Communication Studies

Communication Studies

Location

Location

  • Department of Art History and Communication Studies
  • Arts Building, Room 155-B
  • 853 Sherbrooke Street West
  • Montreal QC H3A 0G5
  • Canada
  • Telephone: 514-398-4933
  • Email: graduate.ahcs [at] mcgill.ca
  • Website: mcgill.ca/ahcs

About Communication Studies

About Communication Studies

The graduate program in Communication Studies offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The program is concerned with the study of communication phenomena through interdisciplinary training that draws on a variety of fields including cultural studies; critical media and technology studies; feminist media studies; Black media studies; public policy and governance; queer theory; and sound studies. The program strives to offer a balance of humanities and social sciences approaches to the analysis of communication, and its orientation is primarily qualitative (rather than quantitative) in nature. The M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are academic in character, and do not include professional training in journalism, organizational communication, or media production. The Communication Studies program offers courses and directs project research in preparation for the M.A.(Thesis) and Ph.D. in Communication Studies. The graduate option in Gender and Women’s Studies is available as a program option, and students benefit from the resources and activity of Media@McGill, a hub of research and public outreach on critical issues in media, culture, and emerging technology.

McGill is situated in one of the most vibrant cities in North America, and Montreal offers myriad opportunities for graduate students to engage with local arts institutions, either officially, through internships and research fellowships, or unofficially, through volunteering. Local institutions range from large-scale public museums (such as the Musée d'art contemporain, the Musée des beaux-arts) to smaller alternative cultural centres (MAI, Articule, Oboro). The Canadian Centre for Architecture, with its archives and exhibitions and the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec also offer grants and research opportunities for local graduate students. A close relationship with the other three major universities in Montreal (Concordia University, Université de Montréal, and Université du Québec à Montréal) affords students access to a broad network of additional courses, lectures, and colleagues across the city.

To obtain financial aid information, please consult the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website at mcgill.ca/gps/funding .

Further information on the Department of Art History and Communication Studies is available on our website.

Master's and Ph.D. Degrees

Students enter our graduate programs from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, though all have a history of documented academic excellence and aptitude for advanced scholarly research. Over the past 30 years, the Graduate Program in Communication Studies has trained many of Canada's leading communications scholars. Graduates of the program may be found working in all levels of government, within the cultural industries, and in dozens of university Communication Studies departments around the world.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Communication Studies (Thesis) (45 credits)

The M.A. in Communication Studies offers advanced training in the critical, historical, and theoretical analysis of communication in culture, communication technology, and communication policy.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Communication Studies (Thesis): Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)
The graduate option in Gender and Women's Studies (GWS) provides graduate students obtaining degrees in a variety of participating departments and faculties with a cross-disciplinary specialization in intersectional feminist and gender studies, queer theory, and sexuality studies. Students who pursue this option obtain a graduate degree in their own department as well as an “option/concentration” in GWS. Thus, the graduate option in GWS will appear on a student’s transcript along with the M.A. There are no prerequisites to enter into the option. However, undergraduate or graduate courses in gender or women’s studies provide an ideal foundation for more in-depth study of, and research in, feminist scholarship. The thesis must be on a topic centrally related to gender and/or women's studies.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Communication Studies

The Ph.D. in Communication Studies offers in-depth training in the critical, historical, and theoretical analysis of communication in culture, communication technology, and communication policy. Doctoral students pursue coursework, submit a comprehensive exam and thesis proposal, with the goal of writing a dissertation that makes an original contribution to knowledge in Communication Studies. The Ph.D. degree is academic in character, and does not include professional training in media production.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Communication Studies: Gender and Women's Studies

The graduate option in Gender and Women's Studies (GWS) provides graduate students obtaining degrees in a variety of participating departments and faculties with a cross-disciplinary specialization in intersectional feminist and gender studies, queer theory, and sexuality studies. Students who pursue this option obtain a graduate degree in their own department as well as an “option/concentration” in GWS. Thus, the graduate option in Gender and Women’s Studies will appear on a student’s transcript along with the Ph.D.

There are no prerequisites to enter into the option. However, undergraduate or graduate courses in gender or women’s studies provide an ideal foundation for more in-depth study of, and research in, feminist scholarship.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)

Communication Studies Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Communication Studies Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

M.A.

To apply to the M.A. program in Communication Studies, candidates are expected to have a B.A. degree with a minimum CGPA of 3.3. An undergraduate degree in Communication Studies is not required although demonstrated ability in a related area of study is an asset. Potential applicants are encouraged to consult the program description here to determine whether their interests and qualifications align with those of the program.

Ph.D.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are expected to have completed the equivalent of an M.A. degree. Admission will be based on academic achievement and evidence of talent and strong motivation in Communication Studies.

English Language Proficiency

For graduate applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized Canadian or American (English or French) institution or from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction, documented proof of English proficiency is required prior to admission. For a list of acceptable test scores and minimum requirements, visit mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/international/proficiency.

Application Procedures

Application Procedures

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

Applications will be considered until the deadline of January 15.

Inquiries regarding the program should be addressed to the Graduate Administrative Coordinator, Department of Art History and Communication Studies.

Additional Requirements

Additional Requirements

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:

  • Research Proposal – at least 500 words
  • Written Work – two examples of academic writing
  • C.V.

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Department of Art History and Communication Studies and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)

Communication Studies Faculty

Communication Studies Faculty

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)

Master of Arts (M.A.) Communication Studies (Thesis) (45 credits)

The M.A. in Communication Studies offers advanced training in the critical, historical, and theoretical analysis of communication in culture, communication technology, and communication policy. M.A. students pursue coursework and write an M.A. thesis that reflects sustained analysis of a topic in Communication Studies. The M.A. degree is academic in character, and...

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Communication Studies (Thesis) (45 credits).

Master of Arts (M.A.) Communication Studies (Thesis): Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)

The graduate option in Gender and Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary program for students who meet the degree requirements in Communication Studies who wish to earn 6 credits of approved coursework focusing on gender and women's studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. The thesis must be on a topic centrally related to gender and/or women's...

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Communication Studies (Thesis): Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Communication Studies

Candidates with an M.A. degree will be admitted at the Ph.D. 2 level, thereby gaining credit for one year of resident study. When admitted at Ph.D. 2 level, two years of residence are required for the doctoral degree.

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Communication Studies.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Communication Studies: Gender and Women's Studies

Candidates with an M.A. degree will be admitted at the Ph.D. 2 level, thereby gaining credit for one year of resident study. When admitted at Ph.D. 2 level, two years of residence are required for the doctoral degree. ...

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Communication Studies: Gender and Women's Studies.

Faculty of Arts—2023-2024 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023) (disclaimer)
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