Prospective Graduate Students

why attend UM?

We offer a nationally acclaimed Master's program in the beautiful northern Rocky Mountains, and in our most recent program review we were cited for having a "Ph.D. level faculty and course of study." Our graduate program is noted for its close faculty-student interaction. Our MA students are granted admission to the top Ph.D. programs in the country, and excel in their Ph.D. studies. Students wishing to leave with the MA comment on the excellent training they received while they were enrolled in our program.

For a list of former graduate students and what they are currently doing, please click here.

graduate teaching opportunities

GRADUATE TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

On the application form you are asked to indicate whether you wish to be considered as a graduate teaching assistant. TAs assist in teaching one of our two introductory undergraduate courses (either COMM 111, Introduction to Public Speaking, or COMM 110, Introduction to Interpersonal Communication) and receive a tuition waiver, a waiver of most fees, and an additional stipend.

TA's are perceived as "teachers in training" and hold a unique place in the Communication Studies Department. The department needs TAs in order to provide the multi-section, introductory courses that meet general education requirements for hundreds of students on campus. The contact of TAs with freshmen and sophomores is important because it often leads to recruiting new majors and because TAs act as departmental representatives to students in other majors.

Occasionally, alternative or supplemental teaching opportunities are available.

A TA's unique place in the department impacts your graduate studies as well. In many ways TAs serve as a representatives for graduate concerns because you have close working relationships with several faculty. You also have to balance the demands of being a student and being a teacher.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships are highly competitive. To be considered for a TA, you should submit your application so that it is RECEIVED by February 1. The department will notify you by mid-February to early March about admissions and TA positions for the following fall. You may apply at other times during the year, but we cannot guarantee that you will be considered as a teaching assistant.

wiche

The Communication Studies Department is a regional program identified by the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE). As a result, students from Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming can enroll for in-state tuition. Learn more about WICHE.

graduate handbook

The graduate handbook contains everything you need to know (and then some) about program requirements, timelines for completion of your degree, procedures for selecting TAs for summer and wintersession teaching, responsibilities of a graduate student, and the like.

Check out the 2009-2010 Procedures for Completing the MA Degree.

about missoula

Nestled in the Rocky Mountain grandeur of western Montana, Missoula is the hub of five valleys and three major rivers – the Blackfoot, the Bitterroot and the Clark Fork. Roughly halfway between Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, Missoula is a blend of small-town charm and big-city sophistication.
One of the first things visitors notice is how friendly people are here. With about 60,000 residents and visitors from around the globe, the city has an increasingly diverse population. On summer Saturdays, Missoulians congregate at the Farmer’s Market for fresh produce, coffee and conversation. Year-round, they meet on the recreational trails that run alongside the river through the heart of downtown and past campus. Hiking, bicycling, fly fishing, river rafting and skiing are all big here.

Local restaurants serve up everything from steak and potatoes to Thai noodles, while an array of coffeehouses, pubs, nightclubs and movie theaters provide diversion. Residents come from around the region to shop the city’s department and discount stores, shopping mall and specialty boutiques. Missoula boasts a thriving downtown.

It’s no wonder that the book How to Get an Ivy League Education at a State University called Missoula "a Rocky Mountain Berkeley ... the kind of place many people hate to leave."

For more information, check out discover Missoula.