Communication and Advocacy M.A.

Degree: Master of Arts
https://www.towson.edu/cofac/departments/communication-studies/programs/communication-advocacy-masters/

Program Director: Eric Karikari
Phone: 410-704-3942
Email: ekarikari@towson.edu

The Master of Arts in Communication and Advocacy program advances knowledge about global leadership, organizational communication, and critical/cultural studies by training students in cutting-edge critical qualitative and arts-based research methods. Students develop a strong understanding of the ways in which knowledge is ethically generated and applied. The program consists of thesis and internship options. Our core courses equip students with a strong foundation of research-based advocacy in a variety of career fields.

Choose between two areas of focus:

  • Globalization and Leadership
  • Critical/Cultural Studies

As a graduate of this program, you’ll be prepared for a career in media and communication consulting, nonprofit management, public advocacy, international development, K-12 and higher education administration and many other fields. You’ll also have access to pathways toward a doctoral program in communication studies or a related discipline.

The Communication and Advocacy M.A. program offers students the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for communication professionals within a global landscape, and graduate students looking to continue on to the Ph.D. in Communication Studies. In this program, graduate students learn the frameworks of ethical leadership within global institutions, investigate culture as a site of struggle, and unpack communication as an enactment and discipline of power. To do this, the program has two areas of focus: Globalization and Leadership and Critical/Cultural Studies. The program is comprised of 33 units in which all students will take a 12-unit core sequence that will help focus their interests and develop a strong foundation of communication skills, theories, and research methods. The program then offers graduate students flexibility through courses within Globalization and Leadership and/or Critical/Cultural Studies. Finally, students also complete a 6-unit thesis or internship project.

Degree Requirements

Required Core Courses
COMM 500ADVANCED QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS3
COMM 501ADVANCED COMMUNICATION THEORY3
COMM 600INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION AND ADVOCACY3
COMM 603INSTRUCTIONAL COMMUNICATION3
Elective Courses 9
COMM 670
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
COMM 700
ADVANCED ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 701
ORGANIZATIONAL ADVOCACY
COMM 703
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION
COMM 705
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
COMM 751
CRITICAL/CULTURAL STUDIES
COMM 752
CULTURAL RHETORICS
COMM 753
ADVOCACY AND PERFORMANCE
COMM 754
ADVANCED INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 795
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Thesis or Internship Option (choose one)6
COMM 801
INTERNSHIP
COMM 897
COMMUNICATION STUDIES THESIS
or COMM 898
 COMMUNICATION STUDIES THESIS
Interdisciplinary Electives 6
Students take 6 units outside of COMM from an approved course list or with advisor permission.
Total Units33

Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will articulate the challenges, traditions, and interdisciplinary intersections within the field of Communication Studies.  
  2. Students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyze and review communication scholarship and its core theories and methods.  
  3. Students will explain the available communication approaches to advocacy for social change.  
  4. Students will effectively construct and deliver messages to a variety of audiences in multiple contexts.  
  5. Students will design scholarly research projects that influence discourse and lead to further exploration in the field.