Communication M.A.

ESU’s Master of Arts Degree in Communication is designed for working professionals seeking to advance in their careers, and for holders of bachelors’ degrees seeking to become college instructors or continue on for a doctorate.

Communication as an academic discipline is the study and practice of communication in all contexts including organizational communication, group communication and interpersonal communication, as well as social media, mass media, and public speaking.

Our M.A. in Communication builds on the history of the discipline—from the study of rhetoric in Greek and Roman Antiquity up through current scholarship—to prepare graduates for leadership positions requiring the mastery of communication skills and concepts.

Our M.A. enables graduates to excel in a wide variety of fields:

• Marketing
• Sales
• Social and Human Services
• Human Resources
• Social Media
• Publishing
• Start-up companies
• Government
• College/University Instruction
• Management Positions across All Fields

Several features of our M.A. allow students to customize their course selections and course schedules to fit their workplace and family needs:

• Rolling enrollment
• Online courses and face-to-face courses
• Degree completion in 15 months (with full-time status) or longer (with part-time status)
• Required Completion of Either a Master’s Thesis or a Master’s Project
• Optional Independent Study with a Professor in a Research Area of the Student’s Choice
• Optional Two Masters’ Courses from Another Department

Program of Study

Option 1 (with Thesis):  30 credits

Option 2 (with Project):  33 credits

Entrance Requirements:

1. Three letters of recommendation
2. Writing sample - students applying for degree programs in Communication are required to submit a writing sample. The writing sample should demonstrate skills at sentence construction, spelling, interpretation, analysis and original thinking. Applicants can submit either an academic paper (minimum of 2400 words, maximum of 4000 words) or a professional writing sample (for example, from a web page, marketing campaign, department report, training manual, etc.). All submitted work must be the work of the applicant.
3. Interview with faculty

Option 1 (with Thesis): 30 credits

CMST 571	Thesis	1 - 6 credits
	Total Credit Hours:	1-6

Option 2 (with Project): 33 credits

CMST 572	Master's Professional Experience	3 credits
	and
CMST/XXX ___	Two Master's courses (6 credits total) either from Communication or from an outside department with approval from the student's Master's Degree Advisory Committee	6 credits
	Total Credit Hours:	9

Required Courses for Options 1 and 2:

CMST 510	Comparative Media	3 credits
CMST 529	Rhetoric and Advocacy	3 credits
CMST 540	Dialogue and Social Media	3 credits
CMST 541	Law for Communication Professionals	3 credits
CMST 545	Mass Media & Communication Ethics	3 credits
CMST 550	Organizational Communication	3 credits
CMST 560	Communication Theory	3 credits
CMST 570	Advanced Communication Research	3 credits
	Total Credit Hours:	24

Additional Requirements:

Must maintain 3.00 GPA.

15-Month Plan for M.A. in Communication

Students can enroll in the program full time (9 credits per semester) or part time (at least 3 credits per semester).  Students can complete the M.A. in 15 months by following the 15-Month Plan of Study.

Fall

CMST 545	Mass Media & Communication Ethics	3 credits
CMST 560	Communication Theory	3 credits
CMST 570	Advanced Communication Research	3 credits

Spring

CMST 510	Comparative Media	3 credits
CMST 529	Rhetoric and Advocacy	3 credits
CMST 577	Independent Study in Communication Studies	3 credits

Summer 2

Option 1:

CMST 571

Thesis

1 - 6 credits

Option 2:

CMST 572

Master's Professional Experience

3 credits

Plus two Master's courses (6 credits total) either from Communication or from an outside department with approval from the student's Master's Degree Advisory Committee.

Summer 1

CMST 541	Law for Communication Professionals	3 credits
CMST 550	Organizational Communication	3 credits

CMST 550 is also offered during Winter Session.

For more information, please contact Rob McKenzie, Ph.D., Department Chair and Professor of Communication, [e-mail], [phone].

To schedule a face-to-face meeting or a phone meeting with Dr. McKenzie, please contact [e-mail].