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Communication Studies, M.A. - Advising
Join us at an information session to determine if this program meets your research and career goals.
For admission requirements please visit ASU Degree Search and download the Next Steps Checklist.
After you submit your application to the master’s in communication there are a few things you can do to ensure your file is complete and reviewed by the admissions committee as quickly as possible.
Letters of recommendation. We recommend that you follow-up with your recommenders to ensure that they have received the request and are able to complete the request to provide a recommendation. You can remind your recommenders or update recommenders by visiting MyASU.
Official transcripts. The number one reason that decisions are delayed is because the unofficial transcripts are not complete, do not show prerequisite coursework (when applicable), do not have the applicant name, or the institution name. Please request an official copy of your transcript be submitted to Arizona State University as quickly as possible.
If unofficial transcripts are not uploaded at the time of application, official transcripts will be required to be submitted before your application will move forward for admission review.
The status of your application is available by logging in to MyASU. After a file is in committee it should take less than 14 days for an admission decision. Please monitor your email as our admissions team will reach out to you with any questions and to provide updates.
Undergraduate students in select majors are eligible to begin graduate coursework during their final semester or year at ASU. Please visit Accelerated Program (4+1) for more information.
Join live sessions with ASU team members who will answer your questions about ASU.
Here are just a few of the virtual events offered:
New Students
Accepting Admission Offer: Register Today
Secure your spot in the program by emailing NCGradAdmissions@asu.edu and informing your faculty mentor.
International Student Admits: Students from other countries (F-1 status) should read and complete next steps for securing a visa.
Deferring Admission Offer
If you are unable to enroll in the term that you originally applied for then please review your options to defer admission.
Declining Admission Offer
We understand that plans change. If you do not wish to attend this program please email NCGradAdmissions@asu.edu with your full name, ASU ID number (located on admissions letter), and your intention to decline the offer. This will help to ensure that ASU advisors do not reach out regarding next steps and registration.
Click here to review your program’s available courses within your semester of admission and select classes for enrollment.
Now What?
Prior to beginning your first course it is important that you read and understand the information available under “Current Students” on this advising website. This includes, but is not limited to, the Program Handbook, Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, and Graduate College Policies & Procedures. Students are responsible for information contained on this advising website, we recommend that you bookmark this page.
Login to MyASU and complete items listed in Priority Tasks.
Graduate College Field Guide to Grad School
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Save the date for orientation: Fall 2023 TBD
Current Students
Staff Academic Advising Questions
We are here to help! E-mail NCGradAdvising@asu.edu with questions related to policies and procedures to help you navigate graduate school successfully.
Many of the answers to your questions may be on this website and in the Program Handbook, please review both carefully.
Ed & Judy Lynn Scholarship
Each academic year the Ed and Judy Lynn Scholarship provides financial assistance to newly admitted graduate students enrolled in the Masters of Arts in Communication Studies (MACS) program. Students receiving a Lynn Scholarship are engaged academic leaders and embrace the values of Ed Lynn, which include a lifelong ethic of hard work, leadership, personal accountability, and a commitment to helping others develop their potential. They are expected to work closely with a MACS faculty mentor on projects related to teaching, research, or community service. This commitment normally involves roughly ten hours of engagement per week during the spring and fall semesters.
For more information please download the flyer and the application.
Student Travel Funds
The New College may provide for support graduate student travel to academic and professional conferences. Students may also receive support for travel from GPSA.
Apply to MACS for SSBS
Apply for GPSA Funding
Travel Funding
Important Student Support Resources
The MA Communication Studies campus immersion program requires 36 credit hours including 0-6 credit hours of culminating experience.
ASU Catalog and Degree Search: Communication Studies, MA
Written Comprehensive Exam (Required)
All students in the MACS program are required to complete a Written Comprehensive Exam. The objective of the comprehensive examination is for students to demonstrate “mastery”.
Please review the Written Comprehensive Exam section of the MACS Program Handbook for more information.
Thesis or Applied Project (Optional)
Depending on academic and career goals the thesis or applied project elective is designed for students who desire to thoroughly investigate a particular topic of interest through an extensive independent research project. Students interested in either option should consult the MACS Program Handbook and discuss with their faculty advisor early in their program.
What is the Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS)?
The Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS) functions as an agreement between the student, the academic unit, and the ASU Graduate College. It will support you as you make progress toward your degree requirements. (Learn More)
The iPOS allows you to plan for your course load, can guide registration each term, and provides an anticipated timeline for degree completion.
How do I select courses for my iPOS?
At the time of admission to a graduate program in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences students are provided with a sequence of courses for the first semester and then work closely with the staff and faculty advisors to determine a successful path to degree completion.
How to create an iPOS?
