2024-2025 Graduate Catalog
Department of Communication
|
|
 Return to: College of Arts and Sciences
Communication (PhD)
Telephone: (302) 831-8041
Website: https://www.communication.udel.edu/grad-program/prospective-grad-students
Faculty listing: https://www.communication.udel.edu/people/faculty
Contact Graduate Director, Paul Brewer (prbrewer@udel.edu) for additional information.
Program Overview
The mission of the PhD program in the Department of Communication is to provide advanced training to students in the field of Communication, and others with relevant disciplinary interest (e.g., social sciences, technology), with the goal of preparing them for research-based careers in academia or industry. This degree provides high quality classroom-based instruction through a core graduate curriculum of theory, research methods, and statistical analysis courses. Beyond the core classes, students work with their advisors to create a focused program of study designed to their interests. The department has particular strengths in the areas of health communication, interpersonal communication, media communication, and political communication.
A graduate of our Ph.D. program will be able to: articulate the central theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts of the discipline; apply communication science theory and methods to conduct independent and cooperative research on complex questions and societal problems that is publishable in the communication discipline’s core peer-reviewed journals, and incorporate ethical communication principles and practices into their research and teaching. Students will demonstrate their proficiency with these goals through successful completion of their coursework, passage of their candidacy examinations and oral defense, and a successful defense of a completed doctoral dissertation. For students entering the program with a completed master’s degree, the program is 60 credits. For students entering the program with a bachelor’s degree, the program is 75 credits.
Requirements for Admission
To be considered for admissions, all applicants are evaluated on the following criteria:
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, in communication or an allied discipline, with an accompanying transcript from that institution. Students entering directly to the Ph.D. program will be required to obtain an M.A. degree during their studies.
2. A master’s degree in communication or other related discipline from an accredited college or university, with an accompanying transcript from that institution, is preferred.
3. If you opt to take the GRE, applicants with the best chance of admission have a combined score of 300 for the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections. Also expected is a minimum score of 4.5 for the analytical writing portion. If you do not take the GRE, you must provide other evidence of quantitative ability (such as good grades in statistics or advanced math courses), and evidence of academic writing potential (through your writing sample).
4. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher as well as a within major minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. If the applicant has earned a master’s degree, a minimum GPA of 3.5 is required for that degree.
5. A written statement of goals and objectives (the personal statement) that clearly addresses the following questions: (1) What specific area of Communication are you interested in exploring and which of our faculty member(s) do you consider most appropriate to mentor you in your academic work and why?, (2) What is one Communication-related question or concept that keeps you up at night with curiosity?, and (3) Are you interested in studying Communication from a quantitative, social-scientific perspective (as opposed to a more critical cultural or interpretive perspective)?
6. Three letters of recommendation from an academic, employer, and/or other professional source who can address the scholarship potential of the applicant. All letters of recommendation will be submitted online per the Graduate College admission policy. See http://grad.udel.edu/apply/ for details.
7. If required, international students must submit official results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam taken with the last 2 years (for non-native English speaking applicants only). All scores must be received before an admissions decision can be rendered.
8. A curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.
9. A critical writing sample is required. This may be an essay, a research project manuscript, or other piece of writing the applicant believes is a good example of their writing. The same should be no longer than 25 double spaced pages.
10. A video essay, not to extend beyond one minute, based on the topic, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how do you see this program helping you achieve that goal?”
11. Applicants applying for admission and a graduate assistantship should have their complete application submitted by January 5 for admission in the fall semester. Applicants applying for admission only should have their complete application submitted by April 1 for admission in the fall semester. Students are not typically admitted to begin their studies during the spring semester.
These data are carefully considered in relation to the strengths of the Department to determine if it can give the applicant the graduate education desired.
For transfer students, graduate credit earned at another institution will be evaluated at the written request of the student. In order for the transfer to be considered the following are required:
● The grade earned in the course is no less than a B-.
● The course was completed at an accredited college or university.
● The original course syllabus must be submitted with the written request.
● The course must have an equivalent course in the Department of Communication’s course inventory.
● The course was completed in the last five years.
