Communication, Master of Arts
School of Communication
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
This graduate degree was created to provide students with advanced skills in communication analysis, problem-solving, critical-thinking, research, theoretical application, and written communication.
- Available Emphasis Areas:
- Documentary Studies - Emphasis
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To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.
You must additionally complete:- All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
- All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
- All work toward the master's degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
Read the full policy here.
In addition to University Requirements:
- Complete individual plan requirements.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 36 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required. |
| Research | Individualized research may be required by chosen emphasis or offered as an option. |
| Progression Plan Link | View Program of Study |
Purpose Statement
The MA in Communication provides students with advanced skills in communication analysis, problem solving, critical thinking, research, theoretical application, argumentation, and written communication. Students choose from either the MA in Communication (with no emphasis) or the MA in Communication with an emphasis in Documentary Studies.
The MA in Communication provides a foundation of the basic research methods, theories, and standards of argument in the academic study of communication. Students explore theories and research in a variety of communicative contexts with an emphasis on the application of concepts, theories, and research to real-world issues. Students will be able to access, understand, evaluate, and apply research, concepts, and theories. Students will engage in original research and/or the application of existing research, concepts, and theories to specific situations for the purpose of problem-solving and/or evaluation, including effective message design. Students will learn the expectations of academic argument in communication as well as how to effectively communicate their findings to diverse audiences. The MA in Communication (with no emphasis) will be of relevance to working professionals in a variety of fields, educators, activists, and those preparing to pursue a PhD in Communication, Communication Studies, Rhetoric, or related disciplines.
The Documentary Studies emphasis provides a solid grounding in the theoretical, critical, and practical traditions that inform documentary work. Students engage in intensive research and fieldwork, professional production skills in storytelling, and learn to critically analyze media in terms of both content and craft. Particular attention is given to the role of documentary as social critique and bringing untold, under-reported, and under-represented issues and peoples into the public eye. The program is ideally suited to prepare students for today's world of cutting-edge multimedia journalism, documentary work, as well as preparation for PhD programs in cinema and media studies.
Student Learning Outcomes
Core Student Learning Outcomes
- Learn and apply basic research methods in Communication scholarship.
- Demonstrate ability to plan, conduct, and disseminate a research project in human communication.
- Understand, synthesize, and explain the historical development of Communication as an academic field of inquiry.
- Integrate and apply knowledge of communication theories to multiple contexts of human communication.
- Utilize communication constructs, theories and concepts to define, evaluate, and manage real-world problems, conflicts, and events.
- Develop skills in constructing and presenting messages to diverse audiences.
Communication Studies Emphasis Learning Outcomes - Demonstrate ability to plan, conduct, and disseminate a research project in human communication.
- Understand, synthesize, and explain major research methods in Communication Studies.
- Integrate and apply knowledge of communication theories to multiple contexts of human communication.
- Develop skills in constructing and presenting messages to diverse audiences.
- Engage a theoretical and historical understanding of documentary as rooted in the traditions of creative storytelling and social critique.
- Apply heightened skills of observation, critical thinking, and creativity to the stories of untold, under-reported, and under-represented issues and peoples; bring these stories to the public eye.
- Create and distribute a variety of documentary projects in different forms at an advanced level to diverse populations.
- Realize that production tools and techniques are a means to author a unique point of view shaped by the documentarian's philosophical sensibilities and ways of seeing the world.
Additional Admission Requirements
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Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
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The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
Admission requirements include the following:- Transcripts.
- Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.
Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.
Ready to apply? Begin your application now.International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.
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- GRE® Revised General Test
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- Three letters of recommendation
- A writing sample
- A personal statement or essay
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- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Master's Requirements
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Take the following 36 units:
Select one from (3 units):
Core requirements (12 units):
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Select one of the following:
Communication Elective Coursework: (18-21 units)- Elective Coursework is chosen in consultation with your advisor
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- Courses may include, with advisor approval, up to 9 units of coursework outside of Communication and Communication Studies.
- No more than 6 units of individualized studies as independent studies, directed readings, and research are allowed in the student’s coursework.
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OR
Documentary Studies Emphasis (21 units)- COM 535 (3 units)
- COM 550 (3 units)
- COM 605 (3 units)
- Additional coursework chosen in consultation with a graduate faculty advisor. Select elective courses from any graduate program at NAU that will help provide you the research tools, specialization, knowledge, and intercultural understanding for documentary work. Such disciplines could include, but are not limited to: anthropology, communication, environmental science, ethnic studies, women’s and gender studies, sociology, among others. (9-12 units)
Thesis Option- COM 699 (6 units). Be aware that students may end up taking more than the 6 units that count toward the degree, as enrollment in COM 699 is required each fall and spring semester once a student begins the thesis until the student graduates. Additionally, students must enroll for at least 1 unit of COM 699 the semester in which they plan to defend and graduate, including summer, regardless of the number of units already taken. (6 units)
- COM 690 (3 units). Be aware that students may end up taking more than the 3 units that count toward the degree, as enrollment for at least one credit of COM 690 may be required each semester in which a student works on a project. Students in the Documentary Studies Emphasis may also be required to take 3 additional units of COM 690, which will count toward their elective requirements.
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Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.