Organizational Communication, Master of Arts (0012)
Program Coordinator
Jie-Young Kong, jieyoung.kong@wku.edu, (270) 745-6578
The Master of Arts in Organizational Communication prepares students for a variety of careers and pursuits in which advanced communication study is helpful, including management, public relations, personnel relations, education, training, sales, and marketing. Our mission is to provide graduate students with an engaging, challenging, and rewarding program that integrates communication theory, practice, and problem-based research. With a focus on applied organizational communication, our vibrant and active program includes coursework in interpersonal, health, and intercultural communication to provide a well-rounded academic program for students wanting to advance in professional and academic endeavors. Many of our graduates find success in diverse organizational settings and join quality doctoral programs around the country.
Joint Undergraduate Master's Program (JUMP)
This degree offers a Joint Undergraduate Master's Program (JUMP) which provides academically outstanding students the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in an accelerated timeframe. Contact the graduate program coordinator for additional information.
Program Admission
Program admission is based on a comprehensive evaluation of an applicant's file.
Applicants should submit:
- Undergraduate transcripts reflecting all undergraduate studies and an earned undergraduate degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00.
- Academic writing sample.
- Letter of intent detailing:
- academic and/or professional experiences,
- goals in pursuing graduate studies in communication,
- areas of interest in the communication discipline.
Graduate School Admission
Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate School admission requirements.
Degree Requirements (30 hours)
Students should complete the required core courses (COMM 501, COMM 502, COMM 547) within their first 15 hours of coursework with a grade of "B" of higher in each. As a general policy, the program does not allow transfer of research methods courses to fulfill the research methods requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| COMM 501 | Qualitative Methods in Communication Research | 3 |
| COMM 502 | Quantitative Methods in Communication Research | 3 |
| COMM 547 | Organizational Communication Theory | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 15 hours from the following with advisor approval: | 15 | |
| Health Communication | ||
| Family Communication | ||
| Communication in the Nonprofit Sector | ||
| Global Leadership Communication | ||
| Democracy, Power, & Voice in Organizations | ||
| Health Communication Campaigns | ||
| Seminar in Organizational Communication | ||
| Multinational Organizational Communication | ||
| Crisis Communication | ||
| Corporate & Organizational Advocacy | ||
| Communication and Organizational Identification | ||
| Seminar in Human Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication in the Digital Age | ||
| Seminar in Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Applied Organizational Communication | ||
| Process of Group Communication | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Independent Study in Communication | ||
| Graduate Internship in Communication | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 6 | |
Thesis Option: | ||
| Thesis Research/Writing (6 hours) | ||
Non-Thesis Option: 1 | ||
Select an additional 6 hours of Communication electives 2 | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
The Non-Thesis option requires a written comprehensive exam.
- 2
With academic advisor and graduate coordinator or department chair approval, students may transfer six hours from another university or take up to six hours in another discipline.