● Transferred courses may not have been used in the completion of another degree.
Credits from institutions outside of the United States are generally not transferable to the University of Delaware.
Admission to the Ph.D. program in Communication is selective and competitive, based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Applicants who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
Financial Aid
Most students in the Ph.D. program will be supported by graduate teaching assistantships and tuition scholarships provided by the Department of Communication and the College of Arts and Sciences. When available students in the program will be supported by graduate research assistantships provided by external grants through Department of Communication faculty members. Assistantships are awarded on the basis of merit based upon student admissions applications and nominations from the department. Awards are granted to full- time students in good academic standing with regular status.
Communication (MA)
Telephone: (302) 831-8041
Website: https://www.communication.udel.edu/grad-program/prospective-grad-students
Contact Graduate Director, Paul Brewer (prbrewer@udel.edu) for additional information.
Program Overview
The Department of Communication offers an in-person Master of Arts degree in Communication. The basic goal of this program is to produce competent consumers of empirical communication research and theory. A graduate student may concentrate in any of the department’s areas of emphasis or may select a more general program. In either case the coursework and related elements of the program will provide the student with the necessary background to undertake the research required to complete a M.A. thesis or to pass the comprehensive examination for successful completion of the degree. The program is designed to prepare a student for admission to a Ph.D. program in the Communication, as well as to aid a student in preparing for a career if the M.A. is considered a terminal degree.
Requirements for Admission
To be considered for admissions, all applicants are evaluated on the following criteria:
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, in communication or an allied discipline, with an accompanying transcript from that institution. Students entering directly to the Ph.D. program will be required to obtain an M.A. degree during their studies.
2. A master’s degree in communication or other related discipline from an accredited college or university, with an accompanying transcript from that institution, is preferred.
3. If you opt to take the GRE, applicants with the best chance of admission have a combined score of 300 for the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections. Also expected is a minimum score of 4.5 for the analytical writing portion. If you do not take the GRE, you must provide other evidence of quantitative ability (such as good grades in statistics or advanced math courses), and evidence of academic writing potential (through your writing sample).
4. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher as well as a within major minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. If the applicant has earned a master’s degree, a minimum GPA of 3.5 is required for that degree.
5. A written statement of goals and objectives (the personal statement) that clearly addresses the following questions: (1) What specific area of Communication are you interested in exploring and which of our faculty member(s) do you consider most appropriate to mentor you in your academic work and why?, (2) What is one Communication-related question or concept that keeps you up at night with curiosity?, and (3) Are you interested in studying Communication from a quantitative, social-scientific perspective (as opposed to a more critical cultural or interpretive perspective)?
6. Three letters of recommendation from an academic, employer, and/or other professional source who can address the scholarship potential of the applicant. All letters of recommendation will be submitted online per the Graduate College admission policy. See http://grad.udel.edu/apply/ for details.
7. If required, international students must submit official results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam taken with the last 2 years (for non-native English speaking applicants only). All scores must be received before an admissions decision can be rendered.
8. A curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.
9. A critical writing sample is required. This may be an essay, a research project manuscript, or other piece of writing the applicant believes is a good example of their writing. The same should be no longer than 25 double spaced pages.
10. A video essay, not to extend beyond one minute, based on the topic, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how do you see this program helping you achieve that goal?”
11. Applicants applying for admission and a graduate assistantship should have their complete application submitted by January 5 for admission in the fall semester. Applicants applying for admission only should have their complete application submitted by April 1 for admission in the fall semester. Students are not typically admitted to begin their studies during the spring semester.
These data are carefully considered in relation to the strengths of the Department to determine if it can give the applicant the graduate education desired.
Admission to the M.A. program in Communication is selective and competitive, based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Applicants who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
Financial Aid
A limited number of teaching assistantships (and sometimes research assistantships) may be available and are awarded competitively in the spring of each year. The application deadline for teaching or research assistantships in Communication is January 5. Teaching Assistants are expected to attend a number of training sessions in the month prior to their enrollment. Those who fail to attend these sessions will forfeit their financial aid.
Strategic Communication (M.A.)
