Graduate Studies Overview | Communication Studies

Graduate Studies Overview

The Department of Communication Studies offers qualified students the opportunity to earn a graduate degree (M.A. or M.S.). The master's degree in Communication Studies offers the student the opportunity to learn about theory and research in Communication Studies by examining communication in human affairs and the symbolic processes through which humans interact. The curriculum is designed to facilitate student mastery of theory and research, to develop student research capabilities, and to enhance student preparation for a variety of careers or further graduate study.

The department offers coursework in rhetorical, performance, and social science traditions. Students are afforded opportunities to explore communication from applied and theoretical perspectives using analytical, critical, quantitative, and qualitative methodologies. Coursework features the investigation of communication in interpersonal, digital, organizational, political, legal, cultural, aesthetic, health and international contexts. Among the topics that students will encounter in their graduate program are gender and diversity issues, social influence, ethics, narrative, and social change. The graduate experience is enhanced by opportunities to engage in conducting research with faculty members, participating in regional and national festivals and professional conferences, and internships with corporations, social service organizations, and government agencies.


Marketable Skills
Marketable skills for this degree include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas, that are valued by employers, and are primary or complementary to the major. The marketable skills goal was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. UNT's marketable skills were faculty-developed and approved by employers or discipline-specific agencies, e.g., internship providers, chambers of commerce, workforce development boards, and other workforce-related entities. For information on these marketable skills, see the following page.