M. A. & Ph. D.
Programs
in
Speech Communication
An Overview for Prospective Students
The Department of Speech Communication seeks to provide graduate students with the tools for generating new knowledge about human communication and to cultivate skills in transmitting knowledge about communication to various constituencies in need of that information. The graduate program is focused on training students for careers in higher education or in research-related industries. Graduate education in this department is particularly founded upon the ideal that each advanced learner's individual interests and talents can be recognized, nourished, and honed in a climate of rigorous study.
We admit students to our graduate program for fall matriculation. To ensure the fullest consideration, you should have all of your materials to the Department and the Graduate School by January 1st. If you have other questions about our program and application process after reading this summary, please e-mail or call:
Dr. Jennifer A. Samp
Graduate Coordinator
Department of Speech Communication
The University of Georgia
110 Terrell Hall
Athens, GA 30602-1725
706-542-4893
jasamp@uga.edu
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status in its programs or activities.
I. About the University of Georgia and the Department of Speech Communication
The University of Georgia is the capstone of the 34 institutions in The University System of Georgia and is the oldest chartered state university in the United States. The Department of Speech Communication is located in Terrell Hall and situated on the historic North Campus. Our space in Terrell Hall houses faculty and staff offices, graduate offices with computers and laser printers, a computer lab, a lounge, and a classroom.
Located in Athens, a city of about 150,000, the University is situated in the rolling foothills of North Georgia. Athens is a classic “college town” with a wide variety of unique restaurants, shops, and artistic venues, and is located only 70 miles northeast of Atlanta. For more about Athens, visit the Athens Visitor’s Bureau: http://www.visitathensga.com.
One of the key attributes of Athens is its affordability. Our current stipend for Ph.D. students is approximately $15,000 per 10 months. This includes a full remission of in-and out-of-state tuition. $15,000 a year in Athens is equivalent to the following amounts in the following cities:
Phoenix, AZ: $20,503.06
Tucson, AZ: $17,824.95
Long Beach, CA: $23,783.26
Los Angeles, CA: $23,899.13
Santa Barbara, CA: $18,959.57
Boulder, CO: $24,643.64
Denver, CO: $23,492.22
Hartford, CT: $26,866.43
Washington, D.C.: $24,351.37
Newark, DE: $20,534.90
Iowa City, IA: $15,917.24
Bloomington, IL: $18,535.87
Chicago, IL: $22,282.72Lexington, KY: $16,798.80
Boston, MA: $27,245.09
Ann Arbor, MI: $20,091.94
Lansing, MI: $18,236.98
Las Vegas, NV: $19,119.99
Chapel Hill NC: $19,600.12
Raleigh, NC: $19,600.12
Columbus, OH: $18,061.59
State College, PA: $18,808.65
Memphis, TN: $18,673.55
Austin, TX: $22,358.19
Madison, WI: $17,320.26
II. Areas of Study & Related Faculty
The Department's faculty members are nationally recognized authorities in specialized areas of rhetorical studies, interpersonal communication, persuasion, and health communication. They are active scholars and committed teachers who embrace a philosophy of accessibility and supportiveness to graduate students. The opportunity to work with faculty whose research you find interesting and stimulating is one of the most important factors contributing to a satisfying graduate school experience. The department has two primary emphases: Rhetorical Studies and Communication Studies.
The Communication Studies faculty offer rigorous training in the social scientific study of communication.
Interpersonal communication. The graduate program in Interpersonal Communication provides students with a theoretical and methodological foundation in the study of the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of dyadic and group interaction as influenced by a host of individual, relational, and contextual factors. Strongly grounded in an empirical and theory-rich tradition, our faculty provides a multifaceted approach to studying the process of interpersonal communication. A focus in interpersonal communication emphasizes the mastery of key areas defining the discipline, innovative development of communication theory, application of our theories in communities, and the production of systematic empirical studies.
