The Communication Studies Department offers major and minor graduate programs in Communication Studies. Communication Studies majors may select work in:
- Communication Training & Development
- Interpersonal Communication
- Instructional Communication
- Organizational Communication
- Rhetorical Studies.
Dr. Philip Salem
GRADUATE ADVISING
Dr. Philip Salem, Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Communication Studies
512-245-2165
ps05@txstate.edu
Applying for Graduate School
All applicants must apply electronically through the Graduate College <mailto:gradcollege@txstate.edu> using the ApplyTexas <https://www.applytexas.org/adappc/gen/c_start.WBX online system>. You will be able to electronically upload application materials.
Admission to the Communication Studies graduate program is selective. A Department Admissions Committee considers applications using the following criteria:
1. Applicants must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.2 over the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework.
2. Applicants must complete an essay (500-700 total words) that clearly addresses each of the following questions:
(a) Which area(s) of communication studies are you most interested in pursuing, and why?
(b) Why did you select the M.A. in Communication Studies at Texas State?
(c) How does your academic background prepare you for graduate study in the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State?
(d) What are your plans after completing the M.A. degree and how do you plan to apply your degree?
The essay will be evaluated on the applicant's ability to: demonstrate correct composition, grammar and writing style; provide a complete and well-developed response; and explain and justify her/his answers.
3. Applicants should apply by March 1 for summer or fall admission and by October 15 for spring admission. Send transcripts, the essay, and any other supporting materials directly to the Graduate College <mailto:graduatecollege@txstate.edu> in a timely manner. Consult the Department’s Graduate Advisor as soon as possible about advising and available courses if the department has approved your application.
4. (a) We expect our applicants to bring a familiarity with communication literature and the competencies normally associated with a Communication Studies minor of at least 18 hours. These competencies include abilities to read, analyze, and evaluate empirical communication research, such as reports using surveys and experiments, and rhetorical research, such as a rhetorical criticism of a speech, film, or website. (b) Applicants may not have the typical minor, but applicants may petition the Admissions Committee by describing their equivalent past experiences and competencies in a separate document. (c) Applicants who cannot demonstrate a familiarity with the literature or who cannot demonstrate one or more of these competencies may be required to enroll in as many as two leveling courses. This will not prohibit acceptance into our program, but it will add one or two courses to the curriculum. (d) We will encourage those with an even more limited background to enroll in three or more classes before making a formal application. Consult the Graduate Advisor to determine the exact nature of those courses..
An applicant may want to take the Graduate Record Examination. The Department does not require the GRE for admission to our program, and the Admissions Committee seldom considers the exam scores. However, an applicant’s scores may be useful additional support for admission if some other factors are not as strong and if the applicant desires to apply to other programs after their MA. Similarly, the Department does not require letters of recommendation as part of an application to our program, but an applicant may want to include some as additional material.
Send all general questions about applications and application status to commgraduate@txstate.edu. For specific questions about the program, courses, advising, and registration, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.
Introducing the Class of Fall 2011
Teaching & Learning Academy
GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS
Many of our full-time graduate students work as Instructional Assistants in our basic communication course (COMM 1310). These students serve as lab instructors and are responsible for facilitating activities, administering exams, and grading major assignments. Instructional Assistants who have earned 18 graduate credit hours and maintained a sufficient GPA will have an opportunity to apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position where they will be in charge of teaching their own classes of COMM1310.If an applicant has an interest in a Graduate Teaching Assistantship, the Department requires you to send letters of recommendation to:
Dr. Steven A. Beebe
Chair, Department of Communication Studies
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666
Apply for Graduate Instructional Assistantship
Seminar Description
College and university professors traditionally have been better prepared in the practice of research than in the practice of teaching. This seminar is designed to prepare Instructional Assistants for teaching duties as members of the professoriate. COMM 5100 will provide students with opportunities for dialogue and feedback in regard to planning lab sessions and engaging students. Students will achieve advanced skills in teaching and will better understand the practice of teaching and learning at the college level.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATION IN CORPORATE COMMUNICATION & TRAINING
The Department of Communication Studies at Texas State offers a Certificate in Corporate Communication & Training to provide graduate-level instruction in organizational communication, communication training and development, and communication principles and strategies for contemporary organizations. This is a 9-hour certificate program that may be taken as a freestanding certificate or as part of a Master's or Doctoral program.
You may apply for the Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communication and Training through the Graduate College (link) using the Apply Texas (link) online system. Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communication and Training is selective. The admissions criteria for the Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communication and Training are the same as the criteria for applying for the M.A. degree in Communication Studies.
- In addition to submitting your application on line you should also submit a 500-word statement addressing the following questions:
- Why are you seeking the Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communication and Training?
- How does your academic background prepare you for the certificate (such as previous coursework in communication and/or experience as a trainer)?
- What are your plans after completing the Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communication and Training and how do you plan to apply this certificate?
Send your essay to the Graduate College:
The Graduate College
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666-4605
COMM STUDIES GRADUATE ASSOCIATION (CSGA)
The purpose of the Communication Studies Graduate Association is to create a cohesive community of Graduate students in our department. We will do so by providing opportunities for networking, professional development, service within the community of San Marcos, as well as academic and social support.
Our website is: www.studentorgs.txstate.edu/csga/index.html
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