Communication Arts
- Overview
- Master's Degree
- Financial Aid
- Admission
- Ph.D. Degree
- Ph.D. Minor
- Courses
- Criteria for Satisfactory Progress
| Administrative Unit: | Communication Arts |
| College/School: | College of Letters and Science |
| Admitting Plans: | M.A., Ph.D. |
| Degrees Offered: | M.A./M.F.A., Ph.D. |
| Minors and Certificates: | Ph.D. Minor |
| Specializations: | Communication Science, Film, Media and Cultural Studies, Rhetoric |
Faculty: Professors Zaeske (chair), Curtin, Hilmes, Jacobs, Kepley, Lucas, Murphy, Pan, Smith; Associate Professors Asen, Beltrán, Conway, Gray, Howard, Mares, Singer, van Swol, Xenos; Assistant Professors Brown, Gruffat
Overview
Students may pursue the master of arts and the doctor of philosophy degrees in communication arts in one of the four areas of study: communication science, film, media and cultural studies, or rhetoric (see descriptions below). Although terminal M.A. degrees may occasionally be awarded, the programs are designed primarily to meet the needs of Ph.D. candidates. The department anticipates that most students will accept positions as academics at the college and university level. To that end, the department seeks to train productive researchers, committed teachers, and engaged public intellectuals who recognize a responsibility to participate actively in the world beyond the university.
Master's Degree
Specific requirements for the master's degree vary among the four areas. Prospective graduate students should consult the department Web site for specific information on degree requirements in each area.
Ph.D. Degree
Specific requirements for the doctoral degree vary among the four graduate programs. Prospective graduates should consult the department Web site for information on degree requirements in each of the four areas. A four-course Ph.D. minor is required, which allows graduate students to integrate study in such ovealpping fields as history, ethnic studies, gender studies, sociology, and global studies, or from other aeras within the communication arts department.
Communication Science
Communication science is concerned with processes by which human beings interact in order to produce some effect on one another. The area utilizes scientific methods to gain a broad understanding of these processes. Effort to develop such understanding is carried out in three specific contexts.
- The personal relationships subarea focuses on the sending and receiving of verbal and nonverbal messages between members of close relationships (such as families and dating partners). The interaction patterns associated with conflict and conflict management are of particular interest in this context.
- The media effects subarea is concerned with processes and effects of using mass media. Faculty interests focus on political communication, public opinion, mass media and social changes, the roles of the media in framing public policy issues, and the process of news production.
- The social influence subarea examines the processes underlying message production and message effects with a special emphasis on interpersonal and small-group interaction. Questions concerning attitude and behavior change are studied in this subarea.
Students in communication science are expected to master two of the three areas.
Film
The study of film is concerned primarily with motion picture history, theory, and criticism, approached through intensive critical analysis of individual films; research into the primary documents of filmmakers and the film industry; and the construction of theoretical models of film forms and styles, national cinemas, film genres, and the economics of the film industry. Courses in film production are meant primarily for students studying history, theory, and criticism as a way to enhance their understanding of the practical decisions filmmakers confront. The program is not designed for students whose primary interest is film production.
Media and Cultural Studies
The media and cultural studies (MCS) program emphasizes the study of media in their historical, economic, social, and political context. MCS courses examine the cultural forms created and disseminated by media industries and the ways in which they resonate in everyday life, on the individual, national, and global level. Focusing primarily on sound and screen media--radio, television, film, popular music, new media--but reaching out across boundaries, MCS encourages interdisciplinary and transmedia research. MCS courses draw on a broad range of cultural theories spanning a spectrum of concerns all centrally relevant to the functioning of sound and screen media in a diverse and globalizing cultural environment.
Rhetoric
Graduate work in rhetoric focuses on public discourse, critical method, and rhetorical theory. Research in public discourse explores significant themes, trajectories, and transformations in American and international politics and society, as well as consideration of particular rhetors, cultures, eras, genres, and topics. Study of critical method focuses on modes of inquiry that explicate the complex dynamics of rhetorical texts and contexts. Theoretical studies deal with the cultural development, intellectual content, and practical implications of rhetorical perspectives from the classical period to the present, including contemporary rhetorical theory as well as critical, cultural, and philosophical theory more generally. The curriculum is united by a common commitment to understanding the role of expressive discourse in cultural and civic engagement. Students are encouraged to investigate a wide range of contemporary and historical phenomena so as to develop a level of expertise that will allow for significant research and scholarly achievement.
Ph.D. Minor
Graduate students from other departments may pursue a Ph.D. minor in any one of the four Communication Arts area programs. Requirements are set in consultation with a department advisor. Contact the graduate coordinator for more information.
Financial Aid
The principal types of graduate student financial aid are teaching, research, and project assistantships. Most communication arts graduate students are supported by teaching assistnatships and thus a high level of competency in written and spoken English is required. A limited number of fellowships are available. All students are considered for assistantships and fellowships at the time of application. No separate application is necessary.
Admission
Applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, although successful applicants usually have much higher GPAs. Students whose preparation does not meet the requirements of the area of study to which they have been admitted may be required to enroll in specific courses to remedy deficiencies.
Applicants must submit two official copies of transcripts from all institutions attended, three letters of recommendation from academic sources, official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, official TOEFL or IELTS scores for international students whose native language is not English, a statement of purpose for graduate study, and a 12- to 15-page writing sample (in English). Although the department requires no minimum GRE scores, successful candidates typically score well on portions of the examination related to their area of study. Admission to the graduate program in communication arts is highly competitive.
The application deadline is December 15.
For more information: Graduate Program Coordinator, Department of Communication Arts, 6134 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706; 608-262-3398; llhenzl@wisc.edu; www.commarts.wisc.edu.