Health communication. The graduate program in Health Communication provides students a foundation in the application of communication theory and research to enhance the health of individuals and communities. Study in health communication emphasizes the mastery of the ways that interpersonal, social influence, and mass communication theories are applied in a health context. UGA has a School of Public Health as well as faculty interested in health in psychology and sociology that offers students opportunities to take courses in epidemiology, health policy, biostatistics, health psychology, and medical sociology.
Faculty in Communication Studies
Vicki S. Freimuth, freimuth@uga.edu (Ph.D., Florida State University), Professor, Director of the CDC Center for Excellence in Health Communication and Marketing. Dr. Freimuth’s work examines the degree to which the poor across the South believe they are susceptible to multiple health risks, have adopted health protective behaviors to respond to these risks, and have chosen to respond to some risks and not others. Specifically, her work examines the information seeking the poor engage in when responding to health risks and explores the commonalities and differences in risk responses between low-income African and White southerners.
Jerold L. Hale, jhale@uga.edu (Ph.D., Michigan State University), Professor, focuses on relational communication, social influence, and small group communication. Dr. Hale's most recent research projects concern serial arguments in personal relationships and sequential interpersonal influence strategies. The serial argument research focuses on attributions related to serial arguments and the manner in which perceptions of argument goals influence relational satisfaction. In his interpersonal influence work, Dr. Hale investigates various explanations for the impact of sequential message strategies (e.g., foot-in-the-door and door-in-the-face) on compliance gaining.
Tina M. Harris, tmharris@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Kentucky), Professor, focuses on communication in interracial relationships, ethnic disparities in health & religious frameworks, race & pedagogy, race and film, and Whiteness. Dr. Harris's research program examines interracial communication, race and pedagogy, and racial identity construction. Her research explore how racialized identities influence communicative experiences and exchanges within the classroom, society, and various interpersonal networks.
Jennifer L. Monahan, jmonahan@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Southern California), Professor, focuses on interpersonal and health communication with an emphasis on message production and message perceptions. Dr. Monahan’s work examines the influence of alcohol consumption on communicative decision making in dyadic interactions. She also examines the relationship between drinking, social influence strategies used by men and women when under the influence of alcohol and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors and perceptions.
Jennifer A. Samp, jasamp@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison), Associate Professor, focuses on relational communication, message production, conflict, strategic communication. Dr. Samp’s research focuses on dynamics related to close personal relationships, including how individual and relational perceptions define how relational partners communicate with one another in problematic and/or everyday contexts. She also examines the relationship between relational perceptions and socio-demographic factors on the precursors and responses to intimate partner violence.
Lijiang Shen, lshen@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison), Assistant Professor, focuses on persuasion, social influence and health communication. Dr. Shen’s research examines the determinants of affective and cognitive responses to, and persuasive impact of health messages. Such determinants include message features, individual differences, and properties of attitude and motivation. One of the recent projects looks at the impact of state empathy in message processing and the effectiveness of empathy-based messages.
Minsun Shim, mshim@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania), Assistant Professor, focuses on health communication, new media, social and media influence. Dr. Shim’s research examines the influences of media use on health outcomes, as moderated by social interactions and individual characteristics. Her recent study investigates the patterns of self-disclosure in online support groups and their potential health benefits for women with breast cancer. Another project elaborates on the mechanisms underlying the benefits of insightful vs. negative emotional disclosure in online groups for college students.
Kirsten Weber, kmweber@uga.edu (Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University), Assistant Professor, focuses on interpersonal and health communication with an emphasis on message production and decision negotiation. Dr. Weber’s research considers the mutual impact that interpersonal communication and health experiences have on one another. In particular, her work examines communication processes that influence patient behavior, considers relationship consequences of illness, explores how social networks modify health experiences, and clarifies how a patient's social and clinical networks intersect in important ways.
The Rhetorical Studies faculty has broad and diverse strength in rhetorical theory and rhetorical criticism. We engage multiple, even competing, conceptualizations of rhetoric, utilizing insights not only from the classical Greco-Roman tradition, but also from a variety of theoretical conversations and socio-political perspectives including Enlightenment, pragmatist, structuralist, materialist, post-structuralist, feminist, post-colonial, and psychoanalytic. We practice rhetorical criticism in multiple modes, taking measure of the persuasive and constitutive effects of symbolic acts.
