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Head of the Department: David L. Swanson
Director of Graduate Studies: Daena J. Goldsmith
Department of Speech Communication
244 Lincoln Hall
702 South Wright Street
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2683
dkemphue@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 8 gh 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 24 gh of work in the department plus the units of
required work in education. For more information on these 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 communication, 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. |
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