Pictured | Katie Feehan | M.A. Communication Studies | B.F.A., Indiana University South Bend, 2014 | Portage, Indiana (hometown)
Club Affiliation | Graduate Student Association of Communication Studies
Master of Arts in Communication Studies
The Master of Arts in Communication Studies is a 30-credit hour program offering advanced study for students to take part in research, creative work, and teaching in diverse areas of communication, information, interaction, and culture.
The program is aimed to assist working professionals to advance their career goals by focusing on their specialized field, and to prepare the individuals who desire to advance their academic career to Ph.D. programs or professional degrees. Those who seek intellectual opportunities to advance their knowledge and critical thinking skills or recent graduates of four-year colleges who are interested in continuing their education to the higher level would choose to advance to the master’s program in order to build a plan of study that reflects their career interests in consultation with their academic advisor. Students are given personal attention to produce a quality thesis or applied project at the end of the program.
The program is designed to be completed in two years, if students are full-time. Adjusted timelines for study are available for part-time students. The program is flexible with evening courses designed to assist working professionals.
Admission Requirements
Information about applying for admission to the M.A. in Communication Studies degree program is available by contacting the graduate faculty via email at commstma@iusb.edu. Applicants for the program must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. A candidate who does not meet the GPA requirement may apply for special student status. Students are admitted to the Communication Studies graduate program by the departmental selection committee.
The following materials are required:
- A completed online application submitted through IU South Bend’s Graduate Programs Admissions application
- A statement of purpose (a two- to three-page essay, double spaced) identifying the candidate’s goals and interest in pursuing graduate work in Communication Studies and describing the educational and work experiences that contributed to that sense of purpose.
- Three letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional sources who can attest to your readiness for graduate-level work.
- An official transcript from each postsecondary school attended.
- IU South Bend application fee.
If applying for special-student status, students may additionally need to submit:
- A request for conditional admission identifying the areas in which the applicant does not meet admission standards and, if appropriate, describing the special conditions, educational background, or work experiences that contribute to the candidate’s preparedness for graduate work.
International applicants should consult with the Office of International Student Services for additional materials. The information is available at https://www.iusb.edu/oiss/index.php. Acceptable TOEFL scores are needed for non-English speaking applicants (recommended score for the traditional paper version is 600, recommended score for the computer version is 250 and, recommended score for the internet version is 90); and a telephone interview may also be required.
Application Deadline
- Early admission, fall semester | February 1
- Final admission, fall semester | July 1
- Final admission, spring semester | December 1