Feminist Rhetorical Theory and Criticism. Faculty research and teaching in this area focuses on feminist theory and the rhetorical tradition, feminist politics and social change, and feminist critiques of biomedicine. Recent publications and graduate courses have explored feminist contributions to our understanding of public address, rhetorical agency, visual rhetoric, and the materiality of the body.
Public Argument. Faculty research and teaching in this area examines the ever-changing sites of public discourse, deliberation and debate, paying particular attention to the political and social implications of persuasive practices at particular historical moments.
Rhetoric of Science. Faculty research and teaching in this area focuses on the public understanding of genetics, materialist approaches to knowledge creation, scientific constructions of race and gender, the interface between the advancement of scientific inquiry and its public patrons, science’s relationship to religion, and the role of rhetoric in the development of scientific culture.
Rhetoric of War. Faculty research and teaching in this area examines war and/as its symbolization. Published work and graduate course offerings have explored war and the media, the rhetoric of 9/11 and the war on terror, war and public memory, and war and global political culture.
Visual Rhetoric. Faculty research and teaching in this area encompasses the critical and theoretical exploration of the power of visual culture to affect the attitudes, beliefs and actions of audiences or publics. Thus faculty research and teaching attend to not only a diverse array of visual objects or image-texts but also to changing technologies of visualization and regimes of visibility.
Barbara A. Biesecker, bbieseck@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh), Professor, teaches and writes at the intersections of rhetorical theory and criticism, feminist theory and criticism, and cultural studies. Her most recent work addresses the rhetoric and politics of WWII remembrance at the end of the 20th century and the rhetoric and politics of 9/11 and the War on Terror today. Rhetoric, Materiality, and Politics, co-edited with John Lucaites, will be released this fall. Dr. Biesecker will complete her three year term as the editor of “The Forum Series” published in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies in December of this year. She will continue to serve on the editorial board of several of the field’s major journals (including Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, Philosophy & Rhetoric, and the Quarterly Journal of Speech), and was the 2007 recipient of the Douglas Ehninger Distinguished Rhetorical Scholar Award.
Celeste Condit, ccondit@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Iowa), Professor, studies the impact of new genetic research on society. She has done research in women's health rhetorics (especially abortion and artificial conception) and the rhetoric of equality, especially regarding race. Dr. Condit employs whatever method needed at the moment to address the question she is asking and to deal appropriately with the audience she is addressing, but these have included Burkean methods, ideographic analyses, metaphor studies, audience studies, focus groups, and survey research. She works from a theoretical perspective that incorporates insights from post-structuralism into American pragmatism and scientific and economic materialism.
Kelly Happe, khappe@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh), Assistant Professor, is interested primarily in the rhetoric of science, feminist rhetorical theory, cultural studies, and environmental communication. Her work has been published in Rhetoric and Public Affairs, Journal of Medical Humanities, New Genomics and Society, and Patterns of Prejudice. Dr. Happe is currently working on several projects, including biomonitoring and social movements, and a book manuscript about heredity and ideology in the discourse of reproductive cancer research.
Thomas M. Lessl, tlessl@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Texas), Professor, has spent much of his career studying the rhetoric of science, especially the interface between scientists and their nonscientific publics. His forthcoming book, Rhetorical Darwinism: Religion and the Evolution of the Scientific Identity, 1600-1900, is concerned with the role played by religious rhetoric in shaping the historical ethos of science. His work has been published in The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication Theory, Rhetoric and Public Affairs, The Western Journal of Communication, The Journal of Communication and Religion, the Oxford Review and various other outlets.
