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Testimonials

Learn what graduates of the program had to say about receiving their MA in Communication.



Communication, Master of Arts

  • Available Emphasis Areas:
  • Communication General
  • Documentary Studies - Emphasis
  • Strategic Communication - Emphasis (beginning Fall 2021)

How people communicate with each other influences problems confronting business, government, schools, families, and social relationships. At a time when relationships of all kinds are mediated by technology, good communication is more critical than ever. If you want to advance your understanding of how communication affects finding solutions to complex issues in a complex world, then this Master of Arts in Applied Communication may be for you.

You will work closely with a faculty mentor to design a degree program that meets your professional interests and needs. You'll design, carry out, and present independent research while increasing your skills and expertise in writing, critical thinking, reasoning, presentation and defense of ideas, and research. You'll emerge with the skills and abilities that are expected of communication experts. 
 

This graduate degree was created to provide students with advanced skills in communication analysis, problem-solving, critical-thinking, research, theoretical application, and written communication.

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Career Accordion Open

Career opportunities that might be pursued:
  • Hospital public information officer
  • Public relations professional
  • Speech writer
  • Internal communications manager
  • Market research analyst
With further education, one of these paths is possible:
  • Attorney
  • University faculty 

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University Requirements

  • To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. (Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.)

    You must additionally complete:

    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
    • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • All work toward the master’s degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
    The full policy can be viewed here.

     

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Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.
Minimum Units for Completion36
Additional Admission RequirementsAdmission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
ThesisThesis may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
ResearchIndividualized research may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option.
Progression Plan LinkView Program of Study

Purpose Statement

The MA in Communication provides students with advanced skills in communication analysis, problem solving, critical thinking, research, theoretical application, argumentation, and written communication.  Students choose from either the MA in Communication (with no emphasis) or the MA in Communication with an emphasis in Documentary Studies.
 
The MA in Communication provides a foundation of the basic research methods, theories, and standards of argument in the academic study of communication.  Students explore theories and research in a variety of communicative contexts with an emphasis on the application of concepts, theories, and research to real-world issues.  Students will be able to access, understand, evaluate, and apply research, concepts, and theories.  Students will engage in original research and/or the application of existing research, concepts, and theories to specific situations for the purpose of problem-solving and/or evaluation, including effective message design.  Students will learn the expectations of academic argument in communication as well as how to effectively communicate their findings to diverse audiences.  The MA in Communication (with no emphasis) will be of relevance to working professionals in a variety of fields, educators, activists, and those preparing to pursue a PhD in Communication, Communication Studies, Rhetoric, or related disciplines.
 
The Documentary Studies emphasis provides a solid grounding in the theoretical, critical, and practical traditions that inform documentary work.  Students engage in intensive research and fieldwork, professional production skills in storytelling, and learn to critically analyze media in terms of both content and craft.   Particular attention is given to the role of documentary as social critique and bringing untold, under-reported, and under-represented issues and peoples into the public eye.  The program is ideally suited to prepare students for today's world of cutting-edge multimedia journalism, documentary work, as well as preparation for PhD programs in cinema and media studies.

Student Learning Outcomes
 
 Core Student Learning Outcomes

  • Learn and apply basic research methods in Communication scholarship.
  • Demonstrate ability to plan, conduct, and disseminate a research project in human communication.
  • Understand, synthesize, and explain the historical development of Communication as an academic field of inquiry.
  • Integrate and apply knowledge of communication theories to multiple contexts of human communication.
  • Utilize communication constructs, theories and concepts to define, evaluate, and manage real-world problems, conflicts, and events.
  • Develop skills in constructing and presenting messages to diverse audiences.
    Communication Studies Emphasis Learning Outcomes
  • Demonstrate ability to plan, conduct, and disseminate a research project in human communication.
  • Understand, synthesize, and explain major research methods in Communication Studies.
  • Integrate and apply knowledge of communication theories to multiple contexts of human communication.
  • Develop skills in constructing and presenting messages to diverse audiences.
Documentary Studies Emphasis Learning Outcomes
  • Engage a theoretical and historical understanding of documentary as rooted in the traditions of creative storytelling and social critique.
  • Apply heightened skills of observation, critical thinking, and creativity to the stories of untold, under-reported, and under-represented issues and peoples; bring these stories to the public eye.
  • Create and distribute a variety of documentary projects in different forms at an advanced level to diverse populations.
  • Realize that production tools and techniques are a means to author a unique point of view shaped by the documentarian's philosophical sensibilities and ways of seeing the world.

