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Graduate Catalog
Communication.
The Department of Communication studies the process and analysis of human communication, with areas of specialization that include interpersonal communication, persuasion, communication technology, nonverbal communication, and media effects. The Department offers both a Master of Arts (M.A.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Communication. The M.A. program in Communication emphasizes the scientific investigation of human communication behavior, stressing developments in communication theory and research as they relate to society and the communication process. The M.A.in Communication prepares people for entry into a number of fields that require analysis of communication situations. It also provides a solid foundation for Ph.D. work. The Ph.D. program in Communication offers students a unique curriculum that stresses the integration of theory and research in communication. Our program places strong emphasis on communication theory and a wide range of research skills and is designed to provide students with a rigorous course of study that will prepare them for careers in the academic, commercial, or non-profit spheres. Because our program emphasizes a balance between theory and application, alumni leave UConn with a dynamic skill and knowledge set, qualifying them for employment opportunities both inside and outside academia.
Master of Arts in Communication
All students must complete at least 33 credit hours of graduate course work, including a core of required courses. Required core courses are COMM 5001 and 5002 . Core courses may only be waived in special circumstances. Students opting to write a thesis must also take COMM 5003 and 5010 . The remainder of the student’s program will be determined by their chosen specialty area. A minimum of 30 credits in total (including core courses and thesis- or project-related courses, if applicable) must come from graduate-level COMM courses. Students must culminate their M.A. program by either writing a thesis, taking a comprehensive examination, or completing a Capstone Project ( COMM 5979 ). The choice among these options is made in consultation with and subject to the approval of the student’s major advisor. Students pursuing a UConn undergraduate B.A. degree in Communication and who enroll in the accelerated M.A. program can apply to use up to 12 credits of graduate-level coursework taken as an undergraduate towards an M.A. degree in Communication.
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication
All students must complete a program of study of at least 60 credit hours of graduate coursework, which includes dissertation credits. Required coursework varies depending on the chosen track, but all students must complete several core courses. Core courses are COMM 5001 , 5002 , 5003 , and 5010 . Core courses may only be waived in special circumstances. The Ph.D. program has six tracks: Interpersonal Communication, Marketing Communication, Mass Communication, New Communication Technology, Nonverbal Communication, and Persuasion. As part of each track, students will take 6-9 credits in an area chosen to provide breadth or specialized skills. Students must pass COMM 6800 , which entails participating in two research projects mentored by faculty. Students must take and pass the doctoral comprehensive examinations in communication theory and research methods. After passing both examinations, students must successfully defend their dissertation proposal. Students culminate their Ph.D. program by submitting and successfully defending their doctoral dissertation.
The programs are offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences .
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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English
Phd program in english, starting study in fall 2024 and later.
This page contains information only for students who are beginning their graduate study in Fall 2024 or later .
Our Ph.D. program in English provides students with interdisciplinary coursework in a range of research areas, mentorship from faculty at the forefront of their fields, teachi ng experience in First-Year Writing and beyond, and dedicated support for job searches in academia and beyond. After completing required coursework, Ph.D. students work with their advisory committees to devise exam reading lists that will deepen their knowledge in their selected fields for both teaching and research purposes. Students then design a dissertation project that best suits their intellectual and professional goals – whether that project be a traditional textual dissertation, a born-digital project, or a creative or translation work with a critical introduction. Students entering our Ph.D. program with a B.A. enjoy financial support through a teaching assistantship for six years. Students entering with an M.A. in English or Rhetoric and Composition are funded through a teaching assistantship for five years.
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Program Requirements
Advisory committee.
All Ph.D. students are assigned a Major Advisor by the Director of Graduate Studies upon matriculation. Associate Advisors may be members of any University department. Students should discuss all courses and program policies with their Major Advisor.
Students may change Major or Associate advisors at any time (for example, when selecting an appropriate examination committee). Forms to change Advisory Committee members are available in the Graduate English Office and on the university's website for the Graduate School .
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study for the Ph.D. degree must be signed by all members of the Advisory Committee and submitted to the Graduate School when 18 credits of coursework have been completed. The Graduate School requires 15 credits of the mandatory research course GRAD 6950. These credits can be fulfilled within two to three semesters of continuous registration with a full Teaching Assistantship.
The Plan of Study must indicate which courses have been taken and are to be taken in fulfillment of requirements, how the language requirement has been or will be fulfilled, and what the dissertation topic will be. The Plan of Study must be on file with the Graduate School before the Dissertation Prospectus Colloquium takes place. Any changes–in courses submitted, language requirement plans–must be submitted to the Graduate School on a Request for Changes in Plan of Graduate Study form. All forms are available in the English Graduate Office and the Graduate School website .
Coursework Requirements and Policy on Incomplete Grades
Students entering with an MA are required to complete 25 credits of coursework and at least 15 credits of dissertation research. Students entering with a BA are required to complete 37 credits of coursework and at least 15 credits of dissertation research. Coursework credits include distribution requirements (described below) as well as two seminars taken in the first semester in support of the teaching assistantship: ENGL 5100, The Theory and Teaching of Writing (3 credits) and ENGL 5182, Practicum in the Teaching of Writing (1 credit).
Students who feel they have fulfilled any of the course requirements at another institution may petition the graduate program office to have those requirements waived at UConn.
MA/Ph.D. students who are continuing for the PhD have until the end of the third year of coursework to fulfill the distribution requirements.
Coursework is normally taken at Storrs. Transfer of up to six credits from another institution’s graduate program, or six credits from non-degree graduate coursework undertaken at UConn, may be accepted toward the MA or the Ph.D., provided that such credits are not used to earn a degree at another institution.
The Graduate Executive Committee recommends that students take no more than six credits of Independent Study. All Independent Studies must be requested through the Independent Study Form and approved by the Graduate Executive Committee.
Distribution Requirements
All graduate students (MA and PhD) are required to fulfill three distribution requirements:
- a course in pre-1800 texts,
- a course in post-1800 texts, and
- a course in theory.
For MA students, these requirements ensure breadth of study to support common pathways beyond that degree, including secondary education and doctoral work. For PhD students, these seminars provide vital context for the deeper investigations required by PhD exams and the dissertation.
The 1800 pivot date of the chronological distribution requirements is not meant to signal an important shift in literary or cultural history but instead establishes a midpoint in common areas of study; in asking students to take coursework on either side of 1800, these distribution requirements ensure that students in earlier periods look forward to later developments in the field and that students in later periods trace the field backward.
Students can fulfill these requirements in the following ways:
- Take a course that focuses entirely on the distribution requirement’s stated area of study. For example, a Milton seminar would fulfill the pre-1800 requirement, a twentieth-century literature course would fulfill the post-1800 requirement, and a lyric theory seminar would fulfill the theory seminar requirement. Often, these courses are offered under course designations (such as ENGL 5330: Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature or ENGL 6500: Seminar in Literary Theory) that make clear their ability to fulfill distribution requirements. However, at times courses listed under more general course designations can fulfill these requirements. Consult with the instructor of record and the Director of Graduate Studies if a course’s eligibility to fulfill a distribution requirement is unclear.
- Take a transhistorical seminar or a seminar organized by a methodology or thematic concern and complete research and writing in the distribution requirement’s stated area of study. Seminars that span centuries (such as Shakespeare on Screen) or those that focus on a methodology or theme (such as Disability Studies) can fulfill the pre- or post-1800 distribution requirement if the student completes the major writing assignment of the seminar focusing on texts or ideas from the relevant chronological period. For example, if a student enrolls in a Medical Humanities seminar, they can fulfill the pre-1800 requirement by focusing their work for the course on a pre-1800 text, such as Defoe’s Journal of the Plague Year , even if the bulk of that seminar’s reading is post-1800. If they enroll in a seminar on adaptation of Arthurian texts, they can fulfill the pre-1800 requirement by completing work that draws substantially on Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur in theorizing modern retellings of that text. Please consult with the instructor of record to ensure that this type of work is possible if you plan on using a transhistorical, methodology-based, or thematic seminar to fulfill a distribution requirement.
