Communication [M.A.]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid

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Revised Program [Fall 2024]

The Communication MA prepares students for careers demanding sophisticated knowledge of human communication or for doctoral graduate work and engages students in lifelong learning that addresses socially and globally pressing communication challenges through scholarly, creative, critical, and practical curriculum and instruction. Students will emerge with a broad understanding of contemporary communication issues and with skills that are adaptable to a variety of contexts.

The Communication MA explores the impact and influence of communication in personal, professional, and public contexts. Students learn sophisticated techniques that give effective communication the power to inform and persuade. Our program prepares students to be ethical communicators and advocates for career opportunities in media, industry, consulting, and academic fields. The MA in Communication is appropriate for students seeking public or private sector jobs requiring strong communication skills, knowledge of communication behaviors, or research methods in communication and related fields. Students also receive an excellent foundation for success in Ph.D. programs in Communication.

Program Admission

Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Fall or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

An undergraduate major or minor in communication is preferred. Students with other majors will also be considered.
Include a personal statement of interest (no more than 500 words in length) that addresses the following questions:
- Why are you seeking a graduate degree in Communication Studies?
- What are your professional goals, and how will the master’s program in communication at EMU enable you to achieve those goals?

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions and select the appropriate application.

- Go to 2023-2024 GradCAS to apply to a program beginning in Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Winter 2025.

- Go to 2024-2025 GradCAS to apply to a program beginning in Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Winter 2026.

Domestic Applicants Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

School Information

Communication, Media & Theatre Arts 124 Judy Sturgis Hill, 734.487.6846

Lee Stille, PhD., Director

Advisor Information

Graduate Coordinators:

Jenny Kindred, PhD, 713M Pray-Harrold, 734.487.4225

Uttara Manohar, PhD, 124 Judy Sturgis Hill, 734.487.3130

Degree Requirements: 30 hours

The M.A. in Communication requires students to complete the following:

Early in their graduate work, prepare a program of study in consultation with an assigned graduate advisor;
Successfully meet all conditions stipulated upon entry into the program; and
Complete, with an overall GPA of at least 3.0, a minimum of 30 hours of approved coursework.

Required Courses: 6 hours

COMM 500 Communication Inquiry 3 hrs
COMM 577 Research Methods in Communication 3 hrs

Degree Requirement & Restricted Electives: 24 hours

Students choose one of the following two options.

Option I - Project: 24 hours

Required Course: 3 hours
COMM 692 Degree Requirement 3 hrs
Restricted Elective Courses: 21 hours

In consultation with the graduate advisor, select 21 credit hours of COMM courses from the list below.

Option II - Exam: 24 hours

Students may also elect to take a program exam.

In addition to taking the exam, students will select 24 credit hours of COMM courses from the list below in consultation with the graduate advisor.

Available Restricted Elective Courses

COMM 509 Leadership Communication 3 hrs
COMM 540 Persuasion for Social Change 3 hrs
COMM 541 Rhetorical Theory 3 hrs
COMM 544 Communication and Conflict Management 3 hrs
COMM 547 Communicating Culture and Race 3 hrs
COMM 548 Communication and Organizational Culture 3 hrs
COMM 551 Communicating Politics and Power 3 hrs
COMM 590 Special Topics 1 hr
COMM 591 Special Topics 2 hrs
COMM 592 Special Topics 3 hrs
COMM 597 Independent Study 1 hr
COMM 598 Independent Study 2 hrs
COMM 599 Independent Study 3 hrs
COMM 606 Colloquium in Communication 1 hr
COMM 607 Colloquium in Communication 2 hrs
COMM 608 Colloquium in Communication 3 hrs
COMM 642 Communication and Negotiation 3 hrs
COMM 643 Communication Activism and Change 3 hrs
COMM 545 Interpersonal Communication 3 hrs
COMM 646 Family Communication 3 hrs
COMM 649 Small Group Communication 3 hrs
COMM 650 Community Communication 3 hrs
COMM 552 Communication in Health and Illness Contexts 3 hrs
COMM 670 Teaching of College Speech 1 hr
COMM 678 Communication Theory 3 hrs
COMM 679 Special Topics 1 hr
COMM 680 Special Topics 2 hrs
COMM 681 Special Topics 3 hrs
COMM 693 Seminar in Communication and Theatre Arts 1 hr
COMM 694 Seminar in Communication and Theatre Arts 2 hrs
COMM 695 Seminar in Communication and Theatre Arts 3 hrs
COMM 697 Independent Study 1 hr
COMM 698 Independent Study 2 hrs
COMM 699 Independent Study 3 hrs

Critical Graduation Information

Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Master’s degree requirements must be completed within six (6) years of first enrollment in the master’s degree program.

In the event a student does not complete the master’s degree requirements within six years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all master’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

A master’s degree must require a minimum of 30 credit hours.
No more than six credits of independent study courses and no more than 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.
Residency Requirement:
- For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 36 or fewer required hours, at least 24 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
- For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 37 or more required hours, at least 30 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. Minimum degree hours must still be met for graduation. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
- Residency and enrollment in multiple programs: Students enrolled in multiple master’s/specialist degree programs must have 24 unique credit hours in each degree program.
Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours above.
Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.
The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
Some master’s programs require a thesis; others require a special project or internship; others require students to pass a final exam. See the Graduate School website for Thesis and Dissertation Manuals, all forms, and information about research and human subject approval. Every completed thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Digital Commons. Any form of graduate student work submitted to Digital Commons must first be approved by a faculty advisor and the Graduate School.