Department of Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations
Wilson Hall, Room 316
371 Wilson Boulevard
Rochester,
MI
48309-4486
(location map)
(248) 370-4120
General Department Questions:
CJPR
Communication, M.A.
Are you interested in enhancing your communication skills? The Master of Arts degree in Communication is designed to enrich writing and presentation skills, critical thinking and creativity. The combination of theoretical, methodological and practical approaches that guide our program align with today’s industry and doctoral program expectations.
Our faculty are committed to education that builds sustainable, equitable, and enriched communities in our increasingly globally connected world. We offer course work in interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, media studies and persuasion. Students have the freedom to tailor the program to fit their needs and goals and can be completed in two years. Courses are offered in a combination of online and face-to-face modalities.
Upon graduation, students will know how to conduct research, analyze data, write and communicate effectively. These skills are keys to success in both the workplace and everyday life. A master’s degree can help you stand out from the competition.
In a rush to get a bachelor’s and master’s degree? Current communication undergraduates should also check out our accelerated B.A. to M.A. degree program.
Transcript
The nice thing about the M.A. program in communication at OU is that not only are we a small, intimate program.
We oftentimes have classes that are five or six or seven students. This is great. It allows you to really connect with your professors, to connect with your with your classmates, and to really explore the material in depth.
We also understand that many of our students work and have other obligations.
So we offer our classes in three different modalities synchronously online classes, asynchronous online classes, and face to face classes.
We have an incredible group of professors that work in our program spanning a wide variety of disciplines and subdisciplines within the study of communication.
Communication and leadership, health communication and, global media studies.
We try to introduce our students to critical concepts and fundamental concepts that help them understand communication across all of those processes.
The standard approach is to take the course over two years.
There's also a shorter term commitment that’s 16 credits that’s communication diversity and organization. So that's the certificate program.
You can also enroll in the four plus one program, which is a combination of the undergraduate program and the graduate program.
We're really proud of our students. We have students who go on to do a lot of really cool, interesting things.
We want students to be curious about the world.
You might end up in a course where you didn't think that you would resonate with the material only to learn things or open up new pathways or understandings that you just didn't have before.
see the next few years enrolled in a M.A. program as an opportunity to both learn and to have fun. I think they should also see this as an opportunity to connect with people.
These people are going through the same exact experience at the same exact time as you are, so really focusing on leaning on one another and building those connections to help you get through what can be a challenging time in your life.
Cultivating a culture of connection and that's one of our motto’s, if you will, here in our program.
Exploring new ideas and thinking about how we can make the world a better place.
Build those connections, build those relationships. When you're when you're in your graduate program.
Be golden
Be golden
Be golden
Be golden
Admission to the Master of Arts in Communication is selective. In making admission recommendations, the department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program. In general, applicants are considered for admission with full standing including, but not limited to, the following:
- Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
- TOEFL scores at or above the 90th percentile for international students
The application deadline for the Master of Arts in Communication is February 15 (early), April 15 (regular) and July 15 (late) for fall semester. There are no winter admissions. Admitted students may delay start of the program for no more than one year.
To apply for admission into the Master of Arts in Communication program, you must first satisfy the general admission requirements and follow the steps to apply for graduate admission at Oakland University. The two Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms, listed under university graduate application requirements, must be from faculty members familiar with the applicant’s academic work. For applicants who have been out of school for more than five years, at least one recommender must be a faculty member who is able to judge the applicant’s preparation and ability to undertake graduate study. Substitutions for a faculty recommendation may include work supervisors or approved others who can comment on the applicant’s academic potential for graduate work.
Students seeking admission to the communication program also must submit the following:
- Statement of purpose of no more than 1,000 words detailing the reasons why the student is pursuing advanced study of communication and what kind of work they seek to pursue
- Professional resume
A limited number of graduate assistantships are competitively awarded each academic semester to full-time students. Assistantships include a stipend and a tuition reduction. Full time assistantships include an eight credit tuition reduction each semester. In return, graduate assistants work up to 20 hours per week assisting one or more faculty members in their research efforts. Half time assistantships include a four credit tuition reduction and in return graduate assistants work up to 10 hours per week assisting one or more faculty members in their research efforts. Eligible applicants should submit a completed Graduate Assistantship Interest Form.
Limited scholarship funding is available for MA students who do not hold a GA position at the university. Scholarship applicants must have earned a minimum of 8 credits in the program and have a cumulative GPA of B+ or higher. The application deadlines according to the Graduate College are listed below. Please submit a completed Scholarship Application Form.
- February 15 for Fall
- November 1 for Winter
The time has never been better to pursue a graduate degree in communication. If you would like more information about the graduate program, please contact Dr. Rebekah Farrugia at [email protected].