- Complete a teaching mentorship in the distribution requirement’s stated area of study.
- Submit to the graduate office proof that you have completed a seminar in the distribution requirement’s stated area of study (unofficial transcripts and, if available, a syllabus) in the completion of a previous degree. Note that while coursework completed in the course of earning a previous degree can be used to fulfill English Department distribution requirements, those credits cannot count toward your UConn degree on your plan of study.
Note that some seminars can fulfill more than one distribution requirement. For example, a seminar in African American Literary Theory fulfills the theory distribution requirement and can, with relevant research writing, fulfill either the pre- or post-1800 requirement.
Students should email the graduate program administrator when they complete a distribution requirement to ensure that the graduate office keeps accurate records.
Policy on Incomplete Grades
The Graduate Executive Committee strongly discourages incompletes. However, the Committee recognizes that, at times, extenuating circumstances merit offering a student additional time beyond the semester to complete work for a seminar. In that case, the student should determine with the faculty member teaching the seminar a reasonable timeline for completing and submitting seminar work — ideally no more than one month. It is the student’s responsibility to remain in communication with their professor about outstanding work, especially if the student requires additional time.
According to the academic regulations of the Graduate School, if a student does not submit all work required to resolve an incomplete within 12 months following the end of the semester for which the grade was recorded, no credit will be allowed for the course. A limited extension of the incomplete beyond 12 months may be granted by the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the instructor, but the Graduate School is not obligated to approve an extension if the instructor of the course is no longer at UConn.
If a student accumulates more than three incompletes on their transcript, they will be placed on probationary status by the Graduate Executive Committee and may be required to resolve those incompletes before being allowed to register for additional coursework. A student whose transcript includes four or more grades of incomplete may not be eligible for a teaching assistantship.
Language Requirement
Overview. As part of their graduate work, PhD students in English study at least one language other than English. In fulfilling the language requirement, students are not expected to achieve spoken or written fluency in another language. Instead, the goal of this requirement is to acquire reading knowledge . This requirement is in place to:
- Enrich or expand students’ research and pedagogy in their area of specialization . Basic knowledge in another language enables and encourages students to seek out and explore primary texts and scholarship in languages other than English and thus to respond more fully to the critical conversations occurring in their areas of expertise.
- Provide students with linguistic tools they will find valuable in a range of careers . English PhDs pursue careers in a wide array of contexts, including academia, nonprofits, publishing, secondary education, government institutions, libraries and archives, and museums — all pathways that could benefit from the expanded worldview, human connection, and research expertise that experience in languages provides. Moreover, anyone working in a teaching capacity, and who therefore is likely to encounter students from diverse linguistic backgrounds, benefits from an insider knowledge of the experience of reading and learning as a non-native speaker.
- Challenge an anglocentric understanding of language in our discipline and culture at large. Our department values a diversity of voices and acknowledges that many languages and ways of speaking have been silenced through violence, both physical and cultural. We encourage our students to study languages other than English, in part, to resist a push for monolingualism in America and the cultural erasures that accompany it.
The methods students may use to fulfill this requirement are outlined below. While we require students engage only one language other than English, we recognize that those specializing in certain research areas might find acquiring additional language skills necessary for their research.
The Director of Graduate Studies recommends that all students, and especially those who are not entering the program with knowledge of a language other than English, discuss their plans regarding this requirement with their major advisor early in the program, preferably during their first semester. They should plan on fulfilling the requirement prior to completing coursework. At the latest, students should plan to complete the requirement before the submission of the dissertation prospectus. Please consult with the Director of Graduate Studies if any problem arises in completing this requirement according to that timeline.
Methods. In collaboration with their major advisor, students should determine which of the methods of fulfilling the language requirement described below best suits their course of study. For methods (1) through (3), students must have completed the courses or examination no more than five years prior to submitting their PhD plan of study for approval.
The options below are arranged from those that require no additional work to those that require the deepest investment. If a student anticipates that a language will be vital to their research, we encourage them to select a means for fulfilling the requirement that allows for substantial language study. Please note that students may choose to pursue the study of written languages (such as Spanish, German, Arabic, Mandarin, etc.), digital languages (such as Python), and gestural languages (ASL). The option to pursue any particular language will depend, in part, on resources (faculty, coursework) available at UConn and beyond.
- The student may establish evidence of competence in the language through an official transcript stating that the undergraduate or a higher degree was earned with that language as the major or minor area of study.
- The student may pass an examination set by a member of the university faculty (or, if approved by the advisory committee and the DGS, a faculty member at another college or university). The examiner may be a member of the English department — and the graduate office maintains a list of faculty qualified and willing to administer language exams — but may not be a member of the student’s advisory committee.The examination will include the translation into English of a passage approximately 400 to 500 words in length with the assistance of a dictionary. The examiner will choose the passage in collaboration with the student’s major advisor. The examination must be supervised and have a reasonable time limit. In the event that a student is studying a language not typically rendered in print/text form, such as American Sign Language (ASL), the examiner will provide an appropriate text that the student will translate into English. If the result is not successful, the exam may be repeated as many times as needed.Students pursuing this option can consult with their advisors and the graduate office for resources they can use to learn independently in preparation for the exam. To schedule a language exam, the student should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies. When the exam is finished, the examiner should send an email confirming the student’s successful completion of the exam to the graduate office, copying the student and their major advisor.
- A PhD or MA reading examination in a language other than English passed at another graduate school may be accepted in transfer (subject to the above five-year limitation). The student should provide the graduate office evidence that they passed such an exam.
- The student may pass both semesters of an approved one-year reading or beginning course in the language with grades equivalent to C or higher. The courses may be taken on a Pass/Fail basis, with a grade of Pass denoting a performance that meets the language requirement. Alternatively, the student may pass a course in a language other than English or in literature written in a language other than English at or above the 3000 level, provided that the reading for the course is required to be done in the language . Language courses taken concurrently with the graduate program at other institutions are eligible to fulfill the requirement as long as the student can provide evidence that they have taken the course and received a grade of C or higher.
- The student can complete UConn’s Graduate Certificate in Literary Translation .
- The student’s native language is a language other than English.
Ph.D. Exams
The Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations are based on two reading lists (details below), which are created in the final semester of coursework and must be approved by the Graduate Executive Committee. The Graduate Executive Committee recommends the following timeline for completing the Doctoral Examination and moving to the dissertation.
- In consultation with the Advisory Committee, create exam lists in the spring semester of the final coursework year. While creating exam lists, discuss the timing and formatting of the Ph.D. exam (details below).
- Submit exam lists and the PhD Exam List Approval Form to the Graduate Office for approval by April 15.
- Submit Plan of Study to the Graduate School in summer or early fall semester in the third year.
- Take the Doctoral Examination no later than February 28th of the academic year following the completion of coursework. The Graduate Executive Committee recommends that students take exams in the late fall.
- Submit dissertation prospectus and schedule the Prospectus Colloquium no later than April 1st of the academic year following the completion of coursework.
Creation and Submission of Examination Lists
The Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations are based on two reading lists, which provide the materials for three discrete exams: one addressing the first reading list, one addressing the second reading list, and a third which combines materials from both lists. For the purposes of the exams, each list designates a clearly defined and professionally recognizable field or subfield of scholarship (e.g., a literary-historical period such as the Renaissance, a transtemporal genre such as Drama, a critical tradition such as Feminism, an established body of literature such as Children’s Literature). The relationship between the two reading lists is to be determined by the advisory committee, with the understanding that the fields identified by each list are to complement one another (in terms of history, discipline, method, genre, or otherwise). When appropriate, students should discuss with their advisors ways to handle the challenges of representing multiple subfields and/or disciplines within the two-list structure
Traditionally, each list comprises approximately 60-75 works, including 75% primary works and 25% secondary works. A “secondary” work may refer to a book, essay, or group of essays including literary criticism, historical, or theoretical texts. Lists from students in certain fields may look slightly different. For example, lists in Rhetoric and Composition may contain entirely secondary texts, including articles and book chapters alongside book-length texts. Lists in fields such as Digital Humanities or Film Studies may include texts in a variety of modalities. Students in these fields should discuss with their advisors the best way to proceed. All lists should include no fewer than 60-75 works overall, of any genre or modality. Because each field is different, a student’s list should reflect the kind of texts (e.g., theoretical, multimodal, visual) that are important in that field. How each text “counts” on the Ph.D. exam list will be determined at the discretion of the student and their advisory committee, as the graduate office recognizes that length and complexity are not equivalent.