Edward Panetta, epanetta@uga.edu (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh), Associate Professor, does research and teaching in the area of argumentation. One of his long-standing commitments is the work associated with the development of a nationally visible intercollegiate debate program. In this capacity, he reads on the topic selected for national debate tournament competition and prepares the UGA teams for tournaments. He publishes theory pieces that are intended to influence the practice of intercollegiate debate in the United States. A second element of his research is the assessment of public argument in political campaigns and in environmental controversies.
Roger Stahl, rstahl@uga.edu, (Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University), Assistant Professor, has research interests in media, critical theory, civic culture, and contemporary rhetorical theory. Dr. Stahl has a particular interest in the culture of contemporary war and its mediation. His book, Militainment, Inc.: War, Media, and Popular Culture (Routledge, 2009), examines the consumption of war in popular culture and how these cultural habits construct the political subject. Dr. Stahl has also authored a documentary film by the same name in 2007, which is distributed through the Media Education Foundation. His work has appeared in journals such as Rhetoric and Public Affairs, The Quarterly Journal of Speech, and Critical Studies in Media Communication. Dr. Stahl’s other scholarly interests include visual culture, surveillance, advertising, propaganda, and public relations.
A. Coursework Requirements
As a M.A. student in the Department of Speech Communication, you will select one of two tracks of study:(1) Communication Studies or (2) Rhetorical Studies. The typical M.A. student takes two years to complete all degree requirements. You will need a minimum of 24 hours of course work, excluding thesis or research hours. At least half of your coursework must be open only to graduate students and at least 12 hours must be in courses offered by the Speech Communication department, exclusive of research thesis hours. M.A. students may not count more than one independent study course toward the requirements for their degree.
Any graduate student funded by the University must be enrolled in 12 hours each Fall and Spring semester and 9 hours during the Summer semester to be eligible for funding. However, the Department does not advise that most students take more than 9 "content" hours.
Required coursework and milestones for the M.A. degree include: (1) SPCM 8200 (Rhetorical Theory), SPCM 8500 (Interpersonal Communication Theory), SPCM 8020 (Introduction to Graduate Studies) during the Fall semester of the first year of study, (2) SPCM 8010 or SPCM 8011 (Seminar in Communication Education) during both years, (3) either SPCM 8300 (Rhetorical Criticism) or SPCM 8700 (Empirical Research Methods) during the Spring semester of the first year of study, (4) two hours of SPCM 8050 (Research Practicum), (5) delivering one departmental colloquium, (6) completing a thesis or comprehensive examination, and (7) successfully completing a final oral examination on both the program of study and the thesis or comprehensive examination.
B. Major Professor and Advisory Committee
Students enrolled in the M.A. program are strongly encouraged to select a major professor ("advisor") no later than the week after spring break of the first year. In consultation with the major professor, the student will form a committee of two other faculty members. This committee will plan and approve the student's program of study, approve the student’s thesis prospectus, and examine the student on the completed thesis.
As part of the M. A. degree, students will write a thesis reflecting a systematic study of a significant question, problem, or issue relevant to the communication discipline. The exact nature of the thesis will be negotiated with the student's major professor and his or her committee.
It is expected that the student will defend his or her prospectus no later than the last day of classes of the fall semester of the second year of study, or by the end of final exam week of the same semester, with permission of the student's committee.
D. M.A. Plan of Study (Sample)
First year in residence
Fall Semester Spring Semester
SPCM 8200
SPCM 8500
SPCM 8010 or 8011*
SPCM 8020
SPCM 8050
SPCM 7000(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
Electives
SPCM 8050
SPCM 8300 or 8700
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(6 hrs.)
(1 hr.)
(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)Second year in residence
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Elective
SPCM 7000
SPCM 7300
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
SPCM 7300
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(9 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
*Note: If you are not enrolled in 8010 or 8011 (due to the nature of your teaching or research assignment, you will enroll in SPCM 7000).
