EIU Master of Arts in Communication Studies

What do we offer?

The Master of Arts in Communication Studies offers a program in advanced scholarship that reflects the development of historical and contemporary influences on communication theory and practice. Specifically, we offer concentrations grounded in a rigorous theoretical base that inform communication practices, therefore preparing students to enter into academic and workplace environments.

Our students have the opportunity to focus on one of three concentration areas:

• Strategic Communication
• Interpersonal Communication Processes
• Media and Critical Studies

We also offer a Communication Pedagogy option that focuses on preparing students to teach speech, or other communication courses, at community colleges, two-year, or four-year institutions and is taken in conjunction with one of the concentrations.

In addition to classes in their option area, students take a department core and multiple electives. All students must complete a capstone experience either by writing an academic thesis or creative thesis, or taking comprehensive exams.

All of our classes are offered in the evening, starting between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., so students can complete our program while maintaining a full-time job if necessary. There are also a number of graduate assistants in our program. Each receives a tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. Our graduate assistants usually teach independent sections of our introductory public speaking class, or teach lab sections of an applied communication class. Our assistantships are competitive and they must be applied for separately from the program itself.

In general, students can also apply for assistantships from a variety of other units on campus and our students have been successfully placed in a number of departments in the past. All units looking for graduate assistants should be listed in the online application form on the Graduate School website, but it might help to check with individual units separately as well.