Generally speaking, excerpts are not permissible, though standard excerpts of exceedingly long or multi-volume works may be permitted with the approval of the advisory committee. In assembling selections of poems, essays, excerpts, etc., students should not use undergraduate-oriented anthologies such as the Norton or Bedford anthologies; instead, students should research and choose an authoritative scholarly edition that surveys adequately — for a Ph.D.-level exam — each author’s writings. The student’s reading lists should reflect both breadth and depth of reading, as well as a sense of the history of criticism throughout the fields and contemporary critical and theoretical approaches. There should be no overlap of works between reading lists. Selections of works should take into consideration both coverage of the field and preparation for the anticipated dissertation.
Reading lists are to be drawn up by the student in consultation with their advisory committee, beginning at the end of the fall semester of the final year of coursework. Students are encouraged, though not required, to meet with the advisory committee as a whole to discuss the creation of the lists. All items in each list should be numbered clearly, and lists should be arranged chronologically or in some other systematic fashion.
Each list should be accompanied by a brief rationale (no longer than 500 words), that explains its content. The purpose of the rationales is the following: (1) to identify a body of texts and its legibility as part of a professionally recognizable field or subfield; (2) to justify inclusions or exclusions that might seem idiosyncratic or which are, at least, not self-explanatory (e.g., including more drama than prose or poetry on a Renaissance list); (3) to indicate a methodological, theoretical, or other type of emphasis (e.g., a high number of gender studies-oriented secondary works).
You can find a sample examination list with correct formatting and marginal notes explaining its elements here.
The student is responsible for making copies of their lists and rationales and depositing them, along with the completed PhD Exam List Approval Form , in the Graduate English Office no later than April 15th of the final year of coursework. All reading lists will then be referred to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval. The Graduate Executive Committee will not approve lists that fail to meet the basic guidelines recommended above. Students whose ideas about the exams continue to change during the reading period may update their lists with the approval of their advisory committees.
Scheduling the Examination
After examination lists are approved, students in consultation with their advisory committees need to agree upon the timing and format of the exams (details below) as well as specific dates on which their exam is to be administered. Please complete the PhD Exam Scheduling Form which will be automatically routed to the Graduate English Office. If the student requires a space on campus to take the exam, arrangements should be made at this time. The deadline by which all students must take their Examination (including the exam conference) is February 28th of the fourth year for MA/Ph.D.s or the same date of the third year for Ph.D.s.
Understanding Ph.D. Examination Deadline and Time Limits
The Ph.D. examination was devised in part to facilitate students’ timely completion of the doctoral degree, and so the Graduate Executive Committee requires that students meet all official deadlines. Students incapable of meeting an examination deadline, for whatever reason, must apply for a time extension from the Director of Graduate Studies by submitting a typed request, signed by the student and their major advisor, ideally at least one month in advance of the deadline. The letter must state the specific reasons for the time delay and also designate the specific amount of extra time requested.
The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Graduate Executive Committee, will determine an appropriate response to the request, which will be communicated to the candidate by the Director of Graduate Studies. The Committee’s response will specify new deadlines by which the exam should be taken.
Taking the Examination
The PhD exam consists of three parts. The first two exams (Field 1 and Field 2) test the student’s knowledge of works on each field list. The third exam (Synthesis) tests the student’s ability to combine material from both reading lists in the service of a comprehensive argument, ideally one informing future work on the dissertation.
The exam can take one of two formats:
- Written exam: The student writes three essays (Field One, Field Two, and Synthesis). Each exam should include two questions, of which the student selects and answers one. This format requires an exam conference, but the student will know if they have passed the exam before that meeting. The exam conference is described below. It is ungraded.
- Hybrid exam: The student writes two essays (Field One and Field Two). The Synthesis exam is a graded, two-hour oral examination, initiated by a 15- to 20-minute presentation from the student in which they outline three to four research questions that arose from their reading, dedicating approximately equal time to each. The remaining time is led by the student’s advisors as an oral synthesis exam; advisors might, for example, ask questions that lead a student to clarify, nuance, or expand upon the research questions outlined during their presentation. Note that this exam is separate from the field exams; the student’s presentation, and the advisory committee’s questions, should not replicate the inquiries from those previous exams. In addition to the two written exams and oral exam, this format requires an exam conference, but the student will know if they have passed the exam before that meeting. The exam conference is described below. It is ungraded.
Written exams should be allotted 24 hours for completion. The three exams can be spaced across any three dates within a period of one month, with approval of all members of the advisory committee. If a student is taking the exams on three consecutive days, they should receive all exam questions at once. If a student is taking the exams according to a more dispersed timeline, they should receive one set of questions at a time.
These formats are designed to provide graduate students and their advisory committees the flexibility to design a Ph.D. exam that is intellectually challenging and responsive to a student’s needs and goals. As students prepare reading lists for their exams, they should consult with their advisory committee to select a fitting exam format. In the course of these conversations, students and their committees should take into account matters of access (outlined below) as well as students’ caretaking responsibilities, their ability to secure a quiet space to take exams, and other relevant factors. If these factors require a change in the exam’s format not recognized above, or in the event of a disagreement, the student should consult with their major advisor and/or the Director of Graduate Studies.
Examination questions are to be drafted by the candidate’s committee and reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies, but the major advisor is responsible for assembling the exam. Candidates are not permitted to view the questions prior to the examination. The Graduate Office asks the major advisor to distribute questions for written exams upon the schedule determined by the student and their committee. The Graduate Administrator will assist in scheduling a space for the oral exam, if applicable.
The Graduate Executive Committee strongly recommends that all candidates consult their entire Advisory Committee about their understanding of the examination process and expectations for each part of it — ideally throughout their preparations but certainly early in the process of assembling the lists and at a later stage just prior to scheduling the examination.
The Graduate Executive Committee assumes that answers to written exams will be approximately 10-15 pages of double-spaced prose (with limited block quoting); that each essay will answer the question asked by the advisory committee, however creatively; that each essay will establish a clear argument and seek to back it up with textual evidence; and that each essay will be clearly written and appropriately revised. Pre-written essays are strictly forbidden. The candidate should pay attention to the question’s instructions regarding the number of texts they should use in their response and not consider a text in detail in more than one essay.
Access and Accommodations for Ph.D. Exams
The University of Connecticut is committed to achieving equal educational and employment opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities. Graduate students who have questions about access or require further access measures in any element of the graduate program should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD), Wilbur Cross Building Room 204, (860) 486-2020, or visit the Center for Students with Disabilities website . Alternatively, students may register online with the CSD by logging into the student MyAccess portal .
The English Graduate Office advises students who would like to discuss matters related to access to consult with the Director of Graduate Studies, ideally during the creation of the exam lists. Access measures for Ph.D. exams may include, but are not limited to, extended time to complete the exam, the use of voice recognition programs and the extended time some programs require, or locating and scheduling space to take the exam.
The Examination Grade
Upon completion of the examination, students will receive a grade from their committee of “Pass,” or “Fail.” Major advisors should communicate this grade to their advisees as soon as possible and before the day set for the examination conference. Students who fail the examination will be required to meet with their advisory committee to determine an appropriate time and plan for retaking it. Students failing the examination twice will be dismissed from the program. Please Note: ABD status grants a salary increase and eligibility for a library study carrel.