Descriptions of the numbered courses listed above are available on the Department Website. Recent departmental "Electives" include:
Communication Studies: Social Cognition & Emotion, Dark Side of Relationships, Interpersonal Conflict, Interracial Communication, Message Design, Health Communication, Race, Culture and Communication, Persuasion
Rhetorical Studies: Specters and Vectors of Post-industrial War, Visual Rhetorics, Materialist Theories and Rhetoric, Foucault, The Rhetoric of 9/11 and the War on Terror, On the Question of Agency, Rhetoric, Feminisms, and Social Change, Rhetoric and Poststructuralism
A. Coursework Requirements
You will be admitted as a student of either: (1) Communication Studies or (2) Rhetorical Studies. The typical Ph.D. program of study include at least 36 hours of coursework plus doctoral research and dissertation hours. Most Ph.D. students take three to four years beyond the M.A. degree to complete the Ph.D. The University of Georgia does not transfer graduate credit from other institutions. However, with the permission of the advisory committee, transfer students may be allowed to reduce their total number of course hours.
Any graduate student funded by the University must be enrolled in 12 hours each Fall and Spring semester and 9 hours during the Summer semester to be eligible for funding. However, the Department does not advise that most students take more than 9 "content" hours.
Communication Studies Requirements and Milestones
During the first year of study, students in the Communication Studies track are required to take SPCM 8500 (Communication Theory), SPCM 8010 or 8011 (Communication Education), SPCM 8020 (Introduction to Graduate Studies), an additional seminar in the fall, and SPCM 8700 (Empirical Research Methods), plus two additional seminars in the spring. Subsequent semester coursework is based on department offerings and a student’s plan of study. As part of the Ph.D., students are required to: (1) take SPCM 8010 or 8011 every year (when teaching), (2) take 6 hours of research tools, (3) demonstrate competence in two concentrated areas of scholarship, (4) complete three hours of SPCM 8050 (Research Practicum), (5) complete at least 18 hours of course work in the department exclusive of research hours, dissertation hours, and SPCM 8050s, (6) deliver one department colloquium, (7) successfully complete oral and written comprehensive examinations, and (8) successfully complete a dissertation.
Rhetorical Studies Requirements and Milestones
During the first year of study, students in the Rhetorical Studies track are required to take SPCM 8200 (Rhetorical Theory), SPCM 8010 or 8011 (Communication Education), SPCM 8020 (Introduction to Graduate Studies), and an additional seminar during the Fall. During the spring, Rhetoric students take SPCM 8300 (Rhetorical Criticism) plus two additional seminars. Subsequent semester coursework is based on department offerings and a student’s plan of study. As part of the Ph.D., students are required to: (1) take SPCM 8010 or 8011 every year (when teaching), (2) take 6 hours of research tools, (3) demonstrate competence in two concentrated areas of scholarship, (4) complete three hours of SPCM 8050 (Research Practicum), (5) complete at least 18 hours of course work in the department exclusive of research hours, dissertation hours, and SPCM 8050s, (6) deliver one department colloquium, (7) successfully complete oral and written comprehensive examinations, and (8) successfully complete a dissertation.
Areas of Concentration & Outside Coursework
You are required to declare two concentrated areas of scholarship in your program of study, each of which should be defined by at least 3 courses (courses may not be counted in both areas). It is helpful if one of the areas is more general (e.g., Rhetorical Theory or Communication Theory) and the other is more specific (e.g., Gender and Culture or Health Communication). Ph.D. students may not count more than 2 independent study courses toward the requirements for the doctorate. Ph.D. students may also not count more than 2 courses below the 7000 level toward the requirements for the doctorate. We expect that you will take some coursework in another department at UGA. The type of course varies.
Research Tools/Methodology
All doctoral students are required to complete a minimum of 6 hours of research tools. Communication Studies students typically take two statistics courses, followed by a course in advanced statistical methods or qualitative methods. Rhetorical Studies students typically satisfy methodology requirements in courses outside of the department. Courses taken to satisfy the research skills requirement cannot be included elsewhere in a student's program of study. A minimum of a "B" grade is required for all methods courses.
