Welcome to the Communication Studies Graduate Program!
We are very pleased that you are interested in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. We provide this on-line information to you and hope you will find it useful.
One of the advantages of being a graduate student in the Communication Studies Department at the University of Texas is the diversity in researchers and their multiplicity of methodologies. Faculty members here use and teach both quantitative methods and qualitative methods such as experimental, ethnographic, critical, survey, and a wide range of other methods.
Another advantage to being a student here is that students with the guidance and advice of their faculty advisor are allowed to choose coursework that will enable them to do the kind of research they choose to do. The department has only one required course, an Introduction to Graduate Studies in Human Communication that features research by current faculty and seminars in which questions that communication scholars ponder are discussed. Doctoral students must complete 45 hours of course work and MA students much complete 30 or 33 hours for a master’s degree with thesis or report.
Both faculty and graduate students in the Communication Studies Department have the advantage of the large numbers of undergraduate students in our CMS courses to use as respondents for research projects. Many of the undergraduate courses offer students extra credit to take part in these research projects. It is often a very positive experience for both researcher and undergraduate student.
Another research experience for graduate students and faculty is to volunteer to be a mentor for the Intellectual Entrepreneur Consortium. This program offers undergraduates the opportunity to do research with a faculty member or graduate student on actual research projects. The undergraduates get the experience of helping with a real project and the faculty members and graduate students benefit by having extra hands to run the project.
Research in the Communication Studies Department at the University of Texas at Austin is a central focus for both faculty and for both MA and doctoral graduate students. Our goal is to graduate students who are well versed and competent in the Communication Studies research realm.
Please do not hesitate to contact Susan Corbin with questions or comments.
Susan Corbin, Ph.D.
Graduate Coordinator
Communication Studies
CMA 7.118, 512-471-1942
Dana Cloud, Ph.D.
Graduate Advisor & Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee
Communication Studies
CMA 7.220, 512-471-1947
