Graduate Degrees

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If you are looking to advance your education beyond an undergraduate degree, the Master's program in Professional Communication can help you. Whether to enhance your career in broadcasting, business, education, new media, or social services; or, to prepare to enter a Ph.D. program, our Master's can help you achieve your goals. Our program emphasizes three areas of specialization:

• Interpersonal and Organizational Communication Theory
• Media Criticism, History, and Theory
• Rhetorical Criticism and Theory

Students enrolled in the IPFW Department of Communication graduate program are able to earn either a Master of Arts (M.A.) or a Master of Science (M.S.) in Professional Communication. The requirements for each degree are identical. For most students in the U.S., the M.A. is the desired graduate degree in Communication, especially for students seeking to continue studying at another institution offering a Ph.D. in Communication. Some students, particularly from abroad, have a specific need to earn an M.S., since some international countries recognize the M.S. in Communication as the norm. Both degrees are awarded by Purdue University. Contact the Graduate Program Director if you'd like to discuss which degree is best suited to your educational goals.

A 2005 survey of 18 Professional Communication Alumni (31% response rate) shows a high degree of satisfaction with our program. On a scale of 1 to 5, the survey finds that our students believe: they obtained knowledge and skills as a result of the MA (4.28); the coursework helped them to achieve professional goals (4.14); the program taught them communication skills (4.44); and the program successfully met its goals (4.42).

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