Telephone: (302) 831-8041
Website: https://www.udel.edu/academics/online/programs/ma-masters-strategic-communication/
Contact Program Director, Tara Smith (taralynn@udel.edu) for additional information.
Faculty listing: https://www.communication.udel.edu/people/faculty
Program Overview
The mission of the Department of Communication’s MA program in Strategic Communication is to provide training to practitioners and students in the fields of strategic communication, public relations, digital media, and social media. This program provides high quality online instruction through a core graduate curriculum, hence allowing students to focus their program of study in one of the degree’s two specializations or to build an individualized program of study of their own. The program also includes a capstone course that will allow students to demonstrate what they’ve learned through a practical, hands-on project.
Students in the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication program are expected to develop a deeper understanding of strategic communication and acquire the skill set to apply what they learn in the professional world. These students will be able to immediately apply the theoretical and practical content of the coursework to their current and future positions of employment. All of this will be accomplished in a flexible program that a student can complete while maintaining full-time employment in as little as 18 months.
Students must demonstrate proficiency with course content through successful completion of coursework, including successful completion of the capstone course. The capstone course will require students to identify a strategic communication-related challenge or opportunity, conduct research and develop a comprehensive communication campaign. It will also require students to deliver recommendations for the future based upon knowledge and skills gained through their coursework.
Requirements for Admission
Admission to the MA in Strategic Communication program is competitive. Those who meet standard minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer appropriate strengths and skills.
Applicants will adhere to the University’s Office of Graduate and Professional Education procedures using the online admission process accessible at http://grad.udel.edu/apply/.
Admission decisions will be made by the Program Director for the Online M.A. in Strategic Communication. Students will be admitted to the program based on enrollment availability and their ability to meet the following minimum entrance requirements:
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. This degree need not be in communication or a related field. Transcripts for all undergraduate (and graduate studies where applicable) must be included. Transcripts issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official translation into English.
2. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
3. A written statement of goals and objectives (the personal statement) that clearly describes why the applicant wants to pursue this degree and how it could assist them now (or in the future) in achieving their professional or career goals.
4. Three letters of recommendation from professional sources and/or professors that can speak to the applicant’s ability as a student or to their academic and/or professional motivations and/or potential. All letters of recommendation will be submitted online per the Office of Graduate and Professional Education admission policy. See http://grad.udel.edu/apply/ for details.
5. Official results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam taken with the last 2 years (for non-native English speaking applicants only). For the TOEFL a score of at least 600 for the paper-based exam or 100 for the internet-based exam is required. For the IELTS exam a minimum score of 7.0 is expected. All scores must be received before an admissions decision can be rendered.
6. A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV).
7. Applicants applying for admission to begin the program at the start of the fall semester must have their complete application submitted by August 10. Applicants applying for admission to begin the program at the start of the spring semester must have their complete application submitted by January 21. Applicants applying for admission to begin the program at the start of the summer session must have their complete application submitted by May 20.
Graduate credit earned at another institution will be evaluated at the written request of the student. Such a request will be evaluated by the Program Director for the Online M.A. in Strategic Communication. In order for the transfer to be considered the following are required:
● The grade earned in the course is no less than a B-.
● The course was completed at an accredited college or university.
● The original course syllabus must be submitted with the written request.
● The course must have an equivalent course in the Department of Communication’s course inventory.
● The course was completed in the last five years.
● Transferred courses may not have been used in the completion of another degree.
If approved by the Program Director for the Online M.A. in Strategic Communication, credits, but not the grades or quality points, are transferable to the University of Delaware graduate records. Credits from institutions outside of the United States are generally not transferable to the University of Delaware. A maximum of nine credits will be allowed for transfer.
Financial Aid
Students in the M.A. in Strategic Communication program will not be supported by graduate teaching assistantships or other forms of external funding awarded through the Department of Communication. It is anticipated that many students will receive tuition reimbursements by employers for seeking further education in their associated career fields. When necessary, students are strongly encouraged to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.
ProgramsMaster’sDoctorateCertificate4+1
Return to: College of Arts and Sciences
|
