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Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research: Erik Ugland, Ph.D.
marquette.edu/comm/grad/index.shtml

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Degrees Offered

Master of Arts; Certificate

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Specializations

Master’s: Advertising and Public Relations; Broadcast and Electronic Communication; Communication Studies; Journalism; Mass Communication; Communication about Health Environment, Science and Sustainability

Certificate: Digital Storytelling, Professional Communication

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Program Description

The J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication graduate program prepares students for intellectual, artistic, professional and ethical leadership in a complex technological and multicultural world. It uses a core of common knowledge, values, and communication skills to improve understanding of communication as a cultural and social process and to develop the skills necessary for success in constantly changing information environments. Graduate students are partners in the production of knowledge and are actively involved in systematic research and professional development, which enables them to develop a mastery of the intellectual and professional content of the discipline. All students complete a core curriculum and develop a specialization in areas such as: advertising and public relations; communication studies; journalism; mass communication; and communication about health, environment, science and sustainability.

The program offers an interdisciplinary bridge between courses in a variety of areas and individual interests and goals. For example, students might wish to develop emphasis in such areas as health communication, visual communication, or global communication. Faculty advisers assist students in course planning and approve the final programs of study, which are custom-tailored to meet individual needs. Advisers help students develop programs that can include courses from other programs, such as business, marketing, English, psychology, sociology, political science and others.

The program can be tailored for students who have undergraduate training in their field of choice, who are working as practitioners, as well as those who wish to teach or conduct research.

The program prepares students to work in a variety of settings from education to industry. Students study and work in an urban laboratory with a wide array of advertising and public relations agencies, and communications consulting firms, network television stations, radio stations, and one of the world’s most respected newspapers. Marquette alumni work in many of these organizations and they routinely seek out Marquette graduate students for internship and employment opportunities.

The core courses broaden knowledge about current communication theory and professional and research practices. Other courses examine social issues, help prepare students for industry leadership, and sharpen the students’ professional skills.

Upon the completion of the master of arts degree program in communication, graduates will be able to:

1. Apply research-based, theory-informed knowledge to the identification and solution of real-life issues in the field.
2. Apply ethical decision-making skills in a variety of communication situations.
3. Integrate knowledge from the discipline of communications with the chosen specialization area.

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Prerequisites for Admission

For all master of arts and certificate programs in communication, the applicant should have graduated with, or be about to graduate with, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and must have an undergraduate grade point average equivalent of at least a 3.000 on a 4.000 scale. Master of arts applicants without sufficient academic or professional background will be required to take some undergraduate courses with no graduate credit to satisfy deficiencies.

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Application Requirements

Applicants must submit, directly to the Graduate School:

1. A completed online application form and fee.
2. Official transcripts from all current and previous colleges/universities except Marquette.
3. Three letters of recommendation, specifically in letter format.
4. A brief statement of academic and professional goals.
5. (For M.A. applicants only) GRE scores (General Test only). Minimum GRE scores are as follows: verbal 450, quantitative 450, total score of at least 1,000, and analytical writing score of 4.5.
6. (For international applicants only) a TOEFL score or other acceptable proof of English proficiency. A minimum score of 600 on the paper-based version, 250 on the computer-based version, or 100 on the Internet-based version is required.

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General Information

All papers and oral presentations produced by students in all classes are expected to conform to professional standards of lucidity, coherence, grammar and syntax. All instructors in all classes in communication will consider the factors listed above, as well as substance, in grading written and oral presentations. Integrity is essential to any communication professional and is expected of students in communication. The worst offenses are plagiarism, unapproved collaboration, or falsifying work in whole or in part.

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Joint Program of Study

M.A. in Communication and in Political Science or International Affairs

The J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication, in conjunction with the Department of Political Science, offers a program of joint study leading to a master of arts degree in communication and a master of arts degree in political science or international affairs. Joint degree students are able to complete both degree programs in less time than if both degrees were pursued separately.

Students seeking admission into the joint degree program must submit to the Graduate School separate applications for admission to both programs, including two sets of required documentation, and must meet the admission requirements of each program. Acceptance into one program does not guarantee acceptance into the other. If a student is accepted into one program and not the other, the student can still choose to accept the admission offer from the first program but would not be considered a joint degree student. Because students are officially admitted into only one Marquette University graduate program at a time, applicants must indicate which program they intend to pursue and complete first, although once accepted for admission to both programs, students may take courses from both departments. Upon completion of the first program, the student will be officially admitted to the second program for completion of the remainder of the joint program.

Joint degree students count 9 credits of course work in each program toward the required course work credits of the other program. Thus, 9 of the 30 credits required for the thesis track, or 9 of the 36 credits required for the non-thesis track for the master of arts degree in communication will come from POSC courses, and 9 of the 30 credits required for the master of arts degree in political science or international affairs will come from COMM courses. 

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Courses

Following is a listing of all J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication courses followed by area specialization courses.

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