Graduate Degree - Introduction
The Master of Arts program in Communication Studies provides advanced study of human communication in its various and diverse forms, contexts, and processes. The program prepares students to pursue academic and professional career paths such as a Ph.D. in the field, Community College instruction, or a career in the communication industry. The Master of Arts program in Communication Studies includes coursework in the following areas:
- Rhetorical Studies
- Intercultural Communication
- Interpersonal Communication
- Communication Theory
- Performance Studies
- Language Behavior
- Cultural Studies
The department’s graduate program is governed by the principle that the
student should have the opportunity to study and to conduct original
research in areas of the student¹s primary interests. Thus, the department
seeks to balance two concerns: (a) to permit each student to tailor the
Program of Study to individual interests and abilities; and (b) to insure
that all students acquire a coherent perspective within the field of
communication. The ultimate objective is to prepare students to assume
socially responsible and productive roles within their chosen professions.
The program comprises thirty-three units of coursework in Communication Studies selected in consultation with advisors. For the culminating experience, students will choose from directed comprehensive studies, a thesis, or an applied scholarly project.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students receiving a Master's degree from the Communication Studies Department will be able to:
- Critically examine how communication affects the social construction of reality.
- Define and discuss some basic tenets or theories of human communication from the perspective of one or more specific areas of the field (Rhetoric, Communication Theory, and Performance, Language and Cultural Studies).
- Critically assess and analyze scholarly writing in the field.
- Analyze and critically interpret/evaluate communication practices and research.
- Analyze and critically evaluate the relationship between communication and culture.