Graduate Program
The Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has long been one of the world's leading centers for study and research in communication. It was the first department in the United States to award a PhD degree in the field, and its graduates serve on the faculties of leading universities, in research institutions, and in public and private agencies throughout this country and abroad.
The University Community
With over ten-thousand students enrolled in the Graduate School or one of the Professional Schools, UW-Madison is committed to excellence in advanced study. This commitment is reflected in UW-Madison's extensive libraries, its facilities for research in the arts and sciences, and its distinguished faculty and professional staff. The Department of Communication Arts shares fully in that commitment, and is an active participant in the tireless sifting and winnowing of ideas that mark this vital campus.
Areas of Study
The graduate programs in Communication Arts are designed to educate research scholars. Through intensive coursework within the Department and in other departments, and through close professional association with appropriate faculty, graduate students in Communication Arts gain proficiency and sophistication in their chosen areas of study. Their attainment of doctoral degrees signifies their readiness to work as independent scholars in their areas and to make original contributions to human knowledge.
Communication Arts offers four distinct areas of graduate study, each with specific curricula and requirements:
The four graduate areas are kept small and selective. The Department of Communication Arts does not offer graduate programs in performance or production. Students interested in journalism, advertising, or public relations should consult the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Funding
The Department of Communication Arts is generally able to offer incoming students financial assistance in the form of teaching assistantships. Students begin by teaching basic courses in speech and composition, then move on to upper level studies courses. Training in instructional methods is an important part of our preparation of graduate students for academic careers. Other opportunities for fellowships, awards, and research support exist.
Outcomes
Though terminal MA degrees may occasionally be awarded, the programs are designed with successful completion of the PhD as the goal. Our graduates go on to fill faculty positions in research and teaching institutions worldwide. Students frequently leave our program with several publications on their vitae, developed out of seminar work. We actively encourage graduates to participate in academic conference presentations, with some funding support available.
Research Resources
Madison is a lively and vital place for in-depth study and interdisciplinary scholarly exchange. The Department of Communication Arts is home to the Cinematheque, a coalition of UW-Madison academic departments and student film groups dedicated to showcasing archival and other rare prints from around the world. The Cinematheque screens films every Friday and Saturday night, and has one of the finest projection facilities in Madison. The Center for Communication Research (CCR) supports social-science based data collection and analyses. The Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, along with the Wisconsin Historical Society, holds hundreds of significant collections in the history of film, radio, television, theater, and popular culture; generations of UW graduate students have built their careers on analysis of materials in these collections. UW-Madison's strong programs in a host of areas actively complement the Communication Arts graduate program, and provide a diversity of options for the minor.
Colloquia
One unique feature of the graduate program in Communication Arts is its weekly colloquia. Three Thursday afternoons per month, graduate students and faculty in each area gather for presentation of research, discussion of professional issues, or to hear an outside speaker. The lively question and answer sessions that follow help students to develop their own work and to pursue lines of inquiry on a productive informal basis. Occasional joint and department-wide colloquia bring the areas together to consider key issues in the
Outreach and Publications
Scholarly outreach and publication activities are hosted by the department to support the training of our graduate students:
Antenna
Antenna is a collectively authored media and cultural studies blog committed to timely yet careful analysis of texts, news, and events from across the popular culture spectrum. Launched in 2009, the site regularly responds to new works and developments in television, film, music, gaming, digital video, the Internet, print, and the media industries. Antenna is intended to address a broad public inside and outside the university walls. Antenna is operated and edited by graduate students and faculty in the Department of Communication Arts as well as selected guest contributors.
The Velvet Light Trap
The Velvet Light Trap is a journal devoted to investigating historical questions that illuminate the understanding of film, television, and related media. It is edited entirely by graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at the University of Texas-Austin. Each group puts together one issue yearly, usually organized around a particular theme. It is published by the University of Texas Press. Articles by scholars at all levels and from around the world have appeared in its pages.
The Cinematheque
The Cinematheque, hosted by the Department of Communication Arts, is a coalition of UW-Madison academic departments and student film groups dedicated to showcasing archival and other rare prints from around the world. The Cinematheque screens films every Friday and Saturday night, and has one of the finest projection facilities in Madison. Admission is free and open to the UW and Madison community.
