School of Journalism and Communication
River Building 4302B
613-520-2600 Ext. 7405
http://carleton.ca/communication
- M.A. Communication
- Ph.D. Communication
M.A. Communication
About the Program
The Communication program of the School of Journalism and Communication offers a program of studies leading to a Master of Arts degree in Communication. Courses covering four areas of concentration are offered:
- the history of communication and media systems
- communication/information technologies and society
- communication and social relations
- communication policy and political economy
Additional information may be obtained by consulting the supervisor of graduate studies.
Academic Regulations
See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
A standing of B- or better must be obtained in each credit counted towards the master's degree.
Admission Requirements
The minimum requirement for admission to the master's program is a B.A.(Honours) degree or the equivalent, with high honours standing in communication or a related discipline. Related disciplines may include sociology, political science, film studies, and Canadian studies.
Applicants without a background in communication studies may be required to take certain designated courses from the undergraduate Communication program in addition to their regular program.
Possession of the minimum entrance standing is not in itself, however, assurance of admission into the program.
Applicants who lack an Honours degree but who have a 3-year degree with honours standing (a minimum B standing overall) may be considered for admission to a qualifying-year program. Students who complete the qualifying year with high honours standing may be considered for admission to the master's program in the following year. Refer to the General Regulations section of this Calendar for regulations governing the qualifying year.
Program Requirements
Each student, in consultation with the supervisor of graduate studies, will be required to follow a thesis, non-thesis, or a course-only program for a total of 5.0 credits. Two of the four areas of concentration must be chosen.
In selecting their program of studies, all students will be required to take COMM 5101 and COMM 5605 Approaches to Communication Research. Students in the M.A. program are restricted to one directed studies course, COMM 5808 Directed Studies (0.5 credit). Students may take one optional course (0.5 credit) outside the program, with permission of the supervisor of graduate studies.
All master's students are required to complete:
| 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
COMM 5101 [1.0] | Foundations of Communication Studies | |
| 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
COMM 5605 [0.5] | Approaches to Communication Research | |
| 2.0 credits in Thesis | 2.0 | |
| 1.5 credits from the list of optional courses below, or a research essay (1.0 credit) and 2.5 credits chosen from the list of optional courses, or 3.5 credits chosen from the list of optional courses | 1.5 | |
| Total Credits | 5.0 | |
Optional Courses
| COMM 5200 [0.5] | Communication and Citizenship | |
| COMM 5202 [0.5] | History and Theory of Persuasion | |
| COMM 5203 [0.5] | Communication, Technology, and Society | |
| COMM 5204 [0.5] | Media, Culture, and Policy | |
| COMM 5206 [0.5] | Communication, Culture, and Regulation | |
| COMM 5207 [0.5] | Race and Media | |
| COMM 5208 [0.5] | Entertainment Studies | |
| COMM 5212 [0.5] | Communication and Everyday Life | |
| COMM 5214 [0.5] | Communication and Globalization | |
| COMM 5216 [0.5] | Communication and Empire | |
| COMM 5218 [0.5] | Special Studies of Media | |
| COMM 5509 [0.5] | Media, Culture, and Gender | |
| COMM 5808 [0.5] | Directed Studies |
Note: students may take up to 0.5 credit outside the program with permission of the supervisor of graduate studies.
Ph.D. Communication
About the Program
The School of Journalism and Communication offers a program of studies leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Communication. The program focuses on three fields of concentration:
- The history of communication
- The political economy of communication
- The socio-cultural analysis of communication
Academic Regulations
See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
A standing of B- or better must be obtained in each course counted towards the Ph.D. degree.
Admission Requirements
The normal requirement for admission into the doctoral program is a master's degree (or the equivalent) in communication or a cognate field such as journalism studies, with an overall average of B+ or better.
Applicants who have deficiencies in certain areas may be admitted to the Ph.D. Program, but will normally be required to complete additional course work.
