Master of Arts in Applied Communication
WKU COMM: Connect, Collaborate, Captivate
The Master of Arts in Applied Communication equips students with the skills and knowledge to excel in today’s dynamic, communication-driven world. Designed for working professionals and those seeking to advance their careers, our fully online program focuses on fostering organizational engagement, managing conflict, developing organizational communication strategies, and practicing ethical persuasion to prepare graduates to navigate complex professional environments. Through hands-on projects, analysis reports, collaborative exercises, and a capstone portfolio, students will enhance their professional communication skills and expertise to lead in diverse workplace settings, including corporate, nonprofit, healthcare, education, and government sectors.
Degree Requirements (31 credit hours)
Students must complete COMM 505 with a grade of "B" or higher within their first 6 hours of COMM Electives. Additionally, students should take COMM 598 only after completing at least 12 hours of COMM Electives, but not before.
- COMM 505: Introduction to Applied Communication & Research
- COMM 598: Applied Communication Portfolio
Please note that a limited number of these courses are offered in a single academic year.
- COMM 523: Health Communication
- COMM 547: Organizational Communication
- COMM 553: Health Communication Campaigns
- COMM 561: Communication for Global Organizations
- COMM 566: Organizational Persuasion
- COMM 568: Organizational Belonging and Engagement
- COMM 571: Digital Communication for Organizational Success
- COMM 581: Applied Organizational Communication
- COMM 590: Intercultural Communication Strategies
- COMM 595: Independent Study in Communication
- COMM 596: Graduate Internship in Communication
Students select 12 credit hours from designated disciplines outside of communication, tailored to their individual interests and goals. Note: Some courses span an entire semester.
- BA 517: Advanced Marketing
- BA 518: Contemporary Issues in Sales
- BA 521: Market Research and Consumer Insights
- BDAN 513: Contemporary Business Analytics
- BDAN 515: Data Management
- BDAN 517: Predictive Analytics
- BDAN 519: Visualization and Decision Making
- HCA 540: Health Care Organization and Management
- HCA 541: Strategic Management & Marketing of Health Services
- ID 560: Instructional Design Foundations
- ID 570: Systematic Instructional Design
- ID 572: Improvement Analysis in the Workplace
- ID 575: Special Topics in Instructional Design
- ID 577: Management of Instructional Systems
- ID 583: Training Design and Development
- ID 585: Distance Education Opportunities and Challenges
- ID 587: Trends and Issues in Instructional Design
- ID 588: Multimedia Design
- ID 590: Practicum in Instructional Design
- LEAD 525: Leadership Ethics
- LEAD 530: Organizational Change
- LEAD 540: Leading Teams
- PH 548: Community Organizing in Public Health
- PH 580: Public Health Foundations and Practice
- PH 587: Health Behavior Theory
- RSA 560: Issues in Nonprofit Administration
- RSA 565: Nonprofit Grant Writing and Fundraising
- RSA 570: Fiscal Administration in the Nonprofit Sector
- RSA 585: Nonprofit Practicum
Many courses with the same prefix can count toward a 12-credit-hour certificate program, which students can pursue alongside their master's degree.
Application Materials
Applicants should submit the following application materials to the Graduate Studies Office through their website:
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An application
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Undergraduate transcripts reflecting all undergraduate studies and an earned undergraduate degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00
- Letter of intent detailing:
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- academic and/or professional experiences,
- goals in pursuing graduate studies in communication,
- specific areas of communication the applicant is interested in
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Students should complete the required core courses (COMM 501, COMM 502, COMM 547) within their first 15 hours of coursework with a grade of "B" or higher in each. As a general policy, the program does not allow transfer of research methods courses to fulfill the research methods requirements.
Core Courses (9 hours):
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COMM 501: Qualitative Research Methods in Communication (3 hours)
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COMM 502: Quantitative Research Methods in Communication (3 hours)
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COMM 547: Organizational Communication Theory (3 hours)
Elective Courses (15 hours):
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COMM 523: Health Communication
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COMM 526: Family Communication
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COMM 528: Communication in the Nonprofit Sector
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COMM 531: Global Leadership Communication
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COMM 552: Democracy, Power, & Voice in Organizations
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COMM 553: Health Communication Campaigns
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COMM 560: Seminar in Organizational Communication
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COMM 561: Multinational Organizational Communication
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COMM 564: Crisis Communication
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COMM 566: Corporate & Organizational Advocacy
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COMM 568: Organizational Identification
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COMM 570: Seminar in Human Communication
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COMM 571: Organizational Communication in the Digital Age
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COMM 578: Interpersonal Communication
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COMM 581: Applied Organizational Communication
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COMM 586: Processes of Group Communication
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COMM 590: Intercultural Communication
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COMM 595: Independent Study in Communication
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COMM 596: Graduate Internship in Communication
Capstone Options (6 hours)
- Non-Thesis Capstone Option
Students selecting the Non-thesis Capstone Option will complete 6 additional hours, which may come from the Organizational Communication, electives, or Human Communication electives, or, with approval, from other graduate programs outside the department, as appropriate with the planned course of study. Students selecting the Non-Thesis Capstone Option will also complete written Comprehensive Examinations. - Thesis Capstone Option
Students completing a Thesis will enroll in 6 hours of COMM 599: Thesis Research/Writing. The thesis will culminate in an oral defense of the project.
Total Credit Hours: 30
- Associate Professor / Communication / Graduate Academic Program Coordinator
- jieyoung.kong@wku.edu
- JRH 239
- 270-745-6578
- Curriculum Vitae
Graduate Program Coordinator - gradcommunication@wku.edu
Additional Graduate Program Information