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COMMUNICATION

STUDIES

PROGRAM

MASTER OF ARTS

DEGREE

Communication Studies

The study of communication is important to

virtually every profession that involves work-

ing with people education, public relations,

management, advertising, health, marketing,

politics, social services, and many others.

Since 1970, the Department of Speech Com-

munication at Edinboro University of Pennsyl-

vania has offered courses designed to provide

students with the requisite understanding and

skill in a variety of areas related to human

communication. The Master of Arts in Com-

munication Studies (MACS) program seeks to

develop within students a specialized knowl-

edge of management communication theories

and practices for application in organizational

and institutional contexts of various kinds. The

program also encourages students to explore

linkages between communication and other

disciplines in the human sciences, business,

and education, depending on individual inter-

est. A Master of Communication Studies

develops capabilities to advance his or her

management career, to work with and serve

others in diverse communities with dignity

and respect, and to understand the complexi-

ties associated with learning and communicat-

ing ethical and cultural values. The Master of

Arts in Communication Studies program goals

are as follows:

To provide students with a methodologi-

cal foundation for successful perform-

ance in communicative and decision-

making roles essential to the operation of

human enterprises and institutions of

every description.

To provide students with a sound under-

standing of the diverse forms of commu-

nication and information theory.

To enhance students' creative skills in the

use of new technology and other media.

To introduce students to the basic tech-

niques of research and analysis in human

communication.

To prepare students to design, carry out,

and evaluate projects in the communica-

tion field.

The MACS program provides a solid intellec-

tual and practical foundation for enhanced

research and practice in management commu-

nication studies. Students acquire ten essential

communication competencies integral to a

cross-section of course offerings:

Managing diverse interests competently

and prudently.

Developing leadership capabilities.

Gathering, analyzing and presenting

materials systematically.

Developing critical thinking capabilities.

Working skillfully with computer mediat-

ed communication technologies.

Constructing public images and texts per-

suasively.

Reading, listening and reporting accu-

rately.

Developing new linguistic abilities and

appreciation for diverse cultures

Developing respect for and civility

toward others.

Learning how to learn new subjects and

methods over a lifetime.

Admission Requirements and

Procedures

Applicants must hold an earned bachelor's

degree from an accredited institution and

should have successful work experience.

Applicants without at least fifteen weeks of

full-time professional work experience or at

least one semester of full-time field experience

at the undergraduate level at time of admission

into the degree program may be required to

enroll in the 42-credit hour internship track

and participate in a field experience of at least

9 credit hours. Applicants will submit official

transcripts of all previous postsecondary work,

scores from the Miller's Analogies Test or the

general aptitude portion of the Graduate

Record Examination, and a statement of pur-

pose for pursuing the graduate degree.

These credentials will be evaluated by the

Departmental Admissions Committee which

will consider such factors as suitability of pre-

vious course work, undergraduate scholarship,

work experience, and potential for growth as a

professional communicator. Any deficiencies

in preparation will cause the prescription of

prerequisite work.

Curriculum and Degree Requirements

Each student will be required to complete

three Core communication courses and three

of six Area courses. All remaining Elective

courses will be selected in consultation with

the student's advisor. The program offers the

flexibility to individualize the curriculum to

meet the interests of each student. Students

must satisfactorily complete the following:

Core Courses (required for all students)

9 credits

COMM600 Communication Theory (3)

COMM610 Communication Research or

COMM620 Qualitative Communication

Research (3)

COMM710 Communication Ethics (3)

Area Courses (students select 3 of the follow-

ing courses 9 credits

COMM510 Criticism of Mass Media (3)

COMM630 Interpersonal Communication

Strategies (3)

COMM640 Small Group Communication (3)

COMM650 Rhetorical Theory and Criticism

(3)

COMM660 Organizational Communication

(3)

COMM670 Intercultural and International

Communication (3)

Electives

18 credits

Electives may include any Area course not

taken to fulfill the Area requirement. Students

may fulfill elective requirements outside of the

communication studies curriculum, in consul-

tation with the MACS program head and the

faculty member teaching the course. All

MACS electives are three credits unless other-

wise indicated.

COMM500 Communication Strategies in

Advertising

COMM502 Technology of Communication

COMM504 Advanced Broadcast News

COMM520 Introduction to Gender Commu-

nication

COMM530 Advanced Message Design

COMM540 Public Relations Management

COMM550 Political Communication

COMM560 Managing Conflict

COMM570 Advanced Intercultural Commu-

nication

COMM680 Gender and Communication

COMM700 Language and Human Conduct

COMM730 Communication and Social

Process

COMM740 Communication Consulting

COMM750 Persuasion and Propaganda

COMM760 Managerial and Leadership

Communication

COMM770 Communication Issues

COMM793 Independent Study

COMM796 Internship (up to 12 credits)

COMM799 Thesis

Students are allowed to take a maximum of

three elective courses (nine hours) outside the

MACS curriculum. Students should take a

maximum of four 500-level courses and a

minimum of three 700-level courses. If a stu-

dent wishes to emphasize a particular area of

study, he or she should take the series of cours-

es related to that emphasis at the 500-, 600-,

and 700-levels, or follow the program

emphases suggested below.

Thesis and Project Options

Students who select the non-credit project

option take 18 credits of electives and are

required to complete an audit or analysis of

selected communication practices in a busi-

ness, non-profit corporation, educational insti-

Communication Studies Program/47