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    University of North Texas
   
    Jul 25, 2025  
2025-26 Graduate Catalog 
    
2025-26 Graduate Catalog

Department of Communication Studies


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Main Departmental Office
General Academic Building, Room 309A

Mailing address:
1155 Union Circle #305268
Denton, TX 76203-5017
940-565-2588
Fax: 940-565-3630
Web site: www.comm.unt.edu

Suzanne Enck, Chair
 

Faculty  
 

The Department of Communication Studies offers qualified students the opportunity to earn a graduate degree (MA). The master’s degree in communication studies offers the student the opportunity to learn about theory and research in communication studies by examining communication in human affairs and the symbolic processes through which humans interact. The curriculum is designed to facilitate student mastery of theory and research, to develop student research capabilities, and to enhance student preparation for a variety of careers or further graduate study.

The department offers course work in rhetorical, performance and social science traditions. Students are afforded opportunities to explore communication from applied and theoretical perspectives using analytical, critical, quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Course work features the investigation of communication in interpersonal, organizational, political, legal, cultural, aesthetic, health and international contexts. Among the topics students will encounter in their graduate program are gender and diversity issues, social influence, ethics, narrative, and social change. The graduate experience is enhanced by opportunities to engage in conducting research with faculty members, participating in regional and national festivals and processional conferences, and internships with corporations, social service organizations, and government entities.

The degree program requires 36 hours of graduate course work as part of an approved master’s degree plan. As part of this degree plan, students have three options for completing the MA degree in Communication Studies: 1) comprehensive exams and 3-hour Problem in Lieu of Thesis (a semester-long research project); 2) comprehensive exams and 3-hour Internship course (requiring 150 hours of internship hours in a role related to the field of Communication Studies); or 3) 6-hour Thesis project (completed over the course of two long semesters). 

The department also supports an interdisciplinary doctorate with a major in information science. See the College of Information  section of this catalog for more information.

Research

We generally have three areas of departmental faculty and course work in communication studies (communication, culture and public discourse; interpersonal, digital and organizational communication; and performance studies), the research interests of our faculty span a wide array of areas, including:

  1. rhetorical analysis and criticism of persuasive public communication in historical, political and cultural contexts;
  2. the role of communication in organizations, professions, sports, and groups, including stress in the workplace, message framing, conflict management, whistleblowing, interpersonal and professional relationships, pedagogy, and small group communication and decision-making;
  3. performance of texts, literary and performance theory and criticism, history of performance studies, intertextuality, phenomenology, and literary and rhetorical applications of narrative theory;
  4. health communication;
  5. sport communication;
  6. computer-mediated and digital communication;
  7. critical and cultural studies of communication, cultural values, ideologies and politics;
  8. investigations into rhetorics of policy-making and public policy practices;
  9. intercultural communication; and
  10. narrative studies.

Teaching assistantships

The department offers a number of teaching assistantships that provide graduate students with valuable experience as a classroom teacher or a debate assistant, in addition to financial support. Teaching Assistants work with a variety of courses, including teaching stand-alone recitations and serving as graders for a wide breadth of courses. TAs receive extensive training during pre-semester orientations, ongoing mentoring from faculty, and the Communication and Pedagogy graduate course. 

Students working toward a master’s degree carry their own 9-credit class load during the fall and spring semesters, while working as a TA for 20 hours/ week. Students receiving Teaching Assistantships upon admission to the communication studies program are awarded the assistantship for one academic year, which will automatically be renewed for a second year as long as the student remains in good standing with the Department and University. Summer assistantships are optional but limited, and are available based on University funding and student enrollments.

Admission requirements and procedures

Our graduate program in communication studies is a research-based, theoretically grounded graduate program that invites students to develop a mastery of human communication. Our program requires a certain background in communication discipline (undergraduate courses related to the discipline of communication and/or related social scientific fields). Because of the interdisciplinary nature of much of the work done in the Department of Communication Studies, admission is open to many who did not major in communication as undergraduates. Applicants with fewer than 24 hours of undergraduate communication course work may request admission on the basis of communication-related courses.

Application deadlines

Our application deadlines are rolling, and we accept applications throughout each semester; however, the Department of Communication Studies encourages early applications. The department has a limited number of available slots in the program and an even more limited number of assistantships to award each semester. Applications received by the deadlines indicated below receive priority consideration.

For Fall semesters: Rolling applications accepted. Application review for the Fall admissions begins January 15 and continues until available openings are filled. For international applicants, applying by April 15 increases the chance of timely admission and I-20 processing, if admitted.

For Spring semesters: Rolling applications accepted. Application review for Spring admissions begin August 1 and continues until available openings are filled. For international applicants, applying by October 15 increases the chance of timely admission and I-20 processing, if admitted.

For step-by-step instructions on the application process, please visit the Graduate Admissions web site. This will include details on how to submit materials including transcripts, letters of recommendation and other items. 

Required admissions materials

  1. An online application through the UNT GradCAS (Centralized Application System). Graduate School application fee is due at the time of application. Please note that the department has no ability to waive the application fee.
  2. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities that you have attended.
  3. Application letter: In addition to indicating the semester and year you would like to enter the program, your letter of application that conveys your purpose in pursuing a graduate degree at UNT in Communication Studies (specifically addressing your research interests), experiences that have served as a foundation for graduate work in Communication Studies, and how pursing a graduate degree in our department will aid in your professional plans and/or career aspirations. If you would like to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship, this letter should also include a paragraph that indicates your relevant work or academic experience and how serving as a TA would fit into your professional goals. 

  4. Verbal, quantitative and analytical writing scores for the Graduate Record Examination. (The department does not admit students who have not had GRE scores reported to the graduate school.)
    • GRE Exemption: Students graduating with a major in communication studies (or speech communication) who earned a minimum GPA of 3.25 overall and 3.5 in their major are exempt from the GRE requirements.
  5. A current vita or resume in which you address each of the following areas (as applicable):
    1. educational background;
    2. previous work experience (highlighting skills relevant to pursuing a master’s degree and/or serving as a Teaching Assistant);
    3. publications, performances, exhibitions or other scholarly activities;
    4. previous research experience (e.g., completion of an undergraduate thesis or honor’s project, large-scale course research projects, work as a Research Assistant);
    5. involvement in community and extracurricular activities;
    6. awards and recognitions.
  6. Two signed letters of recommendation. We ask that you submit 2 signed letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your academic and/or professional abilities. At least one letter must be from a professor. One letter may be submitted by a current or past employer, though academic references are preferred.
  7. An essay or writing sample from a upper-level undergraduate course or honors thesis. The writing sample needs to demonstrate your proficiency at conducting and reporting research, including clear use of cited academic research that follows an appropriate style guide (e.g., APA, MLA, or Chicago). If an applicant does not have a suitable writing sample, the applicant is invited to complete a research paper on a topic related to the field of communication studies.

The Department of Communication Studies conducts holistic reviews in making admissions decisions. In examining application materials submitted, we seek a positive indication of potential success in the program. 

Programs

    Master’s Degree

    Courses

      Communication Studies

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