The Examination Conference
Within two weeks of a student passing the Ph.D. examination, the advisory committee will meet with the student to discuss the examination. This examination conference is a mandatory, but not a graded, component of the examination. The purpose of the conference is twofold: to offer candidates a forum for a thorough discussion of their exam’s strengths and weaknesses and to help the student transition from the examination phase to the prospectus phase of the Ph.D.. To this end, the Graduate Executive Committee assumes that advisory committee members will divide time appropriately between offering feedback on each of the three exams and working collaboratively to establish a clear understanding of expectations, goals, deadlines for completion of the prospectus.
The Dissertation
In light of growing diversity in students’ motivations for attaining a PhD in English and professional opportunities available to humanities PhDs, the department supports and encourages dissertations in many forms. For example, the dissertation might take the form of a prototype for a book manuscript; a born-digital project or a project with some online or computational components; or a creative work or translation with a critical introduction.
Students should consult with their advisory committee and, if necessary, the Director of Graduate Studies about the proposed format of their dissertation as early in their graduate career as is practical. During those conversations, students and their advisors should consider the format of the dissertation in relation to the students’ scholarly needs and professional goals, the expectations and standards of the profession or intellectual community the student plans to enter, and the resources the student will require to complete the proposed project, including time, funding, advising, and skills. The student, advisory committee, and Director of Graduate Studies will agree upon the form and scope of the dissertation through the submission, review, and approval of the prospectus.
Prospectus Colloquium
The Dissertation Prospectus Colloquium is an opportunity for the student to discuss the thesis topic in detail with the Advisory Committee. The colloquium should take place before the student begins writing the dissertation. The Advisory Committee expects to be presented with a Prospectus sufficiently far along in its development for a judgment to be made on its scholarly validity and potential as a fully developed dissertation. The student and Major Advisor should inform the Director of Graduate Studies at least one month in advance of the day and time of this event. Departmental Representatives need at least two weeks notice before the actual colloquium to read the prospectus. The readers are expected to attend the colloquium; however, it is not necessary that they do so. Comments from the readers can be given to the Major Advisor and student.
Dissertation Chapter Advisory Conference
The Dissertation Chapter Advisory Conference is a non-graded opportunity for students to discuss with their advisory committees the strengths and weaknesses of a complete draft of a dissertation chapter. The conference is designed to serve three basic purposes: 1) to facilitate the transition of ABDs into the process of researching and writing the doctoral dissertation; 2) to encourage early communication between students and their committee members, and between primary and secondary advisors; 3) to encourage discussion of a future plan for the completion of the other dissertation chapters/parts. The Graduate Executive Committee requires every Ph.D. student to submit a complete draft of a chapter to the advisory committee, within 3 months but no later than 6 months after the date of the Dissertation Prospectus Colloquium. By “complete,” the Committee wishes to emphasize that the intellectual integrity of the submitted chapter must not be compromised by any omitted material (such as notes, bibliography, etc.), by significant stylistic weaknesses, grammatical errors, etc. After the Conference, students must turn into the Graduate office a First Chapter Conference Form , which must be signed by all advisory committee members.
Dissertation Defense
A dissertation defense is required of every student by the Graduate School. The student’s Advisory Committee and 2 Departmental Representatives are required to attend; members of the department and the University community are invited to attend. The defense is both an examination and a forum for the candidate to comment on the scope and significance of the research. As a result of the dissertation defense, the student’s Advisory Committee may require revisions and corrections to the dissertation. The student initiates scheduling of the Defense by consulting first with members of the Advisory Committee and the Graduate Office. At least five members of the faculty (including the members of the student’s Advisory Committee) must attend the defense. Only members of the Advisory Committee, however, may actually recommend passing or failing the student.
According to the Graduate School catalog, the dissertation should represent a significant contribution to ongoing research in the candidate’s field. While the Graduate School does not stipulate a minimum length for dissertations, the Graduate Executive Committee strongly suggests a minimum length of 60,000 words inclusive for a traditional dissertation in English (not a creative dissertation or a “born-digital” DH dissertation). The committee suggests this length as representing approximately 2/3 of the standard length of an academic monograph according to current publication practices. Students who wish to complete a creative dissertation, a “born-digital” dissertation, or a project in a format other than a collection of textual chapters should consult with their advisory committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Students must schedule the dissertation defense with the Graduate Office and Advisory Committee at least three months ahead of time. Electronic copies of the dissertation should be distributed at least three weeks prior to the defense: to each Advisory Committee member and to department representatives. The student must also notify the UConn Events Calendar two weeks in advance. For further information, see this helpful guide from the Graduate School .
Annual Review of Progress toward Degree
Beginning in their first semester following the completion of coursework, Ph.D. students must annually report their progress by completing an Annual Review of Progress toward Degree , including a self-evaluation and a response from their major advisor. Neither evaluation need exceed 250 words. These evaluations are reviewed each spring semester by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in consultation with the Associate Director of Graduate Studies (ADGS). In the preparation for the review, students and their major advisors should consult with one another about the students’ achievements, progress, and any potential delays over the previous academic year. The review is due to the Graduate Office no later than April 1. Please see the form for submission instructions.
For students in the first year following the completion of coursework, satisfactory progress is measured by the student and major advisor in terms of their preparation for and writing of their PhD examinations. Subsequent reviews focus on the remaining milestones in the program, including the language requirement, the dissertation prospectus and colloquium, and progress toward the dissertation defense. Note that students can consult with their major advisors and/or the DGS to request extensions on deadlines, which are designed to help students complete their degree within funding .
For students who are ABD, the Review of Progress toward Degree should focus on the dissertation. The self-evaluation from the student should record milestones achieved and set forth research and writing accomplished since the last evaluation as well as research and writing plans for the next twelve months.
If the student’s review raises concerns about their progress, the DGS will arrange a meeting with the student to devise a plan for moving forward.
Job Training and Professional Development
In the semester prior to submitting applications for a job, contact the Director of Graduate Studies to announce your intentions to go on the job market. The department runs annual meetings on CV and cover letter writing, teaching portfolio workshops, MLA and campus interviewing, etc. The Executive Committee recommends that Ph.D. students attend all of them.
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COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
Department of Communication
M.a. program of study.
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All students must complete a program of study of at least 33 credit hours of graduate course work, including a core of required courses. Students must culminate their MA program by either writing a thesis or taking a comprehensive exam. The department encourages all students to discuss their options with their committee members, though most MA students choose the exam option. It is possible for students to complete a project and oral exam rather than the traditional written and oral exam. This approach is sometimes desirable for people going into applied areas. Past projects have been done by students studying new communication technology and communication campaigns.
The MA program provides the student with a strong theoretical base for analyzing and researching human communication. Students will receive excellent preparation for PhD work, as well as a wide range of information about communication that may be applied in many non-academic settings. Students may wish to focus their studies in more applied domains and use their knowledge of communication theory and research methods in a commercial setting. For example, students who specialize in marketing may find employment in marketing research firms, larger advertising agencies that maintain their own research departments, and corporations that produce and evaluate their own advertising or personal sales materials. Students interested in careers as behavioral researchers and change agents in organizations may wish to specialize in strategic or organizational communication. Such specialties may include a variety of theoretical approaches to organizational behavior and organizational change techniques through coursework in other departments.
Core Courses
Core courses provide the student with exposure to the major research techniques central to the scholarly literature of communication. The basics of theory construction, techniques of data gathering and data analysis, and typical research projects in communication are covered. As a group, these courses provide a basis for advanced coursework offered by the department.
Core courses and the semester in which each should be completed are listed below:
COMM 5001 Introduction to Graduate Communication Research (1st semester) COMM 5002 Communication Research Methods (2nd semester) COMM 5003 Advanced Communication Research Methods (for Plan A Thesis option only) (3rd semester) COMM 5010 Theory Construction and Research Design (for Plan A Thesis option only) (3rd semester)
The remainder of the student’s program will be determined in consultation with the student’s advisor and Advisory Committee. Students may include courses from other departments within the University with the permission of the Advisory Committee.
