Graduate Students

OVERVIEW

The M.A. in Communication Studies (MCS) program strives to provide a broad spectrum of knowledge about human communication.

The program is intended for those who wish to continue graduate study in communication beyond the master's level, to teach at a smaller university, liberal arts college, or community college, to continue preparation for professional careers or to prepare for nonacademic careers in which a broad understanding of communication theory and research is desirable. Students in the graduate program typically pursue one or more areas of study.

A FLEXIBLE PROGRAM FOR THE MODERN WORKPLACE

Offered by nationally and internationally recognized faculty with expertise in health, interpersonal, global, mediated, and organizational communication, MCS prepares students that thrive in the rapidly changing dynamic of the modern workplace.

MCS at the School of Communication Studies is a flexible program that boasts diverse areas of emphasis and career outlooks. The flexibility of MCS is part our commitment to our university’s “students first” approach, and it is evident in three ways: curricular flexibility; program requirement flexibility; and career outlook flexibility. In terms of curricular flexibility, our diverse curricular offerings allow students—depending on course offering line-up—to pursue a specific area of emphasis (health, global, interpersonal, etc.) or build a robust interdisciplinary portfolio that prepares them to successfully navigate local, national, and global workplace dynamics. Flexibility is also a core component of MCS’s program completion requirement where students can choose four different options including thesis, project, internship, and course-only. Finally, MCS’s flexibility is reflected in the career pathways of its graduates who pursue tracks in academic, government, corporate, and non-profit, and entrepreneurial contexts.