B. Major Professor and Advisory Committee
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program are strongly encouraged to select a major professor ("advisor") no later than the week after spring break of the second year. In consultation with the major professor, the student will form a committee of four other faculty members to plan and approve the student's program of study, arrange the comprehensive written and oral examinations, approve the dissertation prospectus, and examine the student on the completed dissertation. The committee must be chaired or co-chaired by a tenure-track faculty member in the department and at least one member must be from another department.
C. Ph.D. Plan of Study (Sample)
First year in residence
Fall Semester Spring Semester
SPCM 8200 or 8500
SPCM 8010 or 8011*
SPCM 8020
Electives(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(1 hr.)
(6 hrs.)
SPCM 8300 or 8700
SPCM 8050
Electives
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(3 hrs.)
(1 hr.)
(6 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)Second year in residence
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Electives
SPCM 8050
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(9 hrs.)
(1 hr.)
(3 hrs.)
Electives
SPCM 8050
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(9 hrs.)
(1 hr.)
(3 hrs.)Third year in residence
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Electives
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(9 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
Electives
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(9 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)Fourth year in residence
Fall Semester Spring Semester
SPCM 9000
SPCM 9300
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
SPCM 9300
SPCM 8010 or 8011*(9 hrs.)
(3 hrs.)
*Note: If you are not enrolled in 8010 or 8011 (due to the nature of your teaching or research assignment, enroll in SPCM 9000).
Descriptions of the numbered courses listed above are available on the Department Website. Recent departmental "Electives" include:
Communication Studies: Social Cognition & Emotion, Dark Side of Relationships, Interpersonal Conflict, Interracial Communication, Message Design, Health Communication, Race, Culture and Communication, Persuasion
Rhetorical Studies: Specters and Vectors of Post-industrial War, Visual Rhetorics, Materialist Theories and Rhetoric, Foucault, The Rhetoric of 9/11 and the War on Terror, On the Question of Agency, Rhetoric, Feminisms, and Social Change, Rhetoric and Poststructuralism
V. Admissions & Assistantships
Admission Requirements
Admission and assistantship decisions are based on a holistic examination of all credentials presented, including previous academic performance, three letters of recommendation, a writing sample, statement of objectives, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Ideally we admit students who have strong credentials in all of these areas. However, a deficiency in one area does not eliminate an applicant from consideration. To be admitted an applicant with marginal credentials in one area would need to be especially strong in other areas.
Masters Admission: To be admitted to the M.A. program we generally lke to see undergraduate Grade Point Averages of at least 3.0, Graduate Record Exam Scores of at least 1000 (Verbal and Quantitative), as well as strong letters of recommendation and a very strong academic writing sample. International students must have at least TSE/SPEAK scores of 50 or IBT TOEFL/TAST scores of 26. *
Doctoral Admission: To be admitted to our Ph.D. program we look for Graduate GPAs of at least 3.5 and GRE scores of at least 1100 (Verbal and Quantitative), as well as exceptionally strong letters of recommendation and an excellent academic writing sample. International students must have at least TSE/SPEAK scores of 50 or IBT TOEFL/TAST scores of 26. *
*These general guidelines neither preclude nor assure admission. Any applicant denied admission may appeal the decision to the Department's Graduate Committe.
Prerequisite Course Work for Graduate Programs
We assume that you will have had an appropriate introduction to communication theory and methods from your undergraduate education. If you are accepted to the graduate program in Speech Communication without having taken theory or methods courses in the field, you should prepare for your graduate work in one of the following ways:
Taking courses which are equivalent to SPCM 3700 (Empirical Research Methods), and 3300 (Rhetorical Criticism) at other universities.
Enrolling in SPCM 3700 and 3300 at the University of Georgia prior to enrollment in Graduate School.
Reading the texts required for each of these core courses (information about the texts required for these courses can be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator).
Prospective students with a Communication Studies emphasis are encouraged to take one or more undergraduate statistics courses in preparation for their work in Speech Communication.
