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 Ph.D. 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.

Graduate study is important at Wisconsin. With over ten thousand students enrolled in the Graduate School or one of the post-graduate professional schools, the University is committed to excellence in advanced study. This commitment is reflected in the University'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.

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 members of the 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.

The four graduate areas are kept small and selective. Students work closely with faculty. Collegiality is encouraged through seminars and area colloquia, where both faculty and graduate student research is presented and discussed. 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. We are generally (though not always) able to offer our incoming students financial assistance in the form of teaching assistantships, beginning with basic courses in speech and composition and moving 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.

In addition, Madison is a lively and vital place for in-depth study and interdisciplinary scholarly exchange. The Communication Arts department 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 supports social-science based data collection and analyses. State of the art production facilities make high level film and video production possible. Organizations such as The Havens Center, the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Union, the Borchers Lecture Series, University Lectures, and more bring significant figures in academics, politics, arts and culture onto campus in a constantly changing schedule. 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. Research opportunities abound as well, thanks to exceptional archival collections in the areas of radio, television and film, theater, the alternative press, the labor and Progressive movements, music and music history, journalism, and many other fields.

Areas of Study

The Department of Communication Arts offers four distinct areas of graduate study, each with special areas of concentration. Graduate work is offered in Communication Science, Film, Media and Cultural Studies, and Rhetoric. A graduate student is ordinarily admitted to study in one of the four areas, within which a program of study is formed by the student in consultation with a faculty advisor and a faculty advisory committee. This program of study is determined in accordance with the degree requirements of the student's area of study. Requirements are described below.

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.