Graduate Program

Both Masters and Doctoral programs are available in or involved with Communication at the University at Albany. The Masters program is administered entirely within the department, while the Doctoral program is currently a joint program with Sociology.

The Master's program in Communication

The Master’s Degree in Communication enables students with an interest in Communication to achieve a number of professional goals.

First, the program prepares individuals for careers in communication professions within a variety of contexts: political, organizational, interpersonal, intercultural, technology, and health. The program provides opportunities for problem solving and skill development within professional work environments, as well as advanced research experiences guided by faculty mentors.

Second, for those currently holding professional communication positions, the Master’s Degree provides an opportunity for career advancement by further developing analytical, research, and communicative skills for use within team, managerial, and administrative environments.

Finally, the Master’s Degree in Communication also prepares students for study toward the doctoral degree in Communication, either at the University at Albany or at other institutions.

The degree program requires a minimum of 33 credit hours distributed among required courses, communication context specialties, and internship/thesis experience. For the specifics, click here. Our program combines a commitment to core knowledge with the flexibility to pick a particular substantive context of application for emphasis. The Department provides the required courses and coursework addressing particular contexts, but students may also draw on relevant courses from faculty from across the University. Courses are offered in the late afternoon and early evening for the convenience of those who currently work.

For more information about the program contact either:

Director of Graduate Studies
Professor Anita Pomerantz
apom@albany.edu
518 442-4874

Chair of the Department of Communication
Professor Teresa Harrison
harrison@cas.albany.edu
518-442-4883

Doctoral program in Sociology with a specialization in Communication

This is currently a limited intake joint program with Sociology. For more information, contact see the Doctoral Studies page.

You can also see a list of current and past doctoral students.