Choosing a Specialty
In addition to the Core Courses listed above, students must take two core theory courses relevant to their specialty area, as determined by the major advisor and committee members. Such courses might include:
COMM 5100 Persuasion Theory and Research COMM 5200 Interpersonal Communication COMM 5230 Organizational Communication: Theory and Research COMM 5300 Mass Communication Theory COMM 5660 Computer-Mediated Communication COMM 6850 Seminar in Marketing Communication
To complete the course requirements, students must choose additional courses from COMM offerings (four additional courses for thesis option; six additional courses for comprehensive exam option) and one related elective course inside or outside the department (for a total of 33 course credits). For students with a specialty area in a related discipline, up to three of the six courses (for the exam option) and up to two courses (for the thesis option) may be outside of the department. Additional courses inside and outside the department might include (in addition to the courses noted above):
COMM 5101 Motivation COMM 5120 Communication Campaigns COMM 5150 Crisis and Risk Communication COMM 5220 Group Communication Research COMM 5310 Seminar in Mass Communication Research COMM 5500 Nonverbal Communication COMM 5501 Nonverbal Communication & Persuasion COMM 5640 Social Media Use and Effects COMM 5650 Communication Technology and Society: Theory and Research COMM 5900 Professional Communication MKTG 5115 Market-Driven Management MKTG 5220 Strategic Marketing MKTG 5625 Marketing for Global Competitiveness MKTG 5230 Product and Innovation Management MKTG 5635 Marketing for Non-profit Institutions MKTG 5640 Integrated Marketing Communications MKTG 5660 Customer and Market Behavior OPIM 5110 Operations Management PSYC 5613 Industrial Psychology PSYC 5703 Advanced Social Psychology
These are simply examples of potential course options. Other courses may be substituted by Advisory Committee approval.
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Communications, Marketing & Media
Careers in communications, media, and marketing are all related to the practice of promoting products, ideas, and services to a target audience. These roles involve creating, sharing, and promoting information through various channels and analyzing data to understand the impact of these activities on consumer behavior. Careers in this field require strong communication skills, creativity, strategic thinking, and the ability to adapt to new technologies and trends.
Common Job Titles
- Corporate Communications Manager
- Advertising Manager
- Art Director
- Brand Manager
- Creative Director
- Content Strategist
- Digital Analyst
- Digital Marketing Manager
- Graphic Designer
- Internal Communications Manager
- Market Research Analyst
- Media Relations Manager
- Media Technical Director
- Public Relations Manager
- Social Media Manager
- Technical Writer
- Video Production Manager
- Web Producer
**This is just a sampling of career titles, for more career titles explore:
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
- O*NET OnLine (onetonline.org) Vault: Research Employers – UConn Center for Career Development
Preferred Skills
- Effective storytelling
- Graphic design
- Video production
- Audio production
- Web development
- Social media management
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Data analysis (Google Analytics, Excel, Tableau etc.)
- Email marketing
- Understanding of Content Management Systems (WordPress, Joomla, etc.)
- Understanding of Customer Relationship Management Systems (Salesforce, Zoho, Monday, etc.)
- Public speaking
- Project management
- Marketing automation (Marketo, HubSpot, etc.)
- Strong, adaptable writing
Applying and Interviewing
Applying for and interviewing for positions within this community can be a bit different than in other fields. Most of these positions require candidates to have a unique blend of creative, analytical, and communication skills, as well as an understanding of the media landscape and an ability to build relationships. Here are a few areas you may choose to focus on when creating your application materials and interviewing for positions within this community:
- Combination of creative and analytical skills: Communication, media, and marketing jobs often require a unique blend of creative and analytical skills. Candidates must be able to come up with compelling ideas and messages, but they also need to be able to analyze data and understand market trends. When applying to these types of jobs, it's important to showcase both your creativity and your analytical skills.
- Understanding of business principles: Even though many of these jobs are in creative fields, they still require a solid understanding of business principles. Your courses likely provided you with a solid foundation in business concepts such as marketing, finance, and strategy. However, these jobs also require creativity and the ability to think outside the box. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate how you have applied the concepts you have learned in academic projects, internships, or professional roles. During interviews, you may be asked questions about how you would manage a budget, allocate resources, or develop a business plan.
- Experience with digital tools and platforms: With the rise of digital media, candidates who have experience with social media, email marketing, and other digital tools are highly sought after. When applying to these types of jobs, it's important to highlight any experience you have with digital marketing and analytics.
- Strong communication skills: As the name suggests, communication is a key part of these jobs. Candidates must be able to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, consumers, and the public. During interviews, you may be asked to give examples of how you've communicated complex ideas to non-experts or how you've handled difficult situations with clients.
- Focus on building relationships: Building relationships is a critical component of many communications, media, and marketing jobs. Candidates who can demonstrate an ability to build and maintain relationships with clients, media contacts, and other stakeholders are highly valued.
While these are common skills and strengths employers focus on within this community, this list is not all-encompassing. Be sure to pay attention to the job posting you are responding to, and tailor your application materials to fit.
Related Courses
- 5115. Marketing Management
- 5181. Customer Insights and Marketing Opportunity
- 5182. Managing and Delivering Customer Value
- 5220. Big Data and Strategic Marketing
- 5230. New Product and Service Innovation Management
- 5250. Marketing Research and Intelligence
- 5251. Marketing and Digital Analytics
- 5625. Marketing for Global Competitiveness
- 5640. Integrated Marketing Communications in the Digital Age
- 5650. Strategic Brand Management
- 5660. Customer Insights
- 5655. Pricing and Revenue Management
- 5665. Digital Marketing
- 6202. Introduction to Consumer Behavior
- 6203. Introduction to Quantitative Applications in Marketing
- 6209. Introduction to Research in Marketing
- 6210. Strategic Applications in Marketing
- 6211. Multivariate Analysis in Marketing
- 6212. Socio-cultural Aspects of Consumer Behavior
Getting Started
The Office of Graduate Career & Professional Development can assist graduate business students by providing tailored guidance on resume crafting, interview preparation, and networking strategies to enhance internship and post-graduation prospects. Additionally, the team organizes industry-specific events and workshops, connecting students with potential employers and fostering valuable professional relationships.
To explore opportunities in this career cluster, reach out to the team at [email protected] .
Contact the Team
Search form
- Join / Renew
- Find / Post Job
NCA's Doctoral Program Guide
University of connecticut, department of communication.
Because communication is a vital social phenomenon, the mission of the communication program at the University of Connecticut is to study and teach about communication with areas of specialization including interpersonal, persuasion, communication technology, nonverbal and media effects. It is their goal to pursue theoretically grounded research and to disseminate knowledge by publishing their research and by teaching. They contribute to the university community through external grants and excellent teaching, and to the larger society by conducting socially meaningful empirical research. The University of Connecticut is ranked the best public university in New England, and among the top 20 public universities nationwide. The Communication Department is ranked Number 1 in New England, according to the National Research Council and ranks among the six most research-productive Communication Departments nationally.
Areas of Study
- Interpersonal Communication
- Marketing Communication
- Mass Communication
- New Communication Technology
- Nonverbal Communication
URAP University Rankings—Language, Communication & Culture
- #79 of 300 World Universities
Admission Requirements
- Online application.
- University of Connecticut application fee.
- For those whose first language is not English, Official TOEFL scores are required.
- Official academic transcripts.
- Official GRE scores.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Personal statement.
Graduate Faculty
- Professor David Atkin, Ph.D., Michigan State University
- Associate Professor Saras Bellur, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
- Professor Ross Buck, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
- Associate Professor John Christensen, Ph.D., University of Southern California
- Assistant Professor Shardé Davis, Ph.D., University of Iowa
- Associate Professor Amanda Denes, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
- Associate Professor Kirstie Farrar, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
- Professor Mark A. Hamilton, Ph.D., Michigan State University
- Professor Kenneth Lachlan, Ph.D., Michigan State University
- Professor Carolyn Lin, Ph.D., Michigan State University
- Associate Professor Rory McGloin, Ph.D., University of Connecticut
- Professor Kristine L. Nowak, Ph.D., Michigan State University
- Assistant Professor Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
- Associate Professor Diana Rios, Ph.D., University of Texas
- Professor Leslie Snyder, Ph.D., Stanford University
- Assistant Professor Stephen Stifano, Ph.D., University of Connecticut
- Associate Professor C. Arthur Vanlear, Jr., Ph.D., University of Utah
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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Master’s admissions.
