(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, the University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in the University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Degrees Offered

Graduate Certificate

Graduate Certificate

The IU Online Graduate Certificate in Communication Studies provides graduate-level instruction in communication strategies, practices, and techniques. It teaches practical communication skills needed in professional, academic, and personal contexts, such as presenting information, arguing a position, promoting a cause, presenting information via social media, designing targeted messages, and managing relations and conflicts.  

As a student in the program, you develop innovative strategies for teaching communication, employ effective and ethical communication practices, and apply critical perspectives to production and consumption of media messages.

Participating Campuses

IUPUI, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast

Admissions 

To be accepted to this program, you must have a bachelor's degree and a 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale.

Certificate Requirements 

To earn the Graduate Certificate in Communication Studies, you must complete 18 credit hours.  

Requirements are broken down as follows:   

• Communication pedagogy course (3 cr. hours)
• Communication in context courses (9 cr. hours) 
• Communication in media course (3 cr. hours) 
• Communication elective course (3 cr. hours) 

Courses 

All core courses are listed here. You will select from among these courses to fulfill degree requirements.  

• CMCL-C 502 or SPCH-S 500 Introduction to Communication Theory (3 credits)  
• CMCL-C 545 Communication Pedagogy (3 credits) 
• CMCL-C 594 Communication and Conflict Management in Organizations (3 credits)  
• CMCL-C 606 Media Criticism (3 credits)  
• CMCL-C 610 Identity and Difference (3 credits) 
• COMM-C 510 Health Provider-Consumer Communication (3 credits) 
• COMM-C 528 Group Communication and Organizations (3 credits) 
• COMM-C 544 Advanced Relational Communication (3 credits) 
• COMM-C 582 Advanced Intercultural Communication (3 credits) 
• COMM-C 592 or CMCL-C 592 Advanced Health Communication (3 credits)  
• COMM-C 593 Family Communication (3 credits) 
• SPCH-S 500 Intro to Grad Studies and Research (3 credits) 
• SPCH-S 627 Studies in Cross-Cultural Communication (3 credits)  
• SPCH-S 633 Studies in Interpersonal Communication (3 credits)  
• SPCH-S 640 Studies in Organizational Communication (3 credits)