SPEECH COMMUNICATION

Head of the Department: David L. Swanson

Director of Graduate Studies: Daena J. Goldsmith

Correspondence and Admission Information: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Speech Communication, 244 Lincoln Hall, 702 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801; (217) 333-2683; E-mail: dkemphue@uiuc.edu

URL: www.spcomm.uiuc.edu

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

The Department of Speech Communication offers programs leading to the Master of Arts in Speech Communication, the Doctor of Philosophy in Speech Communication, and the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Speech Communication. Specific information on programs of graduate study and financial aid is supplied upon request.

ADMISSION

In addition to meeting Graduate College requirements, an application must include official transcripts from every post-secondary institution the applicant has attended; scores on the general aptitude parts of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); at least three letters of recommendation, preferably from academic recommenders; a major paper or essay as a sample of academic writing; and a statement of purpose. Students whose native language is not English must present their official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination as part of their applications. A minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test (250 on the computer-based test) is required. Detailed information about admissions and financial aid will be sent on request. Ordinarily, students are admitted to begin graduate study in the fall semester; admission to begin in the spring term is rarely permitted.

Graduate Teaching Experience

Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in this program.

MASTER OF ARTS

The entering student should present the equivalent of 16 semester hours of undergraduate work in speech communication or a related area. In addition to meeting general graduation requirements of the Graduate College, candidates must pass a final written examination. In some cases an oral examination is also stipulated. A thesis is optional, but may constitute a maximum of two units of credit.

MASTER OF ARTS IN THE TEACHING OF SPEECH COMMUNICATION

Candidates must first be admitted to a degree program in rhetorical and communication theory. In meeting Graduate College and departmental requirements, including the comprehensive examination, candidates must complete six units of work in the department plus the units of required work in education. For more information on the se requirements, please contact the College of Education.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

To be accepted as a candidate for the Ph.D. degree, a student must either present a well-rounded undergraduate education with an emphasis in speech communication and a master's in a cognate discipline, or hold a master's degree in speech communication from an accredited institution.

In addition to meeting general requirements of the Graduate College, the student must satisfactorily complete written and oral preliminary examinations, an oral defense of the thesis prospectus, and an oral defense of the thesis. Students must demonstrate competency in research procedures and tools that may include proficiency in one or more foreign languages, various research methods, or cognate academic work.

SPECIALIZATIONS

The Department of Speech Communications offers specializations in communication research (including organizational and applied communication, communication technology, interpersonal communic ation, health communication, communication in socio-cultural contexts, persuasion and social influence); and public communication (including mass media and public policy, media studies, political communication, and rhetorical studies).

Financial Aid

Financial aid is usually offered in the form of part-time teaching assistantships; some fellowships and research assistantships are available.