The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) welcomes applicants to our Master of Arts (MA) program. We are a full-time, residential clinical training program with students matriculating each fall. With a small faculty-to-student ratio, our program provides personalized attention, hands-on clinical experience, and guidance to prepare students for successful careers.
Application Instructions
Prospective MA students must apply through both the Centralized Application Service for Communication Science & Disorders Programs (CSDCAS) and the UConn Graduate School's online application to be considered for admission to the program.
Below are steps to help ensure you complete all required parts of the application process. The admission cycle will open in September. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible to ensure that they complete their applications on time.
Application Deadline
For more information, contact [email protected] .
CSDCAS Application Instructions
Log on to the CSDCAS Portal.
- Search for the UConn program.
- Complete application questions.
- Please read the transcript section below for important information.
- Submit three letters of recommendation – we recommend that at least two of these come from academic references. The CSDCAS system requires that letters be submitted electronically. If you are having issues obtaining an electronic reference, please contact the department at [email protected].
- Complete essay questions.
- Refer to the CSDCAS Help Guide for questions.
UConn Graduate School Application Instructions
Log on to the UConn Graduate School application portal.
- select “Health,”
- select “Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences MA,”
- select “Storrs,” and
- select “Fall” of the next year.
- Upload unofficial copies of your transcripts. Note: International applicants should follow the instructions listed on the Transcript application page.
- If your primary language is not English, send TOEFL scores to UConn using code 3915.
- Please note that "Employment," "Essays and Documents," and "Recommendation Letters" sections are not required.
Application Review
Your applications must be listed as “Complete” or "Verified" in the CSDCAS application portal (with all transcripts in received status) and “Submitted” in the UConn Graduate School application portal for the Admissions Committee to consider your application. Please check the application portals to confirm your application status.
Our Admissions Committee will begin reviewing applications shortly after the deadline.
Decisions and Entrance Requirements
We generally reach admissions decisions around March 15. We will send decision letters to applicants via the UConn Graduate School application portal in March. To allow for processing, it may take up to two weeks for each applicant to receive notification of their admission decision.
Upon admission to our program, students are required to undergo a background check. Students may also be required to undergo drug screenings while enrolled in the program.
Application Status
Please note that the department does not respond to inquiries to confirm the submission of your application. Please check the application portals to confirm your applications have been submitted. If you have concerns about your application status, please contact the following:
- CSDCAS application: Applicant Help Center. (Please do not contact the UConn Graduate School with questions regarding CSDCAS.)
- UConn Graduate School application: Email [email protected] .
On-Campus Visits
We currently do not host open houses for the MA program. If you are interested in visiting our facilities, we are able to accommodate one-on-one meetings. We kindly request that you send an email to the department with any questions that you may have, and we will direct your inquiries to a faculty or staff member who will get back to you at their earliest convenience. To do this, please email [email protected] .
Admissions Requirements
Transcripts.
Please be sure to include transcripts of all college-level coursework, including college credit earned while in high school. Do not send copies of your official transcript directly to the department. CSDCAS has an online transcript request form for students. Learn more about how to send your official transcripts to CSDCAS. Please follow the instructions carefully when entering your transcript information. Mistakes made here can often delay your application.
We will not review your application unless CSDCAS marks the application as “Complete” or "Verified" by the deadline. Fall grades are required in order to review your application, but you should not wait to apply. We strongly encourage applicants to submit their application and materials, including your current transcripts, as early as possible. The earlier you apply the more quickly CSDCAS can process and verify your application, which can take several weeks. You should enter your fall courses as "in-progress" and your spring courses as "planned" on your application and then later complete an academic update in CSDCAS to send a new transcript with your fall grades. This process allows you to update in-progress coursework. The earliest date an academic update can be completed is December 15 and the latest will be no later than the admission deadline. You may not be considered for admission if we do not have your fall grades verified by the time admission decisions are made.
International applicants only must also submit an official copy of their transcripts directly to the UConn Graduate School at the following address:
The Whetten Graduate Center, Second Floor University of Connecticut 438 Whitney Road Extension, Unit-1152 Storrs, CT 06269-1152
The minimum GPA to be considered for admission by the UConn Graduate School is 3.0. The Graduate School will accept either your cumulative GPA or your last two-year GPA to meet this standard. Although the minimum GPA is 3.0, the median GPA of admitted applicants is significantly higher (ranging from 3.6 to 3.7).
Testing Scores
The MA in SLHS program partners with the UConn Neag School of Education so that our students can complete coursework to receive certification as set forth by the State of Connecticut standards to work as a speech-language pathologist in a school system. Students will be required to apply to the Neag School of Education during the first semester they are enrolled in our MA program.
As part of the application, students must demonstrate meeting minimum requirements for standardized test scores outlined by the school. Although we do not require GRE scores to apply, most students can meet this requirement with a GRE or SAT score and if you have completed these tests you can report them to UConn at code 3915. If your GRE or SAT score falls below the minimum, you may take the Praxis Core prior to arriving in the program or during the first semester in the program.
Observation Hours
Admitted students are required to complete 25 observation hours before beginning the program in the fall. The department must receive a formal letter from the accredited institution where the student’s hours were documented prior to the student’s fall term start date.
Should an admitted student not have all 25 documented hours, they can earn the hours over the summer prior to enrollment; however, they are required to follow the UConn SLHS department’s rules and guidelines on the observation hour approval process. It is the responsibility of the student to reach out to speech-language pathology practitioners within their area to ask if they can observe and document their clock hours. The practitioner must be certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and must sign off on the documented hours. In these cases, students are still expected to earn and have all their observation hours submitted and approved before beginning the program in the fall.
Please visit the Guided Clinical Observation page for more information.
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The Graduate School
- Doctoral/PhD
Certificate
Areas of Interest
- Agriculture
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(860) 486-0334
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M.A., Ph.D.
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(860) 486-5139
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Concentrations
- Advanced Materials
- Systems and Controls
- Animal Genetics and Genomics
- Animal Nutrition
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
- Animal Physiology
- Meat Science
- Food Microbiology and Safety
- Actuarial Science
- Systems Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics and Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
- Neuroscience
- Skeletal Biology and Regeneration
- Business Analytics
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Health Care
- International Business
- Real Estate
- Supply Chain Management
- Operations and Information Management
- Applied Mechanics (Ph.D. only)
- Environmental Engineering (M.S. only)
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Transportation and Urban Engineering
- Bilingual and Bicultural Education
- Elementary Education
- Music Education (M.A. only)
- Reading and Language Arts Consultant (M.A. only)
- Reading Education
- Remedial Reading and Language Teacher (M.A. only)
- Secondary Education: Agricultural Education (M.A. only)
- Secondary Education: English Education
- Secondary Education: History and Social Studies Education
- Secondary Education: Mathematics Education
- Secondary Education: Science Education
- Secondary Education: World Language Education
- Acting (M.A., M.F.A.)
- Design (M.F.A.)
- Directing (M.F.A.)
- Puppet Arts (M.A., M.F.A.)
- Technical Direction (M.F.A.)
- Theatre History and Criticism (M.A.)
- Cognition, Instruction, and Learning Technology
- Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
- Educational Technology (M.A. only)
- Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent Development
- Research Methods, Measurement, and Evaluation
- School Psychology
- Special Education
- Electronics, Photonics, and Biophotonics
- Information, Communication, Decision, and Energy Systems
- Advanced Systems Engineering
- Advanced Manufacturing for Energy Systems
- Civil Engineering
- Clinical Engineering
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Data Sciences Digital Design and Manufacturing
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- General Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Quantitative Risk Management
- Exercise Science
- Adult Learning
- Higher Education Racial Justice and Decolonization
- Leadership and Policy
- Sport Management
- Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies
- Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies
- French and Francophone Studies
- German Studies
- Hebrew and Judaic Studies
- Italian Literary and Cultural Studies
- Spanish Studies
- Actuarial Science (M.S.)
