Communication Graduate Programs

Earn Your Master's in Communication from Leaders in the Field

As a student in our graduate program, you'll have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members who are leaders in their respective fields. In addition, downtown Milwaukee offers a rich, urban landscape for your studies, and the Diederich College fosters relationships with some of the city's top communication professionals.


Master of Arts in Communication

Our Master of Arts program is flexible enough to accommodate a broad range of career goals and objectives in communication. Some of our students are working full-time in their chosen fields but want to earn a graduate degree that will advance their career. Other students envision a career in teaching and plan to pursue a Ph.D. or simply want the intellectual enrichment that a master’s degree offers.

As a graduate student pursuing an M. A. in Communication, you can choose one of two specializations that you can tailor to your interests and goals:

  1. Communication and Media Studies
  2. Digital Communication Strategies

Program requirements and course work overview 

Master of Arts in Corporate Communication 

Learn 100% online or blend in-person and online courses.

In addition to our MA in Communication, we offer a MA in Corporate Communication in conjunction with the Graduate School of Management. This 30 credit-hour program combines business and economics course work in communication and advanced business courses to prepare you for an executive-level communication role. 

  • More Information and Getting Started
  • Learning Outcomes
  • Dual Degree Programs 

The Graduate School will help you every step of the way. Not sure where to begin? Visit the Graduate School website.


 
 

After completing the M.A. program, graduates are able to:

  • Apply research-based, theory-informed knowledge to the identification and solution of real-life issues in the field and understands the ethical implications of communication research.
  • Integrate knowledge from theory, methods, and ethics from the discipline of communications to their particular specialization area.

Interdisciplinary and Dual-Degree Opportunities

Interdisciplinary Ph.D.

This doctorate program gives you the chance to create an academic program that cuts across traditional disciplines. Instead of being supported by one department, school or college, your program is administered by a faculty committee.

View guidelines for Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program


Dual Degree Master of Arts in Communication and Political Science or International Affairs

Study politics and communication. Earn two degrees.

The College of Communication and the Department of Political Science offer a dual degree study program leading to a master's degree in Communication and a master's degree in Political Science or International Affairs.

You can earn both degrees in less time than pursuing them separately because you count nine credits in each program toward the requirements of the other program. The dual degree program reduces total credit hours for the two degrees by 18 hours.

You must submit separate applications, including two sets of required documentation, to the Graduate School for admission to both programs. Acceptance to one program does not guarantee acceptance to the other.

Typically, dual degree students complete the core communication courses and substitute political science or international affairs courses for specialization courses or electives. Consult with the associate dean for Graduate Studies and Research for specifics.