About the Program
Communication studies at Purdue University celebrate a long and distinguished history, having offered masters degrees since 1947 and granted doctoral degrees since 1948. As the field has developed over time, Purdue faculty and graduate students have been at the forefront leading those advancements in discovery, learning, and engagement. The Department’s award-winning faculty are some of the most prolific scholars in the field and have made major theoretical, methodological and applied contributions to the study of Communication. Indeed, the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top Research University Faculty Scholar Productivity Index” for 2007 placed Purdue at No. 2 in the nation. Communication graduate students are award-winning as well and have received national and international recognition for their research and teaching. Many graduate students have solo-authored or published collaboratively and are actively involved in individual research projects or research teams. Graduate students have also received university and national recognition for excellence in teaching. They work with faculty as teaching assistants and teach courses on their own. Many students also work on grant-funded research with faculty. The Communications graduate program is organized along six instructional units: - Health and Risk Communication
- Interpersonal Communication
- Media, Technology, and Society
- Organizational Communication
- Political Communication
- Public Relations
Purdue graduate students may choose either the Master of Arts or Master of Science degree, depending on the generally humanistic or scientific nature of the course of study. Students can also puruse a thesis or non-thesis Master’s degree with the opportunity to develop their own major and minor area(s) of study. Each degree program consists of certain requirements, yet at the same time, graduate students have tremendous flexibility in designing a plan of study that meets their interests. The Department also offers an online Master’s of Science in Communication. Program Website Program Requirements - Thesis
30 Credits RequiredRequired Courses (24 credits)
Major Area (12-15 credits)
COM 60411 or an equivalent graduate level research methodology course is required. This course may be included in the major area if the student is taking 15-hour credits, but not if they are taking only 12 credits. If a student includes a methodology course in their major area, methodology may not be used in one of the minor or related areas. Health and Risk Communication
Issues of health have become increasingly critical and complex, generating the need for individuals who can communicate effectively about health. The health communication program seeks to fulfill this growing need for trained health communicators by exposing students to the theory, research, and practice of health communication. In addition to courses offered within the Lamb School, students are encouraged to supplement their study of health communication with courses offered in the areas of Human Development and Family Studies, Consumer Science, Health and Kinesiology, Health Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, Psychology, Sociology, and/or Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Interpersonal Communication
Scholarship in interpersonal communication focuses on the study of fundamental processes that occur in all social interactions (message production and interpretation). Additionally, such scholarship explores the codes (verbal and nonverbal) through which everyday interactions are accomplished and the functions that people pursue in these interactions such as persuading, informing, and providing support. Scholars investigate how communication shapes, and is shaped by, human relationships, including friendships, romances, families, and work relationships. Students benefit from faculty connections with many interdisciplinary programs on campus. Students are encouraged to supplement their studies with courses offered in Anthropology, Human Development and Family Studies, Linguistics, Psychology, and Sociology and to explore opportunities in allied research centers, such as Center on Aging & the Lifecourse, Center for Education and Research in Information Security, Center for Families, and the Military Family Research Institute. Media, Technology, and Society
Graduate work in Media, Technology, and Society covers research on media and technological processes, their consequences, and the role that mass communication plays in both public and private life. Courses focus on local, national, and global media systems and audiences, as well as emerging information and communication technologies and environments. MTS faculty members are engaged in various interdisciplinary initiatives, including the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, the Center for Education and Research in Information Security and Assurance (CERIAS), the Envision Center for Data Visualization, the Purdue Systems Collaboratory, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, the Purdue Center for the Environment, and the Purdue Policy Research Institute. Students have the opportunity to develop research and professional connections through all of these programs. Organizational Communication
Organizational communication examines the relationships between communication and organizing through the study of discourse, meanings, symbols, and information flow. Situated in a preeminent engineering, science, and land grant institution of the Big 10, Purdue University Brian Lamb School of Communication’s Organizational Communication program aligns with the pragmatic historical foundations of the Redding Tradition as well as cutting-edge research on global, virtual, as well as cutting-edge research on global, virtual, or online organizations and the influence of national and international policy. Interdisciplinary connections include: Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship; Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance & Security; Center on Aging and the Lifecourse; Discovery Learning Research Center; Purdue Policy Research Institute; and Purdue Peace Project. Students are also encouraged to take courses from other disciplines, including Management, Psychological Sciences, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Civil Engineering, Polytechnic, and Interdisciplinary Studies Public Relations
Purdue’s public relations program doesn’t just focus on what should be done to build and maintain strong relationships between organizations and publics, but why it should be done. The program emphasizes the integration of public relations theory and research into practice to develop an understanding of the interactions between organizations and their publics. Studying public relations prepares students to cultivate and sustain mutually beneficial relationships between organizations of all types and their strategic publics, both as practitioners and researchers. Minor Area (9-12 credits)
Students should choose a minor area from the major area list that is not their major. A single minor area must include 9 hours. If a student chooses to pursue two minor areas, each must consist of at least 6 hours. Thesis Research (6 credits)
Program Requirements - Non-Thesis
36 Credits RequiredRequired Courses (36 credits)
Major Area (18-27 credits)
Students should choose a major area from the major area list (see Major Areas below Program Requirements - Thesis) and take courses related to that are to fulfill this requirement. Minor Area (9-18 credits)
Students should choose a minor area from the major area list (see below Program Requirements - Thesis) that is not their major. A single minor area must include 9 hours. If a student chooses to pursue two minor areas, each must consist of at least 6 hours. Internship Option (6 credits)
Up to 6 credits of COM 695: Curricular Practical Training (e.g., internship credits) can be applied to a plan of study subject to advisor and graduate committee approval. Credit hour assignments will be based on the nature of the internship activity, duration, and hours/week involved. Typically, 3 credits of COM 695 would correspond to the equivalent amount of effort associated with a 3-credit graduate level class in a given semester. Concentrations
Departmental concentrations: Interdisciplinary concentrations and programs: Additional Information
- If MS-Thesis or PhD students opt to take COM 69500 (Internship), the credits supplement and DO NOT substitute for the required credit hours on any Plan of Study.
Graduate Programs Disclaimer
- The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
- Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
- Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
- Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
- Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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