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Graduate Applicants

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Graduate Students

The College of Media, Communication and Information’s graduate programs offer an exciting, dynamic environment in which to study. We draw students from around the world to take part in cutting-edge research, creative work and teaching.

CMCI students engage with an innovative curriculum founded on the principles of intellectual openness, interdisciplinary inquiry, and a belief in the importance of public scholarship and creative practice. Our faculty are committed to providing graduate students with challenging coursework, strong teaching and mentorship, dedicated professional development, and a stimulating and supportive intellectual climate.

While graduate students are admitted to a particular program, there are opportunities to take classes with students from other programs and to access courses and faculty across the college.

Master's Programs
PhD Programs

MA: Communication

Analyze and solve problems with processes and interaction, collaboration, participation, deliberation and decision-making. This degree provides students with knowledge of communication scholarship and develops their ability to analyze complex communication situations.

Photo of cameras aimed at cameras aimed at the mountains.

MFA: Interdisciplinary Documentary Media Practices

The MFA in Interdisciplinary Documentary Media Practices provides graduate students with an immersive experience in documentary media practices from a variety of philosophical and cross-disciplinary perspectives involving traditional and emerging media formats.

Master of Arts in Strategic Communication Design (STCM)

MA: Strategic Communication Design

Use innovative multi-platform media to adopt a design-thinking approach to solving strategic communication problems.

MA: Journalism

This program prepares students for professional success in news outlets, digital and social media platforms, and corporate communications.

MA: Journalism Entrepreneurship

The online master's degree in journalism entrepreneurship prepares students for professional careers at news outlets, and in digital and social media platforms, corporate communications and the freelance market.

MA: Media and Public Engagement

The Master of Arts in Media and Public Engagement (MAPE), is a 2-year interdisciplinary program that spans traditional boundaries between theory and practice, offers a critical study of the history, institutions, economics and social implications of the media, nationally and globally, combined with a practice-based media training geared toward civic engagement and community building.

PhD: Communication

This degree provides graduate students with advanced work in the communication discipline that earns them academic positions at all levels of higher education, including research universities, liberal arts universities and teaching-centered colleges. The degree is also appropriate for some nonacademic careers, such as organizational communication consulting.

PhD: Emergent Technologies and Media Art Practices

The PhD in Emergent Technologies and Media Art Practices is a practice-led program of scholarly research and exploration of media practices, theories and innovations in art and technology. In this program, students both experiment with and research the media and artistic practices that they study.

PhD: Intermedia Art, Writing and Performance

Collaborate with faculty to create and do research on new forms of digital art, writing and performance.

PhD: Information Science

The PhD in Information Science is for students who want to engage in empirical investigations of interdisciplinary problems. Students in the PhD program will learn a diversity of methods, theoretical frameworks, design practices and computational techniques. A PhD student's scholarly practice will include collaborative research on grant-driven projects.

PhD: Journalism Studies

The PhD in Journalism Studies offered by the Department of Journalism is one of three separate and distinct tracks of the Media Research and Practice doctoral program within the College of Media, Communication and Information.

PhD: Media Studies

The PhD in Media Studies offered by the Department of Journalism is one of three separate and distinct tracks of the Media Research and Practice doctoral program within the College of Media, Communication and Information.

PhD: Strategic Communication

The PhD in Strategic Communication offered by the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design is one of three separate and distinct tracks of the Media Research and Practice doctoral program within the College of Media, Communication and Information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for CMCI graduate programs?

View the list of our graduate programs above, and visit your program’s page for an overview of the application guidelines. If you have questions about the application process, please contact Matt Laszewski.

Do you require the GRE?

We require the GRE for most of our graduate programs. The GRE is not required for the PhD in Emergent Technologies and Media Art Practices, the PhD in Intermedia Art, Writing and Performance, the MA in Strategic Communication Design and the MA in Journalism Entrepreneurship.

Do you require the TOEFL or IELTS for international applicants?

All international applicants are required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency. This requirement can be met if:

Your native language is English. TOEFL/IELTS is not required for applicants from the following countries: Australia, Belize, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean, Ghana, Great Britain, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
You have completed at least one year of full-time academic study at a U.S. institution (or at an institution in a country where English is the native language) at the time you apply, within two years from your desired admission term. Enrollment in an English language program, including within the USA, does not fulfill this requirement. This can be confirmed by your transcripts.
You take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and receive a score that is equal to or higher than your program’s requirements. Official TOEFL and IELTS test scores are only valid for two years from the date of taking the test.

View more details, including the required scores for CMCI’s various graduate programs »

What does the CMCI curriculum look like? Are there opportunities for interdisciplinary coursework and collaboration?

View curriculum outlines for CMCI’s graduate programs. All of the college’s traditional graduate programs offer opportunities for interdisciplinary elective coursework that can be taken outside of the student’s home department, both within and outside of the college, and students are encouraged to collaborate with both students and faculty from a variety of fields. Doctoral dissertation committees are required to have a least one member outside of the student’s home department.

What funding options are available for CMCI graduate students?

All admitted CMCI PhD students receive full funding offers. This funding takes the form of a 50% Research and/or Teaching Assistant position, which requires approximately 20 hours per week. These positions cover all tuition costs and include a stipend. The current AY 19-20 salary for a TA/RA position is $22,781.44.

Funding is also available for CMCI MA students on a limited basis. Please see your program’s application guidelines for more details.

Does CMCI offer online graduate programs?

CMCI’s Department of Journalism offers an online Journalism Entrepreneurship MA program, which is administered by the Division of Continuing Education. The program requires a 1-3 week on-campus Media Technology Bootcamp in August, and the rest of the coursework can be completed online. View more information »

All other CMCI graduate programs are traditional, on-campus degree programs without the option for online completion.

What sort of research/creative work is being done by CMCI faculty? Would I be able to find an advisor who shares my interests?

CMCI faculty pursue a broad range of research and creative practices. View faculty bios and contact information »

Remote Resources for Current Students, Faculty and Staff:

Graduate Applicants

Graduate Students

MA: Communication

MFA: Interdisciplinary Documentary Media Practices

MA: Strategic Communication Design

MA: Journalism

MA: Journalism Entrepreneurship

MA: Media and Public Engagement

PhD: Communication

PhD: Emergent Technologies and Media Art Practices

PhD: Intermedia Art, Writing and Performance

PhD: Information Science

PhD: Journalism Studies

PhD: Media Studies

PhD: Strategic Communication

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