To access the iPOS: Login to My ASU. From the My Programs box, under the Programs tab, select iPOS. Select Graduate Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS). Note: Pop up blockers may need to be turned off. You will find instructions for submitting the iPOS in the downloadable how-to guide.
Individualized Instruction Form
Advanced students in the MACS program with specialized and well-developed topics may choose to take CMN 580; Practicum, CMN 590: Reading and Conference, or CMN 592: Research as an individualized instruction course, working with a faculty member independently. Please refer to the MACS Program Handbook for additional policies.
After consulting with the faculty member with whom you want to work, please complete the Online Individualized Instruction Form. After completing the form, it may take several days to receive the line number to register.
Please submit the request to complete an individualized instruction course two weeks prior to the start of any academic semester.
Internships
If you are interested in completing an internship for academic credit, please follow the steps below:
- Please confirm with your graduate academic advisor that the internship meets your program’s degree requirements.
- Contact the New College Director of Internships, Diane Mallory at diane.mallory@asu.edu or call 602-543-6047.
- Once enrolled in the course, email your graduate advisor at NCGradAdvising@asu.edu to add it to your iPOS or you can log directly into your iPOS to submit a course change approval to ensure the internship is included in your degree requirements.
For detailed descriptions of both the Applied Project and Thesis culminating experience options, please read the Program Handbook.
To Register for Applied Project or Thesis Courses
To be eligible to enroll in CMN 593 Applied Project or CMN 599 Thesis, the student must:
Download and complete (with the required signature of the faculty chair) the MACS Application to Register form
Download an Applied Project Application to Register
Download a Thesis Application to Register
Email the MACS Application to Register document to NCGradAdvising@asu.edu AND copy (i.e. cc) the MACS program director.
Upon completion of above steps, receive a course permission override from the graduate staff advisor to enroll in the course.
Meeting with a faculty advisor is one of the most important elements of graduate college. Your advisor can help you in selecting the proper courses, developing your plan of study, and, more generally, in understanding the complexities of graduate-level education. For MACS students the program director is your initial faculty advisor and will serve as your advisor throughout the entire program. However during the course of your studies you may identify another faculty member who is a good match for your particular interests and emphasis. In this instance we encourage you to approach that faculty member to serve as your advisor, making sure you formally record this change on your interactive plan of study (iPOS). You are required to meet with your faculty advisor to discuss your iPOS, most notably in preparation for submitting your first formal iPOS (refer to the Handbook for details).
Having the director serve as your initial or permanent advisor ensures you have access to advising from the moment you join the program through to your graduation. We also understand that identifying an advisor can take time and making contact with them can be anxiety-producing. As a MACS student, you have the choice of completing your program with the director as your advisor or taking some time to identify an alternative advisor.
A summary of this is provided below:
- The MACS director serves as advisor.
- If you identify another faculty member who you would like to serve as your advisor, make arrangements to meet with them to discuss your interests and their availability for mentoring duties. Changes in advisor must be officially recorded via an up-date of your plan of study (iPOS).
- You should meet with your faculty advisor to discuss your iPOS in detail.
Our Faculty
Below is a list of your program’s faculty who may potentially serve as your faculty chair/advisor. Use the ASU iSearch feature to read more about each faculty’s expertise and research.
Jeffrey Kassing
Nicole Lee
Lindsey Mean
Majia Nadesan
Ramsey Eric Ramsey
Vincent Waldron
Greg Wise
The MACS program has a set of core readings that cover a range of perspectives faculty consider pertinent to the study, theory, and practice of communication, advocacy and/or social technologies. Students are recommended to read these early in the program. These also comprise the required readings for the exam, which requires the student to integrate materials from at least three of these readings into their exam answers.
Dahlgren, P. (2012). Social media and counter-democracy: The contingences of participation. In E. Tambouris, A. Macintosh, and Øystein Sæbø (Eds.). Electronic Participation (pp. 1-12). New York: Springer.
Hartnett, S. J. (2010). Communication, social justice, and joyful commitment. Western Journal of Communication, 74(1), 68–93.
Olson, K. M. (2008). The practical importance of inherency analysis for public advocates: Rhetorical leadership in framing a supportive social climate for education reforms. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 36 (2), 219-241.
Scholz, S. J. (1998). Peacemaking in domestic violence: From an ethics of care to an ethics of advocacy. Journal of Social Philosophy, 29 (2), 46-48.
Tufecki, Z. (2013). “Not this one”: Social movements, the attention economy, and microcelebrity networked activism. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(7): 848-870.
van Dijk, T. A. (1999). Editorial: Discourse and racism. Discourse & Society, 10(2), 147–148.
Winner, L. (1986). Do artifacts have politics? In The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology (19-39). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Zompetti, J. P. (2006). The role of advocacy in civil society. Argumentation, 20, 167–183.