Program Requirements
Doctoral candidates must successfully complete the equivalent of 10.0 credits. The specific requirements are as follows:
| 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
COMM 6000 [1.0] | Doctoral Seminar in Communication Studies | |
| 2.0 additional credits from the list of optional courses below; up to 0.5 credit may be taken in a relevant discipline outside of the School; students in the Ph.D. program are restricted to one (0.5 credit) directed studies course: | 2.0 | |
COMM 6010 [0.5] | Directed Studies | |
| 2.0 credits in Comprehensive examinations | 2.0 | |
| 5.0 credits in a Thesis which must be defended at an oral examination | 5.0 | |
| A language requirement as stated below | ||
| Total Credits | 10.0 | |
Optional Courses
All doctoral candidates must complete 2.0 additional credits from the list of optional courses below; 0.5 credit may be taken in a relevant discipline outside of the School, particularly those that address central theoretical and/or methodological issues within the student's chosen field of concentration. Students in the Ph.D. program are restricted to one (0.5 credit) directed studies course (COMM 6010 Directed Studies).
| COMM 5200 [0.5] | Communication and Citizenship | 0.5 |
| COMM 5202 [0.5] | History and Theory of Persuasion | 0.5 |
| COMM 5203 [0.5] | Communication, Technology, and Society | 0.5 |
| COMM 5204 [0.5] | Media, Culture, and Policy | 0.5 |
| COMM 5206 [0.5] | Communication, Culture, and Regulation | 0.5 |
| COMM 5207 [0.5] | Race and Media | 0.5 |
| COMM 5208 [0.5] | Entertainment Studies | 0.5 |
| COMM 5212 [0.5] | Communication and Everyday Life | 0.5 |
| COMM 5214 [0.5] | Communication and Globalization | 0.5 |
| COMM 5216 [0.5] | Communication and Empire | 0.5 |
| COMM 5218 [0.5] | Special Studies of Media | 0.5 |
| COMM 5509 [0.5] | Media, Culture, and Gender | 0.5 |
| COMM 5605 [0.5] | Approaches to Communication Research | 0.5 |
| COMM 6001 [0.5] | Selected Topics in Communication | 0.5 |
| COMM 6005 [0.5] | Communication and History | 0.5 |
| COMM 6006 [0.5] | Political Economy of Communication | 0.5 |
| COMM 6007 [0.5] | Communication, Discourse, and Representation | 0.5 |
| COMM 6010 [0.5] | Directed Studies | 0.5 |
| JOUR 5401 [0.5] | Journalism Law | 0.5 |
| JOUR 5500 [0.5] | Journalism and Society II | 0.5 |
Comprehensive Examinations
In addition to their course requirements, doctoral candidates are required to write two comprehensive examinations each worth 1.0 credit. The first comprehensive examination (COMM 6900) is closely related to the course materials in the doctoral seminar (COMM~6000) and is conducted by the instructors of COMM 6000 in May following completion of the seminar. To be eligible for the first comprehensive, candidates must have a GPA of 9.0 or higher on their previous course work, including COMM 6000. Students who fail the first comprehensive may be asked to withdraw from the program.
The second comprehensive examination (COMM 6901) is normally completed during the second year of the program and tests the student's in-depth knowledge of one field of study. It is conducted by the student's supervisor and advisory committee and involves examination of an approved project related to the chosen field. Before taking the second comprehensive examination, students must have completed all of their course work with a GPA of 9.0 or higher and have satisfactorily completed COMM 6900. The second comprehensive is expected to be completed no later than two years or six terms after initial full-time registration, or four years or 12 terms after initial part-time registration. Students who do not fulfill this requirement within the prescribed time period may be asked to withdraw from the program.
Language Requirement
Students are required to demonstrate an understanding of a language other than English, preferably French. Language testing will be administered by the School and will normally include a demonstration of reasonable understanding, on sight, of material contained in selected samples of scholarly literature in a foreign language and in the field of communication.