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Details

Additional Admission Requirements
  • Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
    • NAU Graduate Online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
    • Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), or the equivalent. 
    • Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
    • Transcripts
    • For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy
    • International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy 


    Individual program admission requirements include:

    • Writing Sample
    • 3 academic references
    • Personal statement or essay 
    • Resume or curriculum vitae
Master's Requirements
  • This Master’s degree requires 33 to 39 units distributed as follows:

    • Core requirements: 12 units
    • Select Electives or an Emphasis area: 18 to 21 units
      • Communication Elective Coursework: 18 to 21 units
      • Documentary Studies Emphasis: 21 units
    • Select a Thesis or a Project: 3 to 6 units


    Take the following 33 - 39 units:

    Core requirements (12 units):

    • COM 600, COM 601 (6 units)
    • COM 698 (3 units)
    Select one from (3 units):
    • COM 602, COM 603, or COM 604 

  • Select one of the following:
     
    Communication Elective Coursework: (18-21 units)
    • Elective Coursework is chosen in consultation with your advisor
      • Courses may include, with advisor approval, up to 9 units of coursework outside of Communication and Communication Studies.
      • No more than 6 units of individualized studies as independent studies, directed readings, and research are allowed in the student’s coursework.
  • OR

    Documentary Studies Emphasis (21 units)

    • COM 535 (3 units)
    • COM 550 (3 units)
    • COM 605 (3 units)
    • Additional coursework chosen in consultation with a graduate faculty advisor. Select elective courses from any graduate program at NAU that will help provide you the research tools, specialization, knowledge, and intercultural understanding for documentary work. Such disciplines could include, but are not limited to: anthropology, communication, environmental science, ethnic studies, women’s and gender studies, sociology, among others. (9-12 units)
    All students will select either the Thesis or Project Option (3-6 units)

    Thesis Option
    • COM 699 (6 units). Be aware that students may end up taking more than the 6 units that count toward the degree, as enrollment in COM 699 is required each fall and spring semester once a student begins the thesis until the student graduates. Additionally, students must enroll for at least 1 unit of COM 699 the semester in which they plan to defend and graduate, including summer, regardless of the number of units already taken. (6 units)
    Project Option
    • COM 690 (3 units).  Be aware that students may end up taking more than the 3 units that count toward the degree, as enrollment for at least one credit of COM 690 may be required each semester in which a student works on a project.  Students in the Documentary Studies Emphasis may also be required to take 3 additional units of COM 690, which will count toward their elective requirements.
  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information click on the course or see your advisor.
     

Availability Accordion Closed

Campus Availability

  • Flagstaff
  • Online

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Kurt Lancaster
Professor
School of Communication
Kurt.Lancaster@nau.edu
+1 928 523-5159
Communication , room 367
directory photo
Richard A Rogers
Professor
School of Communication
Richard.Rogers@nau.edu
+1 928 523-2530
Communication , room 329
Our MA in Communication includes two emphases: Communication General and Documentary Studies. With a Communication General emphasis, you’ll prepare for a career in higher education, government, business, or community service. Our faculty expertise includes environmental communication, political communication, health communication, media studies, and gender and culture studies. You’ll gain the skills to solve complex issues in our complex world. Working closely with a faculty mentor, you can design a degree program that suits your professional interests and needs. You'll conduct and present independent research and become proficient in writing, critical thinking, reasoning, and presentation and defense of ideas—and you'll emerge with the abilities of a communication expert. If film is your passion, our Documentary Studies emphasis immerses you into the world of cutting-edge multimedia journalism, nonfiction storytelling. You’ll graduate ready to create your own media business or continue on to a PhD program in cinema and media studies. Locations:
  • Flagstaff
  • Traditional Online
Learn more about the MA in Communication curriculum and requirements.

Application deadlines

We review applications twice each year (in the fall and spring semesters) for admission for the next regular semester (spring and fall).

The MA in Communication application deadlines:

For spring 2020 admission: all materials DUE by October 1, 2019 For fall 2020 admission:
  • Preferential deadline for admission and a Graduate Teaching Assistantship:  All materials DUE by February 1, 2020
  • Final deadline for admission and a Graduate Teaching Assistantship: All materials DUE by March 15, 2020
  • General application (non-GTA) preferential deadline:  All materials DUE by March 1, 2020
  • General application (non-GTA) final deadline:  All materials DUE by April 15, 2020
Applicants who meet the preferential deadlines will be given early consideration and prioritization. Applicants who meet the preferential deadline but who are not admitted or offered a GTA position after the preferential pool is assessed will be considered again in the context of the full pool of applicants.

Graduate Certificate in Communication Studies application deadlines:

  • For Spring 2020 admission: All materials DUE by October 1, 2019
  • For Fall 2020 admission: All materials DUE by July 1, 2020

Graduate Certificate in Science Communication application deadlines:

Please contact Peter Friederici at Peter.Friederici@nau.edu Be aware that all application materials are due by these dates. If you have questions about the program or the application process, contact email us.
Welcome
Location
Building 16
School of Communication
700 S. Knoles Dr. PO Box: 5619
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Contact Form
Email
School.Communication@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-2232
Fax
928-523-1505