Master of Arts in Communication, Rhetoric, and Writing

Communication, Rhetoric, and Writing

AT A GLANCE

Ave Maria University’s Master of Arts degree in Communication, Rhetoric, and Writing (CRW) educates leaders in the arts of creative and critical thinking, speaking, and writing. Whether in direct service to the Church, as faithful leaders in popular culture and the public sphere, or as emerging scholars of communication and rhetoric, graduates of the program gain a grounding in the communicative traditions of the Church, become familiar with contemporary communication theory, and learn the importance of integrating both to meaningfully impact the culture around them.

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Class Format

Synchronous Hybrid

The majority of program classes, and all required courses, will be taught by AMU faculty onsite in a synchronous hybrid format that allows remote students to interact with professors and those attending on-site in real-time. Such classes will be recorded but not published so that students may review seminar discussions in the case of emergencies and occasional conflicts. Access to recordings will be granted at the discretion of the instructor.

Occasional electives may be offered by prominent professionals and scholars in an entirely remote format with scheduling up to the discretion of the instructor.

Graduate students may also have the opportunity to enroll in graduate sections of electives that run concurrently with upper-level undergraduate electives

AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY'S M.A. CRW Program

Program Overview

Graduates of the M.A. CRW Program will be prepared to assume professional communication roles and attend doctoral programs in communication studies, rhetoric studies, or writing studies, engage with communicative practices and artifacts in ways that are informed by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and classical liberal arts tradition, and strive for Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in their communication practices. Upon completion of the program, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Demonstrate mastery of expert knowledge in communication theory, rhetorical theory, and the history of rhetoric.

Apply communication and rhetorical theory to professional output, including publishable quality writing and multimedia productions.

Teach communication, rhetoric, and writing in a professional capacity with proficiency and confidence.

Evaluate written and multimedia productions through the lenses of Catholicism and the classical liberal arts.
Exhibit expert understanding of the Church’s teachings on contemporary media and its ethical applications.

Program Requirements

To successfully graduate, a student must meet the following requirements:

Successfully complete all required M.A. CRW program courses or transfer equivalents (32 credits).
File an application for a degree with the Office of Academic Records at least one semester prior to graduation and receive University approval.
Achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in the program.
Complete the program within four years or receive an approved extension per university policy.
Participate in University institutional effectiveness assessment programs.

The required courses for the program are:

COMM 500: Rhetoric and the Catholic Tradition
COMM 505: Media Environments and Church Contexts
COMM 545: Rhetorical Criticism
COMM 550: Communication Theory and Research*
COMM 599: Comm Thesis
And one of the following: COMM 570, COMM 572, or COMM 575.

* For students interested in pursing composition instruction and writing program administration, COMM 540: Writing Pedagogy may substitute for the COMM 550: Communication Theory and Research, with approval of the department chair, the graduate program director, and the student's thesis advisor.

Students who have the requisite academic background in a required course may petition the department chair, program director, and their thesis advisor for a review of transcripts and previous coursework to obtain permission to take an appropriate elective in its place.

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Admission Requirements

Applicants to the M.A. CRW program must meet the following admissions requirements:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
Admission is competitive, and successful applicants typically will indicate their capability to perform graduate coursework based on either:
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or higher, especially in writing-intensive humanities courses; OR
- A GRE Verbal Reasoning score of 150 or higher and a 4.0 or higher on the Analytic Writing Assessment; OR
- A post-graduate degree in another discipline;
Completed online application.
Current resume, including teaching experience if applicable.
Two letters of recommendation from sources familiar with the applicant's academic performance, aptitude, and probability of success in graduate school.
Statement of Intent (500 words): brief intellectual and professional biography, which includes a statement about his/her motivation for pursuing the M.A. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Writing.
A writing sample covering a topic in communication, rhetoric, or writing pedagogy (minimum five pages). If a student does not have a paper on these topics, an academic essay that demonstrates the student's academic ability on any subject is acceptable.
The candidate must also complete an interview with a program faculty member before acceptance into the program.

Application Process

Complete AMU’s free and easy online application here

Submit official copies of all transcripts, showing degree conferral when appropriate

Submit an essay or video in which you communicate your motivation for pursuing an MA through AMU.