- Cell and Developmental Biology
- Genetics and Genomics
- Microbiology
- Structural Biology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics
- Conducting (M.Mus., D.M.A.)
- Historical Musicology (M.A.)
- Music Theory and History (Ph.D.)
- Performance (M.Mus., D.M.A.)
- Theory (M.A.)
- Adult/Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (M.S. and D.N.P. only)
- Adult/Gero Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (M.S. and D.N.P. only)
- Family Nurse Practitioner (M.S. and D.N.P. only)
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (M.S. and D.N.P. only)
- Nursing Education (M.S. and D.N.P. only)
- Nursing Leadership (M.S. and D.N.P. only)
- Bacteriology
- Veterinary Anatomic Pathology (M.S only)
- Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry
- Pharmaceutics
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Horticulture
- Landscape Architecture (M.S. only)
- Plant Breeding
- Plant Environment
- Soil Chemistry
- Soil Science
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Ecological Psychology
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Language and Cognition
- Neurosciences
- Social Psychology
- Bi-lingual and Bi-cultural Education
- Cognition, Instruction and Learning Technology
- Educational Administration
- Educational Technology
- English Education
- Gifted and Talented Education
- Literacy Specialist Program
- Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment
- Community Organizing (M.S.W. only)
- Individuals, Groups, and Families (M.S.W. only)
- Policy Practice (M.S.W. only)
Contact Information
860-486-3617
The Whetten Graduate Center, Second Floor University of Connecticut 438 Whitney Road Extension, Unit-1152 Storrs, CT 06269-1152
8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday
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College of Engineering
Graduate Programs
Professional development courses, how can professional development help you.
The College of Engineering Graduate Programs is committed to provide a holistic learning experience to our graduate students. Our professional development course series will provide you with the tools you need to be successful in your current graduate studies and your career after graduation!
Some examples of our courses include the 'Communication and Pedagogy' class where we teach you how to teach! We also have a 'Scientific Communication' class where we help you build the skills to communicate scientific data to the research community and the general public. Stressed about finding the right internship or job after graduation? Our 'Engineering Internships and Careers in Industry' course will help you develop effective resume and cover letter writing, and interviewing skills to help you with your job search.
Get ready for your First Year Experience as a UConn Husky!
Fall and Spring Courses
Engr 5450: first year experience.
When: Fall and Spring Semesters Who: All first year students Why: By the end of the course students will be familiar with all the support and opportunities to adjust and thrive at UConn both academically and personally
Course Description:
Welcome to the University of Connecticut College of Engineering! ‘The First Year Experience’ course is the first ever designed to provide you with the support and opportunities needed to adjust to the academic, social, and cultural life at UConn, learn from peers, faculty to be healthy, happy, successful, and graduate in a timely manner. Our goal for the semester is to provide an open forum for discussion about graduate school transitions from college / work to being a student again, issues and concerns, and to promote all around greater self-awareness, growth, and understanding of you as a scholar, leader, individual, and global citizen. Over the course of the semester, we will review components of graduate school holistically to aid students in developing the following essential skills: self-advocacy, overall well-being, as well as information, technology, and resources available for graduate students; preparing them for success in their personal, academic, and professional lives at UConn and beyond.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Identify academic, technical, social, and cultural resources
- Create an individual Development Plan (IDP) to follow throughout your tenure at UConn and graduate on time.
- Be familiar with social and cultural resources on and around campus.
- Be familiar with support available for physical and mental health (who, what, where, when).
- Be familiar with technical and career resources available for graduate students.
Facilitator:
Aida Ghiaei , Director, Graduate Outreach & Diversity
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Fall Courses
Engr 5410: scientific communication.
When: Fall Semester, every Wednesday 12:00 – 1:00 pm Who: All second through fifth-year Engineering Graduate Students are eligible to take the course Why: By the end of the course, students will be able to create effective presentations of their research, write dissertation briefs and posters, and gain experience in public speaking.
Course Description
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants should be able to learn and practice presentation skills to communicate scientific data.
- Identify relevant information to build a story around the topic of research
- Work individually and with peers, instructors, and guest lecturers to develop presentations/talks/posters for a scientific community and the general audience
- Practice the art of public speaking to communicate scientific ideas
- Form a cohort/network/community/peer group within the class to support and mentor each other for success and to enhance active participation and build team work.
- Create an effective dissertation brief
- Create an impressive presentation/talk/poster
Facilitators:
Fayekah Assanah , Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, UConn
ENGR 5420: Engineering Internships and Careers in Industry
When: Fall Semester, every Wednesday 3:30 – 4:30 pm Who: All third, fourth, and fifth-year Engineering Graduate Students are eligible to take the course. Why: By the end of the course, students will be able to identify 2-4 internship or fellowship opportunities for the following summer to apply. They will learn about Personal Branding, Resumes, Cover Letters, visas, and Work permits.
The goal of this course is to formalize the practice and improve professional development skills related to obtaining an internship in the industry/national labs. Topics include: (i) identifying engineering internships and research fellowships; (ii) creating personal online professional brand, by developing effective resume and cover letters; (iii) developing interview skills.; (iv)) assessments and feedback for continuous improvement.
By the end of the course, participants should be able to identify 2-4 internship positions in the industry or fellowship opportunities in a national lab for the following summer and have their resumes/profiles and cover letters edited and finalized for the application process.
- Identify job/internship opportunities
- Working individually and with peers, instructors, and guest lecturers to develop and execute a strategy for obtaining a research internship in a non-academic setting such as private industry, a high-tech start-up or in a national lab.
- Form a cohort/network/community/peer group within the class to support and mentor each other for success and to enhance active participation and build team work.
- Identify effective practices for job application and networking.
- Create an impressive resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile
- Identify the requirements and procedures for job opportunities for international students.
Facilitator:
Fayekah Assanah , Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, UConn
Aida Ghiaei , Director, Graduate Outreach & Diversity, Vergnano Institute for Inclusion
Jodie LaRosa/span> , Program Assistant, Engineering Graduate Programs
ENGR 5300-012: Special Topics in Scientific Writing
Who: Second- or third-year graduate students, and those with sufficient experimental data for manuscript figures
Why: Essential for graduate students who are transitioning from research to publication.
This course is designed for graduate students engaged in experimental research who are ready to draft a scientific manuscript. The focus is on enhancing scientific writing skills and establishing productive writing habits. Participants will work towards completing a manuscript draft by the end of the semester. The course offers a structured environment to support the writing process and improve the clarity and impact of scientific communication.
- Draft a scientific manuscript based on their research.
- Enhance their scientific writing abilities.
- Develop and maintain effective writing habits.
Fayekah Assanah, Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, UConn
ENGR 5300-011: Special Topics in Engineering Practicum
Who: Second - or third-year graduate students
Why: Essential for graduate students aiming to enhance their teaching skills and gain practical experience in academia.
The Engineering Practicum course offers graduate students a unique opportunity to engage in the practical aspects of teaching engineering courses. Students will participate in activities that focus on instructional design and educational research within the engineering field. This experience is invaluable for those looking to pursue careers in academia or educational roles within industry settings.
- Design and implement engineering course curricula.
- Engage in educational research and instructional design.
- Mentor undergraduate students effectively.
Spring Courses
Engr 5430: teaching engineering-communications and pedagogy.
When: Spring Semester, every Wednesday 3:30 – 4:30 pm Who: All third, fourth, and fifth-year Engineering Graduate Students are eligible to take the course Why: By the end of the course, students will learn how to design and develop an engineering course, teaching philosophy, learning objectives, and syllabus. This course also counts as an elective toward the Graduate Certificate of College Instructions (GCCI).
