MASTER OF ARTS IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION

                In the Organizational and Multicultural Communication program, the Organizational and Multicultural tracks share some common coursework. However, each concentration also has its own distinct focus.

The Organizational Communication track focuses on communication challenges specific to business and organizational settings. It helps students to understand and manage the broad communication processes within organizations while enabling them to develop their individual skills as communicators. This track will be of interest to professionals in profit and nonprofit settings, particularly those who manage employees or have responsibilities for personnel issues.

Multicultural Communication focuses on the dynamics of communication across cultures. It explores not only what happens when people of two different national cultures meet, but also what happens when people from a variety of cultures and ethnicities come together in one organization, community or country. This track will be of particular interest to those who work with international and multiethnic corporations and to public service personnel serving individuals from a variety of backgrounds and cultural traditions. It will also provide a solid foundation for Ph.D. work in communication and related disciplines.

ADMISSION TO MA IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION

A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, is required for admission to the M.A. program. To be admitted, applicants must demonstrate, through past academic work, a capacity for achievement. The Department of Communication looks at each application as a unique presentation of a candidate’s profile and will consider a variety of information sources. Admission decisions for the Organizational and Multicultural program will be based on the following.

• Two official undergraduate transcripts (minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4-point scale).
• A writing sample (preferably a research paper that demonstrates the applicant’s ability to synthesize and criticize scholarly work).
• Application form with personal essays (see application packet).
• Two current letters of recommendation written by work supervisors and/or faculty members familiar with the applicant’s academic and/or professional achievements.
• A professional resume
• GRE scores are not required, but may be submitted to strengthen an application.

Provisional acceptance may require one or more of the following:

CMNS 501: Communication in Cultural Contexts – one of the core classes

CMNS 541: Corporate Communication and Culture – one of the core classes

An English language examination is required for applicants who have completed their undergraduate education outside the USA; a minimum TOEFL paper-based score of 590 (or 243 computer-based) is necessary for admission.

We currently admit students during Autumn and Winter Quarters. The application deadline for Autumn Quarter is April 15th. The application deadline for Winter Quarter is October 1st. Applications received after these dates are considered only on a space-available basis.

ADMISSION TO 5-YEAR BA IN COMMUNICATION/MA IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND MULTICULURAL COMMUNICATION

Students seeking admission to the five-year BA in Communication/MA in Organizational and Multicultural Communication must apply to the Program Director during their junior year and then, if accepted, subsequently take three graduate courses in their senior year. Students will complete the M. A. degree in the fifth year in a Multicultural or Organizational concentration or a combination of the two.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Master of Arts in Communication requires 12 courses—four core courses common to both the multicultural and corporate concentrations, six courses in the student’s chosen concentration, two graduate electives inside or outside the program and a Comprehensive Final Examination. Those students who attain a 3.70 GPA or higher have the option to complete a culminating project or thesis rather than the Comprehensive Final Exam. Students who wish to seek an M.A. in Communication with both Organizational and Multicultural concentrations must complete four courses that serve both concentrations and two courses from each concentration in addition to the four core courses. This choice will leave the student no electives outside the department.

Students must maintain a 3.0 average in their graduate work to remain in good standing. Students who drop below this average will be put on academic probation and expected to attain the minimum requirement within two quarters. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.

Students may take one or two courses per quarter to complete the program. The program requires twelve courses as specified below.

I. FOUR CORE COURSES

CMNS 501 Communication in Cultural Contexts

CMNS 541 Corporate Communication and Culture

CMNS 581 Qualitative Research Methods

CMNS 582 Quantitative Research Methods

II. SIX COURSES (within selected concentration/s)

III. TWO ELECTIVES (with permission from instruction)

COURSES SERVING ORGANIZATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL CONCENTRATIONS:

CMNS 523 Gendered Communication

CMNS 525 Comparative Management Communication

CMNS 526 Communication in Organizational Assimilation

CMNS 527 Assessment and Intervention

CMNS 529 Topics in Organizational and Multicultural Communication

CMNS 542 Multicultural Communication in the Workplace

CMNS 561 International Media

CMN    591   Internship

COURSES THAT SERVE THE CORPORATE CONCENTRATION:

CMNS 543 Communication and Organizational Change

CMNS 544 Politics and Power in Organizations

CMNS 545 Communication and Technology

CMNS 546 Business and Professional Communication

CMNS 547 Communication in Customer Service

CMNS 548 Teams and Leadership

CMNS 549 Topics in Corporate Communication

CMNS 552 Strategic Communication

CMN    591 Internship

COURSES THAT SERVE THE MULTICULTURAL CONCENTRATION:

CMNS 502 Intercultural Communication Theories

CMNS 503 Communication and Cultures in Transition

CMNS 504 Language, Thought & Culture

CMNS 509 Topics in Multicultural Communication

CMNS 521 Language and Power

CMNS 522 Rhetorical Construction of Identity

CMNS 563 Multicultural Media Representations

CMN    591   Internship

IV. COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAMINATION OR THESIS

Students in the Master of Arts in Organizational and Multicultural Communication complete their degree requirements by writing a thesis or through a Comprehensive Final Examination..