FAS - Communication

The Department of Communication offers the MA and PhD degrees in Rhetoric and Communication. Prior to January of 1996, the department also included a program in Communication Science and Disorders. For more information on that program, which is now part of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), call (412) 383-1344 and see SHRS's section of this bulletin.

The areas of major emphasis in the department are rhetorical theory and criticism, political communication, public argument, philosophy and rhetoric, rhetoric of science, communication theory, communication and production of meaning, and media studies.

Contact Information

Department Chair: John Lyne

Main Office: 1117 Cathedral of Learning

Phone: (412) 624-6569

Fax: (412) 624-1878

Web site: http://www.pitt.edu/~fasgrad/

Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies; Department of Communication; University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, PA 15260.

Admissions

The department offers programs leading to the MA and PhD degrees. Admission is highly selective. In order to be admitted to graduate standing, students must meet the admission requirements of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and supply materials called for in the department's application packet. Materials to be submitted by January 1 are:

Those requesting admission without a teaching assistantship have until April 1 to apply.

Financial Assistance

The department has a limited number of teaching assistantships each year, which are renewable for up to four years, depending upon circumstances. They include full tuition scholarships. There are also several fellowships as well as financial assistance for minorities available through the University. See Fellowships and Traineeships and Financial Aid for further detail.

Degree Requirements

The minimal requirements established by the Graduate Faculty of the University, as described under General Academic Regulations, and any additional requirements of FAS Graduate Studies described under FAS Degree Requirements, should be read in conjunction with department-specific degree requirements described in the following sections.

Requirements for the Master's Degree

Master of Arts candidates must take a total of 30 credits. Six of these credits may be from another department. After the completion of 30 credits, candidates will be examined by the department's Comprehensive Committee. In addition, candidates are required to complete two major research papers or a master's thesis.

Requirements for the PhD Degree

Candidates for the PhD degree must meet the general requirements of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences regarding preliminary and comprehensive examinations, overview or prospectus meeting, dissertation, and oral defense. (See Requirements for the PhD Degree in the FAS section of this bulletin and Regulations Pertaining to Doctoral Degrees) A minimum of 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate is required, including 12 dissertation credits. Twelve of these credits must be taken from another related department.

Course Listings

Rhetorical Theory and Criticism

COMMRC 2201 Seminar in Rhetorical Criticism

COMMRC 2203 Philosophy and Rhetoric

COMMRC 2205 Neo-Aristotelian Rhetoric

COMMRC 2217 Modern Theories of Rhetoric

COMMRC 2245 Seminar in Classical Rhetoric

COMMRC 3302 Seminar in Rhetorical Criticism

COMMRC 3317 Seminar in Rhetorical Theory

Rhetoric of Science

COMMRC 2204 Myth, Ideology, and Science

COMMRC 2285 Science and its Rhetoric

COMMRC 3340 Rhetoric and Communication in Science Policy

COMMRC 3343 Rhetoric in the Social Sciences

Public Argument

COMMRC 2213 American Public Argument

COMMRC 2214 Contemporary Public Argument

COMMRC 3306 Rhetoric and Culture

COMMRC 3314 Seminar in Public Argument

COMMRC 3319 Seminar in Presidential Rhetoric

Communication Theory and Research

COMMRC 2233 Theories and Models of Communication

COMMRC 3333 Contemporary Viewpoints in Communication Theory

COMMRC 3336 Special Topics in Communication

Communication and Production of Meaning

COMMRC 2263 Research in Interpersonal Communication

COMMRC 2265 Research in Small Group Communication

COMMRC 3339 Seminar in Nonverbal Communication

COMMRC 3363 Seminar in Interpersonal Communication

COMMRC 3365 Seminar in Small Group Communication

COMMRC 3367 Practicum in Interpersonal and Small Group Research

Media Studies

COMMRC 2226 Media and Cultural Studies

COMMRC 2227 Media Theories

COMMRC 2229 Global Cultures

COMMRC 3325 Seminar in Mass Communication

COMMRC 3326 Seminar in Media Studies

Additional Course Offerings