Master of Arts in Communication Studies

Communication Studies – MA5360, MA5361, MA5362

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: Fall. Students must be simultaneously admitted to the Ph.D. program in Communication Studies (PH5360, PH5361, PH5362).

Program Overview

Across an array of contexts, faculty and students in Communication Studies strive to understand messages, communication processes, and implications and/or outcomes of communicative events. We actively strive to inspire our doctoral students to become effective and ethical teacher-scholars.

The Master of Arts in Communication Studies is designed for students holding a B.A. degree from an accredited institution and who show extraordinary potential as a graduate student and who apply for direct admission to our doctoral program following normal admission procedures (see Ph.D. in Communication Studies - PH5360, PH5361, PH5362). Those admitted will receive the MA degree while progressing through the doctoral program requirements. The M.A. is automatically awarded upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination. Direct to Doctorate students may be required to take additional coursework if the student’s program of study committee determines that such coursework is necessary to prepare for the Ph.D.

**The Master of Arts in Communication Studies offered at the Athens Campus is administered separately from the Master of Arts in Organizational Communication (please see the section for Master of Arts in Organizational Communication, MA5332). 

The School offers the M.A. in Communication Studies with three primary areas of study, each corresponding to a concentration in the Ph.D. program: Rhetoric and Culture (MA5360), Health Communication (MA5361), and Interpersonal and Organizational Communication (MA5362). These areas combine existing research areas while adjusting to the contemporary trends in the communication discipline. For more detailed descriptions, please refer to the catalog entry for the Ph.D. in Communication Studies. Full-time students normally complete the requirements for the master’s degree in approximately 1.5 years.

Further Information

Link to Program: http://www.ohiocommstudies.com/graduate

Link to Program Handbook: https://www.ohiocommstudies.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/COMS-Doctoral-Program-Handbook.6119.pdf

Admission Requirements

Admission to graduate study is granted on the basis of a match between the student’s academic goals and the School’s primary areas of study, recommendations of those familiar with the student’s academic and other work, undergraduate and graduate grade-point average and class standing, scores on the Graduate Record Examination, submitted writing sample, and experiential and other informal learning experiences. International students from non-English speaking countries are required to submit a TOEFL score.

To be admitted unconditionally, a prospective student must have earned a bachelor’s degree or completed equivalent work (as approved by the University) at an accredited institution.

International Students

This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of the M.A. in Communication Studies requires a minimum of 30 credit hours and successful completion of the Ph.D. comprehensive examination. Students must follow an approved Program of Study as detailed in the the requirements for the doctorate in Communication Studies - PHD .