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The Master of Arts in Communication (MCOM) program requires students to complete 30 credit hours of study. Please refer to course catalog for all requirements and pre-requisites.

Students in the MCOM program will complete 5 modules:

1. Communication Foundation Module

COMM 501: Quantitative Research Methods

COMM 510: Communication Theory

Students will take these courses in their first MCOM semester. First semester students will also take a standardized, non-credit Introduction to Communication course in their first semester. This non-credit course will teach students the history of Communication as a discipline, areas of specialization in Communication, and research methods in Communication. This non-credit course must be passed before students can complete further courses in the program.

2. Digital Media Communication Module

(select 2 of the following 4 courses)

COMM 514: Social Media

COMM 530: Race, Gender, Class and Media

COMM 540: Uses and Effects of Media

COMM 580: Special Topics in Media

3. Leadership Communication Module

(select 2 of the following 4 courses)

COMM 561: Identity and Impression Management

COMM 569: Leadership Communication

COMM 580: Special Topics in Leadership

COMM 584: Ethics in Communication

4. Strategic Communication Module

(select 2 of the following 4 courses)

COMM 520: Communication Campaigns

COMM 522: International and Intercultural Communication

COMM 580: Special Topics in Strategic Communication

COMM 680: Rhetoric

5. Capstone Module

Alongside a professor, students will build and tailor a capstone course sequence to finish the degree. Six hours of capstone courses will be counted as COMM 699: Independent Study and/or COMM 795: Internship.

Students interested in teaching might also take COMM 690: Communication Pedagogy or, for the most robust, demanding research experience complete, under an adviser’s supervision, a Master’s thesis (COMM 701 & 702).

*The MCOM program does not require students to complete a Master’s thesis or take a comprehensive examination in order to graduate.

(select 2 of the following 5 courses)

COMM 690: Communication Pedagogy

COMM 699: Independent Study

COMM 701: Master's Thesis

COMM 702: Master's Thesis

COMM 795: Internship

Transfer Credit Policy

Applicants to the MCOM program can seek approval of the program director to accept up to nine transfer credit hours. The course should be substantially similar to an existing MCOM course, and students must have earned a grade of B or higher.

All options for degree completion requirements are constrained by elapsed time and GPA requirements for graduation and any other graduation requirements specified by the Graduate School of the College of Charleston.