Advanced Degrees and Careers in Communication
The doctoral degree program is primarily focused on training for persons working in the academy as professors. However, the applied nature of the program is useful for those working in organizations, public relations, advertising, and other contexts where this advanced training is useful. The primary focus of the degree program is providing training in content and methodology to permit students to design, implement, and complete major research projects independently.
Master of Arts students pursue a variety of academic and non-academic career options. The program is flexible enough to prepare excellent doctoral students as well as those seeking a destination Master’s degree for “conceptual enrichment and practical skill enhancement” related to non-academic career plans (Applegate et al., 1997, p. 116). Successful UWM students qualify for the nation’s top PhD programs including continued study in the department’s doctoral program. In recent years, MA graduates have gone on to pursue doctoral Communication studies at such schools as Arizona State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, University of Texas, and at UWM.
Equally important is our preparation of Masters students that have aspirations other than for doctoral study. An MA degree that offers diverse topic specialties and approaches to inquiry, including quantitative, qualitative, and critical methodologies, encourages the sophisticated reasoning and strong writing skills that are “the bread and butter of the workaday world” (Schneider, 1999, p. A12). Communication is such a degree. Employers increasingly prize and reward effective communication skills, and UWM is recognized for cultivating these abilities. Students choosing a UWM Master’s degree are sought after to teach in two-year and some four-year colleges, while others launch successful professional careers in the business and non-profit organizations or as entrepreneurs.
Job Titles of Recent Graduates
- Training Manager, ExecuTrain
- Employment Specialist, Bank One
- Professor, University of Georgia
- Assistant City Attorney, Milwaukee
- Credit Representative, Wisconsin Bell
- Training Director, Harnischfeger
- Account Executive, ABC Outdoor Advertising, Inc.
- Employment Coordinator, Johnson Controls
- Director for Extension, Cornell University
- Public Relations Coordinator, Milwaukee Public Museum
- Assistant Administrator for Development, St. Mary’s Hospital
- Special Events Coordinator, American Lung Association
- Communication Coordinator, American Baptist Churches
- Case Manager, Racine County Human Services Department
- Marketing Support Rep., JWP Information Services
Communication Links
- Professional Communication Associations
- Association of Internet Researchers
- American Communication Association
- Communication Institute for Online Scholarship
- International Communication Association
- International Association for Media and Communication Research
- International Association for Relationship Research
- National Communication Association
- Communication Career Information
- UWM Career Planning and Resource Center
- Advice for Undergraduates Considering Graduate School