Graduate Program & Curriculum

The Elliott School offers two types of graduate programs: A 36-credit hour Master of Arts in Communication degree and a 14-credit hour Graduate Certificate in Applied Communication.

The Master of Arts degree was designed as a more traditional graduate degree for full time students, but more than half of those enrolled are non-traditional students who work full time and take courses one or two at a time. The Graduate Certificate is designed to serve the needs of people who want to take advanced coursework in strategic communication, but who necessarily want to pursue a Master's degree.

Master of Arts Degree in Communication
The Master of Arts in Communication (or MAC) requires completion of 36 hours of coursework in communication and related fields. Fifteen of these hours will be in the graduate core, a set of five courses designed to provide you with a strong foundation in communication theory and research methodology. The balance of your coursework should be selected following consultation with your graduate adviser, who will be assigned to you upon your admission to the MAC program.

To be considered for admission to the MAC program, you must have achieved at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) on your last 60 hours of coursework, have taken the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), submitted a 1-2 page letter of intent, and completed the WSU Graduate School Application for Admission. International students are required to take the TOEFL exam and achieve a minimum score of 600 to be considered for the MAC program.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Each year, the Elliott School selects a group of MAC graduate students to serve as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Applicants must submit application materials by March 1. Applicants selected for GTA positions teach two sections of Wichita State's basic public speaking course, or perform other duties as assigned. In preparation to teach the basic public speaking course, each newly appointed GTA takes a 2-credit course offered each August. GTAs receive a stipend of $7,000 per nine-month contract. GTA's also receive a 100 percent remission of their tuition, but must still pay applicable fees. GTA's are appointed annually and, dependent on satisfactory performance may be reappointed to a second year.

Specific Requirements for the Master's Degree
All MAC students take a Common Core that consists of five courses (3 credits each). In addition, each student takes 21 hours of electives in consultation with their adviser and the graduate coordinator. The five core courses are:

Comm 801 - Introduction to Communication Research
Comm 802 - Historical & Qualitative Methodologies in Communication Research
Comm 803 - Empirical/Quantitative Research Methodology in Communication
Comm 812 - Contemporary Theories of Communication
Comm 865 - Organizational Communication

Graduate Certificate in Applied Communication
All students enrolled in the graduate certificate program take a Common Core consisting of two courses. In addition, each student takes nine credit hours of electives, to be selected in consultation with their adviser. The two core courses are:

Comm TBA - Introduction to Applied Communication (2 hours)
Comm 865 - Organizational Communication (3 hours)

For more information, contact:
Dr. Patricia Dooley, Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Office location: Room 102K
Office phone: (316) 978-6068
E-mail Pat Dooley