Masters in Communication
For more than fifty years, ISU’s Master of Arts in Communication program has been preparing graduates to be active citizens in public life who critically engage with the world, whether as creative and strategic professionals or as researchers pursuing academic careers in teaching and scholarship. The program continues this mission in the 21st century by using contemporary methods and best practices in communication.
Why get your Masters in Communication at ISU?
The Department of Communication, Media, and Persuasion offers a diverse and customizable program. Our graduate faculty are not only dedicated teachers, they are also national and international scholars who present their research in books, journals, exhibitions, and conferences. Their expertise extends across the breadth of the field, including Corporate Communication (Leadership, Advertising, Public Relations), Multiplatform Journalism, Visual Media (Photo, Video, Design), and Rhetoric and Media Affairs. With the size of our program, faculty are able to work closely with graduate students, providing them with exceptional guidance and experience.
Though it is possible to work at an accelerated pace, the Master of Arts in Communication is designed as a two-year program.
The Masters in Communication can now be completed entirely online with synchronous online classes, or in-person!
Graduate Program of Study form CMP
The primary objectives related to the Master of Arts in Communication program are to help students develop the following competencies:
- Graduates will develop an understanding of communication research methodology and roles of research in academia.
- Graduates finishing their master’s degree will find professional employment in public or private sectors of business, service, or education.
- Graduates will further their graduate careers by pursuing a doctorate in communication.
As part of the above, students completing the program will meet the following goals:
- Graduates will pass oral defense.
- Graduates will submit to and/or present at a professional conference.
- Graduates will find employment in education, public service, or business.
Frequently Asked Questions
The application deadlines for the program are set by the ISU Graduate School. See the Graduate School website for up-to-date information. Consult the most recent graduate catalog for
Yes. To be considered for a teaching assistantship, students must send complete application materials by April 15. Assistantships offer over $8000 for the academic year and are generally awarded for the fall and spring semesters. Application materials are available by contacting the department directly or by clicking the button above.
In addition, all graduate teaching assistants must have either completed or complete the course within their first semester as a teaching assistant.
The program is quite flexible. There are some requirements, but the program allows students to choose courses aligned with their own interests and goals from the Communication, Media, and Persuasion department or from other departments across campus. These elective credits count for up to half of the 30 credits needed for the degree. See the for more information about MA in Communication program requirements.
Most students to take graduate courses from other departments to supplement their coursework in Communication, Media, and Persuasion. However, the courses taken need to form a cohesive program of study. All MA in Communication students need to work with a graduate advisor to approve all courses as part of their program.
Each graduate student has unique interests and goals, and there are many departments with courses that are relevant to an individually tailored MA in Communication. Explore the most recent graduate catalog thoughtfully and thoroughly. Previous graduate students have found valuable classes in departments and programs such as Anthropology, Business Administration, English, Educational Leadership, History, Organizational Learning and Performance, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
Be sure to contact one of the members of the graduate faculty before registering. That faculty member can direct you to a few courses that would be appropriate. Eventually, you and an advisor will work out the entire program of study. Do plan to take CMP 6601: Communication and Media Studies in your first semester as a graduate student (or in your first fall semester if you begin the program in the spring or summer). If you have minimal undergraduate background in the communication field, you might consider taking CMP 5587: Rhetorical Theory and/or CMP 5503: Mass Communication and Society to give you a better historical and theoretical foundation.
It depends on many things. First, graduate classes require much more individual effort and out-of-class time than undergraduate classes. Full time graduate students typically take 9-12 credits in a semester. Also, as with most faculty across the university, CMP department faculty are not on contract during the summer and, therefore, not available to assist graduate students during that time. Summer progress is possible but is usually limited to courses in other programs that offer summer graduate classes and self-directed work. Finally, much depends on how long it takes a student to complete, polish, and defend a thesis. Though it is possible to work at an accelerated pace, the MA in Communication is designed as a two-year program.