The goal of this course is to formalize the practice of professional development skills related to “teaching” (i.e., communication and pedagogy) in settings typically encountered by graduate students in engineering utilizing the foundations of course design, and effective communication strategies.. Topics include: (i) Education Theory, (ii)Teaching Philosophy and Diversity in the classroom, (iii) Instruction Design, (iv) Learning Objectives, (v) Motivating others to learn; (vi) Assessments Basics and (vii) Developing an effective instructional strategy, including methods, modules and assessments to effectively execute instructional learning.
- Identify effective education theories
- Create an effective engineering teaching philosophy
- Formulate goals and learning objectives for multidisciplinary engineering courses
- Design assessments and evaluation rubrics
- Create a motivational teaching practice to enhance student engagement
- Examine current competencies communication and teaching
- Establishing course objective(s).
- Motivating audience/students.
- Effective teaching strategies including designing and planning modules.
- Execute activities and course content.
- Plan assessment for the course with real-life scientific problem solving.
Facilitators:
Fayekah Assanah , Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, UConn
ENGR 5300-006: Entrepreneurial Skills
Take a 1 credit course to learn entrepreneurial skills that are not covered in traditional STEM coursework.
- Creative Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Communication
- Financial Literacy
- Future of Work
- User Experience
Dr Leila Daneshmandi , Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, UConn
With guest speakers from the entrepreneurship space
IMAGES
COMMENTS
The Ph.D. program in Communication is designed to provide the student with strong knowledge of communication theory, coupled with very strong research skills. A graduate of this program can step into a commercial research position without facing a period of hit-or-miss "on-the-job" training. Ph.D. Program Elements. Length of Program
The PhD program in Communication offers a unique curriculum that stresses the integration of theory and research in communication. ... UConn Communication doctoral alumni are also valued in industry and government for their skills in research on mass communication and new technology effects, advertising, audience analysis, evaluation, and other ...
Requirements for Admission. Candidates must meet the requirements of both the UConn Graduate School and the Department of Communication to have their application considered. Applicants to the M.A. program must have a bachelor's degree by the time they begin the program. Applicants to the Ph.D. program must have a master's degree by the time ...
Required core courses are COMM 5001 Introduction to Graduate Communication Research and COMM 5002 Research ... Students pursuing a UConn undergraduate B.A. degree in Communication and who enroll in the accelerated M.A. program can apply to use up to 12 credits of graduate-level coursework taken as an undergraduate towards an M.A. degree in ...
[email protected]: Graduate Students: Huilun Zhang: PhD Student and Graduate Assistant: [email protected]: Department of Communication 228 J. H. Arjona Building 337 Mansfield Road, Unit 1259 Storrs, CT 06269-1259. Main Office: (860) 486-6734 Undergraduate Advising Office: (860) 486-3687
We're launching a new FastTrack B.A. + M.A. program for Communication Majors! Associate Professor Shardé M. Davis recently published "Being Black in the Ivory," an edited volume of more than 60 stories told by Black individuals in academia: current and former students, faculty, and administrators. She reflects on her #BlackintheIvory hashtag ...
The UConn Neurobiology of Language program offers a graduate certificate earned through coursework that spans psychological sciences; speech, language, and hearing sciences; and linguistics. Science of Learning and the Art of Communication (SLAC) is a National Science Foundation-funded training program that offers funding for highly qualified ...
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication. All students must complete a program of study of at least 60 credit hours of graduate coursework, which includes dissertation credits. Required coursework varies depending on the chosen track, but all students must complete several core courses. Core courses are COMM 5001, 5002, 5003, and 5010.
The Ph.D. program has six tracks: Interpersonal Communication, Marketing Communication, Mass Communication, New Communication Technology, Nonverbal Communication, and Persuasion. As part of each track, students will take 6-9 credits in an area chosen to provide breadth or specialized skills. Students must pass COMM 6800 Seminar and Directed ...
Prospective Ph.D. students must apply through the UConn Graduate School's online application to be considered for admission to the program. You will be required to submit the following application materials: Your CV. A brief statement (no more than two pages) of your goals for the Ph.D. program, including: A description of your research interests.
This document represents the policies and procedures of the Department of Communication and its graduate programs as of its publishing in August 2022. Various university websites are referenced through this handbook. More information and potentially updated information are available at these websites. The Department of Communication follows all ...
Director of Graduate Studies: [email protected] (860) 486‑2632: 208 ARJ: Storrs: Faculty: Mark Hamilton: Professor: [email protected] (860) 486‑4569: 202 ARJ: Storrs: Faculty: ... Department of Communication 228 J. H. Arjona Building 337 Mansfield Road, Unit 1259 Storrs, CT 06269-1259. Main Office: (860) 486-6734
The student can complete UConn's Graduate Certificate in Literary Translation. The student's native language is a language other than English. ... to encourage early communication between students and their committee members, and between primary and secondary advisors; 3) to encourage discussion of a future plan for the completion of the ...
The MA program provides the student with a strong theoretical base for analyzing and researching human communication. Students will receive excellent preparation for PhD work, as well as a wide range of information about communication that may be applied in many non-academic settings. Students may wish to focus their studies in more applied ...
Careers in communications, media, and marketing are all related to the practice of promoting products, ideas, and services to a target audience. These roles involve creating, sharing, and promoting information through various channels and analyzing data to understand the impact of these activities on consumer behavior.
Director of Graduate Studies: Dr. Kirstie Farrar. Department of Communication University of Connecticut Jamie H. Arjona Building 337 Mansfield Road, Unit 1259 Storrs, CT 06269-1259 Phone: (860) 486-6734; Fax: (860) 486-4107 Email: [email protected]. Website
Search University Communications. Search UConn. A to Z Index. Site A-Z. UConn A-Z. Click to open menu. The Graduate School ... Members of The Graduate School are available by appointment but may be working remotely. Our office on the Storrs campus is open to visitors, but we highly encourage all visitors to make an appointment to ensure someone ...
The minimum GPA to be considered for admission by the UConn Graduate School is 3.0. The Graduate School will accept either your cumulative GPA or your last two-year GPA to meet this standard. Although the minimum GPA is 3.0, the median GPA of admitted applicants is significantly higher (ranging from 3.6 to 3.7).
UConn University of Connecticut school of The Graduate School The Grad School. Search University of Connecticut Search University Communications ... Visit UConn Online for more information about our online and low-residency hybrid/blended graduate programs. Accounting . Department Website (860) 486-0334 . [email protected] ...
At University Communications, we tell the story of how UConn has propelled itself on an upward trajectory as one of the nation's top public research universities and the premier provider of health care in the heart of Connecticut, and we do it with expert craft and true passion. Our team of writers, designers, videographers, developers ...
E. Communication. II. PhD Program Requirements and Milestones. 11 . A. Curriculum & Plan of Study B. Annual Progress Report C. The General Exam 1. The Written Component ... UConn SON PhD Program - History and Overview The UConn School of Nursing PhD Program admitted its first class in August 1994. From the
As graduate students, you represent the Communication Department and the University of Connecticut. As such you are expected to maintain professional and appropriate behavior while on campus or attending professional events, and while interacting with fellow students, faculty and staff.
Search University Communications. Search UConn. A to Z Index. Site A-Z. UConn A-Z. Click to open menu. Home; About. About the School of Social Work ... PhD. Assistant Professor. Dr. Alexandria Forté is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut. She graduated with her MSW from the University of Denver ...
ENGR 5410: Scientific Communication. When: Fall Semester, every Wednesday 12:00 - 1:00 pm Who: All second through fifth-year Engineering Graduate Students are eligible to take the course Why: By the end of the course, students will be able to create effective presentations of their research, write dissertation briefs and posters, and gain experience in public speaking.
The M.S. and the Ph.D. requirements in Molecular and Cell Biology conform to the Graduate School requirements as outlined in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog. Specific course requirements for the M.S. and PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology are determined by the student's advisory committee consistent with the minimum ...