Master of Arts in Communication

Students collaborate with faculty to prepare a focused plan of study in one or more research emphasis areas in the Department of Communication:

• Health communication
• Strategic communication
• Sport communication
• Media and technology

Deadlines: February 1 with rolling admission through March 1 for following fall / September 30 for following spring (part-time only)

All elements of application are considered equally and in combination. Invited students typically have the following:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• GPA of 3.0-4.0 (no minimum required)
• GRE scores optional
• We will accept TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic test scores. Scores must indicate very strong abilities in listening, writing and speaking. Non-native speakers can be given a conditional acceptance. TOEFL scores are not required if you have a degree from an English-speaking institution.
• Strong writing skills demonstrated through a writing sample(s), personal statement, and curriculum vitae/resume.
• Specific, detailed reasons for pursuing the MAC degree program at Clemson, as well as evidence of successfully working independently on projects, all as described in your in curriculum vitae/resume and statement of purpose.

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Earning a Master of Arts in Communication requires a minimum of 30 total credit hours. In addition to coursework, students choose to pursue a thesis or non-thesis option to complete the degree.

Required Courses

• COMM 8200: Foundations in Communication (3 credit hours)
• COMM 8100: Quantitative Research Methods and/or COMM 8110: Qualitative Research Methods (3-6 credit hours)
• COMM 8900: Colloquium (1 credit hour, repeated each semester)
• COMM 8910: Master’s Thesis Research (6 credit hours) or COMM 8800: Directed Readings in Communication (3 credit hours)

Elective Courses

• COMM graduate courses
• Optional: Courses in related disciplines
• Optional: Internship or Independent Study

Thesis Options

Students choose from two thesis options: scholarly or project.

A scholarly thesis is a traditional, original research project that results in a formal thesis document. Such a project represents a significant contribution to communication scholarship in the area of interest. 

A project thesis is a creative undertaking such as a documentary, software application, performance, public event, archive or digital project. The project must be theoretically informed and include a significant written component.

Browse recent theses on the Clemson Libraries website by clicking here.

Non-Thesis Option

Students selecting the non-thesis option complete a comprehensive exam, which assesses knowledge in their area(s) of interest.

COMM 8000: Communication Pedagogy (1 Credit Hour): Development of teaching skills within the field of communication, focusing on the teaching of general education courses. Explores the facilitation of a positive classroom environment, addressing student needs and evaluation of student work. Discussion of teaching philosophy and pedagogy.

COMM 8100: Quantitative Research Methods in Communication (3 Credit Hours): Explores methods of social scientific research methodologies. Methods range from experimental designs to survey and cross-sectional designs. Final projects will include the employment of one or more methodologies to create a communication-based research proposal.

COMM 8110: Qualitative Research Methods in Communication (3 Credit Hours): Exploration of select issues and methods for qualitative research. Students discuss and practice data gathering and analysis techniques associated with ethnographic, interview and textual approaches. Particular attention is given to research technologies.

COMM 8200: Foundations in Communication (3 Credit Hours): Introduces MA students to graduate study in communication and provides students with necessary skills to comprehend, evaluate, and build upon communication scholarship.

COMM 8210: Seminar in Strategic Communication (3 Credit Hours, repeatable): Explores topics from areas of interest related to strategic communication. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit, but only if different topics are covered.

COMM 8220: Seminar in Sport Communication (3 Credit Hours, repeatable): Explores topics from areas of interest related to sport communication. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit, but only if different topics are covered

COMM 8230: Seminar in Media and Technology (3 Credit Hours, repeatable): Explores topics from areas of interest related to media and technology. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit, but only if different topics are covered.

COMM 8240: Seminar in Health Communication (3 Credit Hours, repeatable): Explores topics from areas of interest related to health communication. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit, but only if different topics are covered.

COMM 8720: Communication Education (3 Credit Hours): Explores communication education and related fields of study, such as instructional communication and critical communication pedagogy.

COMM 8740: Special Topics in Communication Studies (3 Credit Hours): Varying topics within the field of communication. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits, but only if different topics are covered.

COMM 8800: Directed Readings in Communication (1-3 Credit Hours): Directed reading and research in the student’s area of interest in preparation for the comprehensive exam. May be repeated for a maximum of three credits. Preq: Successful completion of core program requirements and approval by the department director of graduate studies

COMM 8900: Communication Graduate Internship (3 Credit Hours): Preplanned, preapproved, faculty-supervised internship provides communication graduate students with field experience in areas related to their curriculum. Provides applied component to advanced study of communication theory and professional development for industry and research careers. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. Preq: Consent of faculty advisor.

COMM 8910: Master’s Thesis Research (1-9 Credit Hours): Students complete research toward production of a master’s thesis. A maximum of six hours may be applied toward a degree, though additional hours may be taken for credit. Preq: Successful completion of core program requirements and all additional courses as approved by the department director of graduate studies.

COMM 8990: Independent Study (1-3 Credit Hours): Tutorial work for graduate students with special interests or projects in communication outside the scope of existing courses.

Assistantships provide a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend for the academic year (nine months). All applicants for full-time admission are considered for an assistantship unless they indicate otherwise. Assistantships are awarded on the availability of funds each year.

Teaching assistantships generally involve our basic communication courses. Graduate teaching assistants develop communication and leadership skills as they help students in the Communication Lab with composing and delivering speeches. They also gain valuable teaching experience by leading their own discussion sections (labs) with the support of our departmental faculty. A one-week training program is delivered before the start of classes in the fall semester, as well as weekly support meetings.

Research assistantships can involve working one-on-one with faculty members, projects or teams. Graduate research assistants gain hands-on experience with the research process through data collection, analysis, presenting and/or writing the final research report. Collaborative projects with faculty typically result in co-authored conference presentations and publications in academic journals.

Assistantships are evaluated and renewed after one year based on performance and academic standing.