Department of Communication

Main Office 8th floor, 25 Park Place; 404-413-5600

Department of Communication
Georgia State University
8th Floor, 25 Park Place Bldg.
Atlanta, GA 30302-4000
404-413-5600
communication.gsu.edu
Email: commgraddirector@gsu.edu

Greg Lisby, Chair
Jaye Atkinson, Associate Chair
Carrie P. Freeman, Graduate Director
Donna Krache, Associate Director, Digital Media Strategies

The Master of Arts degree in Communication is a multidisciplinary degree designed to prepare communication professionals and academicians for the demands of the twenty-first century. Each student may select an area of concentration from the following: 1) Digital Media Strategies, 2) Human Communication and Social Influence, or 3) Mass Communication. Required core classes are designed to provide coherence to the multidisciplinary offerings of the program by providing an overview of the communications field and by introducing concepts common and debated in all areas of communication.

The Ph.D. in Communication Studies is mainly designed to prepare students for positions in academia, but also equips those seeking professional advancement in research-based communication industry careers. Concentrations are offered in the areas of 1) Media and Society, 2) Public Communication, and 3) Rhetoric and Politics.

Based on theoretical perspectives from rhetoric, public argument, audience research, media studies, global communication, international communication, health communication, strategic communication, and new media, the Communication Studies program is engaged in the exploration of public discourse and massmediated environments, with the purpose of preparing students to investigate how persuasive practices are transforming culture at home and abroad.

Applicants may obtain additional information about the Department of Communication by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies at the email address above.

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Communication has the following requirements:

Applicants to the M.A. program must submit:
- A statement of educational or career goals
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential to do graduate work in Communication
- An above-average undergraduate grade-point average (a minimally qualified applicant typically will achieve at least a 3.0)
- A sufficiently high score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) prior to consideration for acceptance into the graduate degree program (and for international students, the TOEFL examination)
Applicants to the M.A. program, Digital Media Strategies concentration, must submit:
- A statement of educational or career goals
- Three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential for advance professional growth through graduate studies in Communication
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities the applicant has attended
- A minimum of 3.0 overall undergraduate grade point average and a baccalaureate degree
- Portfolio/sample work which demonstrates evidence of professional competence
Applicants to the Ph.D. program must submit:
- A statement of educational or career goals
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential to do graduate work in Communication
- An above average undergraduate and master’s grade point average
- A sufficiently high score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) prior to consideration for acceptance into the graduate degree program (and for international students, the TOEFL examination)
- A writing sample that demonstrates their ability to conduct and effectively present academic research

NOTE: All applicants for the Ph.D. in Communication must have earned a master’s degree before entering the program.

Students who have substantial records of professional experience in a communication field may also provide a one-page summary of their experience.

The Department of Communication reviews applications for spring and fall semesters for applicants to the M.A. programs. Applicants for the Ph.D. program will be admitted in the fall only.

The deadline to apply for admission and funding consideration for the PhD program is December 1. The regular deadline for the PhD program is February 10.
Deadline for applications for M.A. domestic students is March 15 for fall semester and October 15 for spring semester.
Deadline for applications for international students is March 15 for fall semester and October 15 for spring semester.
The department will not consider requests for Special Graduate Status admission.