Thesis Requirement
A thesis proposal is presented after the comprehensive requirement has been satisfied, and defended at an oral presentation. The thesis, normally equivalent to 5.0 credits, must be successfully defended at an oral examination.
Communication Studies (COMM) Courses
Foundations of Communication Studies
Examines the origins and traditions of modern communication studies with attention to theoretical and methodological aspects of developments and debates shaping current communication research.
Communication and Citizenship
Examines the role of communication in relation to the emergence, development, and problematization of citizenship within civil society and the public sphere.
History and Theory of Persuasion
Examines various efforts to discover and apply techniques of successful persuasion from classical rhetoric to scientific public opinion research with attention to contemporary political, public information, and corporate campaigns.
Communication, Technology, and Society
Examines the technological context of social communication in terms of human agency, medium theory, and the idea of progress.
Media, Culture, and Policy
Examines policy-making as a form of communication from a variety of perspectives, with a focus on the strategies and negotiations that precede policy representation.
Communication, Culture, and Regulation
Examines the role of law, moral regulation, and other social means of control in media and cultural practices in areas such as intellectual property, consumerism, and public health.
Race and Media
This course provides theoretical and methodological foundations for graduate students approaching the study of race and media in Communication from a critical/cultural perspective.
Entertainment Studies
Examines the ways in which entertainment media, audiences, and popular culture shape and reflect social relations in contexts such as movie theatres, tabloids, fanzines, and fashion.
Communication and Everyday Life
Examines the role of communication within everyday environments ranging from the psychical domain of the self to the worlds of architecture, sound, and etiquette.
Communication and Globalization
Examines globalization and communication in the context of international communication history, cultural imperialism, transnational regulation, media integration, and diasporic networks.
Communication and Empire
Examines various interpretations of the role of communication in the development of empires and the modern world order.
Special Studies of Media
Examines a particular traditional or non-traditional medium of communication. Topic will vary from year to year.
Media, Culture, and Gender
Examines various theoretical debates on the production and reproduction of gender relations through communication processes and institutions, and addresses current research issues in feminist and other gender-based approaches to culture and communication.
Approaches to Communication Research
Examines the processes of conducting communication research in the context of writing a thesis or research essay. Considers topic selection, question framing, research design, the use of theory, and specific methodologies such as content analysis, discourse analysis, survey research, ethnography, semiotics, and historical analysis.
Directed Studies
Directed research or readings on a topic area not covered in that year's course offerings.
Research Essay
M.A. Thesis
Doctoral Seminar in Communication Studies
A seminar leading to the first comprehensive encompassing the program's three fields of concentration: the history of communication as object and field of study, the political economy of communication, and socio-cultural analysis of communication.
Selected Topics in Communication
Examines a newly emerging issue, research method, or theory related to communication. Topic will vary from year to year.
Communication and History
Examines the history of communication and its conceptualization from various perspectives as well as the way in which historical events arise through communication.
Political Economy of Communication
Examines the history of political economy with particular attention to applications in the field of communication.
Communication, Discourse, and Representation
Examines the processes and practices of representation through which meanings arise.
Directed Studies
Directed research or readings on a topic area not covered in that year's course offerings.
Comprehensive Examination I
Examination normally conducted in May of each year in connection with COMM 6000 and covering the program's three fields of concentration: the history of communication as object and field of study; the political economy of communication; and the socio-cultural analysis of communication. Graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
Comprehensive Examination II
Examination by the student's thesis supervisor and committee of an approved project related to a particular field of communication research; the field may or may not be related to the student's thesis. Graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
Ph.D. Thesis
Summer session: some of the courses listed in this Calendar are offered during the summer. Hours and scheduling for summer session courses will differ significantly from those reported in the fall/winter Calendar. To determine the scheduling and hours for summer session classes, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca
Not all courses listed are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings for the current session and to determine the term of offering, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca