Graduate Program

A top ranked program, a Master's degree in Communication Studies from CSUN prepares you to be a recognized communication leader, educator, and professional. Our faculty have deep academic expertise and experience uniting communication theory, concepts, and research with real-world application. Students learn from leaders in the field in an interdisciplinary program designed to expose students to current trends in communication in both academia and industry. Graduates have pursued a variety of passions that have included taking their career to the next level, continuing on to Ph.D programs, and teaching at the college level.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students receiving a Master's degree from the Communication Studies Department will be able to:

1. Explain basic tenets of Communication Studies from multiple perspectives.
2. Critically evaluate scholarship in the field
3. Analyze the role communication plays in the construction of culture.
4. Apply communication theories to communication phenomena
5. Synthesize scholarship in the field.
6. Produce original scholarship contributing to Communication Studies

The department’s graduate program is governed by the principle that the student should have the opportunity to study and conduct original research in areas of the student's primary interests. Thus, the department seeks to balance two concerns: (a) to permit each student to tailor the Program of Study to individual interests and abilities; and (b) to insure that all students acquire a coherent perspective within the field of Communication. The ultimate objective is to prepare students to assume socially responsible and productive roles within their chosen professions.

The program comprises thirty-three units of coursework in Communication Studies, selected in consultation with advisors. For the culminating experience, students will choose from directed comprehensive studies, a thesis, or an applied scholarly project.