There is no set program of courses that should be taken by students planning to go on to graduate school. As you choose your courses, you should talk with individual faculty members in the area of your interest and seek their specific advice on types of course and sequencing.
Most masters degree programs take two years or longer, although some are shorter. Most Law School (J.D.) programs take three years. Some Graduate Programs allow you to combine fields, such as Law and Journalism. Most Ph.D. programs take 5 years, although some are shorter.
For most graduate work, you will need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). To learn where and when these are administered, check with the Center for the Study of Testing located in Campion Hall (552-4521).
There are also various publications and classes run by private corporations that will help you to prepare for the GREs, such as those run by Kaplan. To learn more about preparatory classes, check with the Center for the Study of Testing.
There is no specific subject exam required for graduate communication studies, so scores on the general sections are used to determine admissions. Most schools consider GRE score, undergraduate GPA and recommendations as the primary admissions criteria, although relevant course background and/or internships are also considered.
"Graduate School" often means a masters degree in a more professionally oriented program such as broadcasting, journalism or advertising. If this is your goal, take courses related to your chosen field of specialization, including courses in other departments that overlap with your interest. For instance, many Communication majors interested in advertising and public relations take marketing courses in the School of Management. For suggested course selections in particular areas such as advertising, broadcasting, or journalism see handouts on those areas.
If you are interested in going on to Law School, courses in Argumentation Theory, Communication Law, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Speech, Social and Political Communication, and Debate are a good idea. See the separate "Communication and Law School" handout.
If you are considering a Ph.D. with an eye to college teaching or higher level management in Communication, it would be a good idea to take more than the required number of writing intensive seminars and theory courses. Courses that focus on critical approaches to the mass media, research methods and analysis are also a good idea. If you dread taking writing intensive seminars and theory courses, a Ph.D. in communication may not be the best choice because it's more of the same.
Most Ph.D. programs offer the opportunity to select an area of focus while
also dabbling in courses outside this particular concentration. As an undergraduate,
you may wish to take courses in a variety of communication areas to get a good
overview, to see what interests you, and to get a sense of how it all fits together.
When you receive your application packet, you will receive forms for faculty members and perhaps others to fill out. Because a great deal of emphasis is placed on these, you should plan ahead and make sure that the faculty member you are asking for a recommendation is someone who knows you fairly well and who will give you a good recommendation.
When you bring your recommendation form to the faculty member, you must follow the appropriate protocol. This means including:
- A stamped envelope, pre-typed with the address of where it is to be sent.
- All the necessary forms should be completed and the confidentiality waiver signed.
- Copy of your academic transcript
- A copy of your updated resume
- Any other personal information which might help them to make the reference more specific.
- This can make an enormous difference in the competition for admission and for scholarships.
It is also important to get the information to your recommenders well ahead of time. Otherwise, your letter may be hurriedly written or it may go to the bottom of an already considerable pile of work.
You should follow up on all recommendations within a reasonable period of time (ask your professor when it will be convenient for you to check back with them) to make sure they have been sent out.
Also, you should send each person who writes you a recommendation a personal note of thanks for taking the time out of a busy schedule to write it. Failing to follow through may make the difference in any follow-up recommendations you might want to request.
If you are planning to apply to a number of schools, tell your recommenders this and ask them to keep a copy of the recommendation on computer file. If after you graduate, you decide you wish to go on to graduate school, you should follow the same procedures as above, and also include in your cover letter the names of the classes and the dates you took them with that particular professor. Also mention any information which might help them distinguish you from the thousands of other students they have had in classes.
Most professors are happy to comply, providing they know you, have enough information, and know that their time is not being taken for granted.
For more information about graduate school or what it entails, contact Lisa Cuklanz,
21 Campanella Way 523, cuklanz@bc.edu or 617.552.8894