enrolled semesters. The deficiencies are monitored by the Graduate School and the individual graduate program unit. No course credits earned in making up deficiencies may be counted as program credits required for the degree.
Applicants without the requisite grade point average may be considered for admission on a probationary basis.
Credits and Courses
The minimum degree requirement is 30 credits, including 24 credits taken in the Department of Communication; that is, a maximum of 6 credits taken outside the department may count toward the total credits required. Students must take 24 of the 30 required credits in courses numbered 700 or above.
Students must complete either a professional project or a thesis.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| General | ||
| COMMUN 800 | Proseminar: The Discipline of Communication | 3 |
| Methods | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Quantitative Research in Communication | ||
| Critical Analysis of Communication | ||
| Qualitative Research in Communication | ||
| Electives | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Electives
Students complete 24 credits in elective courses, most of them selected from courses in the Department of Communication, with the following caveats. A maximum of 6 credits below the 700 level may be counted toward the degree. A maximum of 6 credits in courses outside the department may count toward the degree. No more than 9 credits selected from the combination of COMMUN 998, COMMUN 999, and courses outside the department may count toward the degree. In addition, the following restrictions on the number of credits that may count toward the degree are placed on these courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMMUN 860 | Seminar: Issues in Communication: (Subtitled) (6 credit maximum) | 3 |
| COMMUN 990 | Research and Thesis | 1-6 |
| COMMUN 998 | Communication Internship (3 credits maximum) | 1-3 |
| COMMUN 999 | Independent Study (3 credits maximum) | 1-3 |
MA Portfolio Project
At the master’s level, the MA Portfolio Project (MAPP) is designed to allow students to synthesize their accomplishments during the MA program and identify their strengths and needs as they pursue objectives beyond graduate school. In conjunction with the completion of 30-credit hours (per Department of Communication MA guidelines), students who successfully complete a MAPP will meet the requirements for the MA in Communication.
The MA Portfolio Project will provide students with an opportunity to:
- Compile documentation of academic accomplishments during the pursuit of an MA.
- Synthesize the primary contributions of MA coursework.
- Critically reflect upon accomplishments in written work.
- Reflect upon the accomplishment of their initial goals and objectives for the MA, and articulate future career goals and objectives that will utilize the skills/knowledge gained.
- Establish a connection with a field expert (e.g., an individual who works in the student’s desired employment sector or a member of a community group with whom the student hopes to work) and gain additional information about activities the student may wish to pursue after graduation.
- Reflect upon one’s understanding of future pursuits and draw connections between the MA experience and the nature of this type of work/service.
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
The student must have a major professor to advise and supervise the student’s studies as specified in Graduate School regulations. The major professor should be designated no later than the end of the student’s first year of enrollment. The incoming student is assigned the Graduate Coordinator or other program faculty member as an initial advisor until a major professor is selected.
Thesis Option
A thesis involves applied or basic research and is a proven method for developing specialized knowledge and skills that can enhance an individual’s expertise within a substantive area of study. A thesis is recommended for students who intend to continue study toward the PhD degree or plan research-related employment. If the thesis option is elected, the student must initiate and write an original research project under the guidance of his/her major professor; the student also must pass an oral defense of the finished project conducted by his/her thesis committee.
Time Limit
The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.
Communication MA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the MA Program in Communication will be able to:
- Summarize, synthesize, and critique relevant literature to develop critical understandings of the history, theory, concepts, and debates in at least one major area of communication research.
- Develop and complete an original research project that pursues a significant research question in the field of communication.
- Justify the rationale that produced their project’s research questions, methodological choices, and conclusions.
- Ethically conduct research in communication, including methods, analysis, and writing.
- Develop and use professional oral and written communication skills suitable for academic or professional discourse.
- Explain the significance of their coursework and research in communication for developing individual and social responsibility, civic knowledge and engagement (both local and global), ethical reasoning, and action.