Assistantships
Six types of assistantships may be available to graduate students in the Department. All graduate assistants at The University of Georgia receive a waiver of both in-state ($3,000.00 per term in 2009-10) and out-of-state ($10,452.00 per term in 2009-10) tuition.
Students holding graduate assistantships do pay the standard student activity fees ($730.00 per term in 2009-10), which include health, transportation, athletic, Ramsey Center, and technology fees. You may be eligible to opt out of health insurance fees if you are covered under another carrier. Graduate assistants also receive a $25.00 reduced tuition fee each semester. The tuition waiver is also available for assistantship holders during the summer term. Thus an assistantship is worth approximately $9,000.00 per year for a resident of Georgia and approximately $26,000.00 per year for non-residents.
Types of Assistance:
UGA Presidential Graduate Fellowships: This program provides exceptionally qualified graduate students enrolled at the University of Georgia with an annual twelve-month stipend of $24,000 and a reduced matriculation fee of just $25 per semester and the student activity fee of $587 each semester.
This award is guaranteed for five years of support for students entering with a bachelor’s degree and three years of support for students entering with a master’s degree contingent on satisfactory performance and progress toward degree completion. These awards require a 20 hour per week work commitment within the Department. Duties and responsibilities of a student on a Graduate School assistantship may include assisting faculty in undergraduate or graduate courses as well as working on research, and providing support services for the Department. The student must be fully engaged in graduate studies and may not hold any other employment. Students must be nominated by the Department. For more information about the Presidential Graduate Fellowship go to: http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/financial/assistantships.html
Graduate School Non-teaching Assistantships: Each year the Graduate School selects graduate non-teaching assistants from a list of applicants recommended by their major departments. Students must be nominated by the Department. Usually a GRE score of at least 1300 (verbal + quantitative) is required to be competitive for a Graduate School assistantship. Assistantship stipends for Graduate School awards are currently $1,493.50 per month for a master's student and $1,661.40 per month for a doctoral student holding a master's degree. The student pays reduced tuition of just $25 and a $587 student activity fee each semester. These awards are made for the first 21 months of graduate studies. These awards are referred to as 40% assistantships and require a 16 hour per week work commitment. Duties and responsibilities of a student on a Graduate School assistantship may include assisting faculty in undergraduate or graduate courses as well as working on research, and providing support services for the Department. For more information about the Graduate School assistantships go to: http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/financial/assistantships.html
Graduate Recruitment Opportunity Assistantships: The GRO Assistantship is designed to include any entering graduate student who is considered first generation, educationally or economically disadvantaged, or has some aspects of a uniquely diverse background that add to his or her discipline of study. Nomination for the GRO Assistantship is determined by the departmental admission process and is forwarded to the Graduate School for consideration. If you believe yourself to be eligible for the GRO, you should indicate that in your application materials. Pay for the GRO is approximately the same as for Graduate School Assistantships.
For more information about the Graduate Recruitment Opportunity assistantships go to: http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/financial/assistantships.html
Departmental Teaching Assistantships: Each year the Department awards a number of graduate teaching assistantships. Most persons holding teaching assistantships teach one of the following: the basic public speaking course (SPCM 1100), the basic interpersonal communication course (SPCM 1500), business and professional communication (SPCM 2300).
Some teaching assistantships will entail assignment to free-standing sections of the basic courses, for example: SPCM 1100 (Introduction to Public Speaking) and SPCM 1500 (Introduction to Interpersonal Communication) under the supervision of the faculty Instructor of Record for the large lecture course. Other course assignments include assisting in large-enrollment classes such as Introduction to Human Communication (SPCM 1010) Pop Culture (SPCM 2360) or Business and Professional Communication (SPCM 2300). Doctoral students may also have an opportunity to teach other 2000-level and 3000-level classes primarily for Speech Communication majors. Teaching assignments will be made by the Department Head, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator and the Rhetoric or Communication Studies Head, when appropriate.
Continuance of the assistantship is dependent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree and upon satisfactory performance of classroom responsibilities. For the fall of 2009, the monthly salary for a M.A. student teaching 2 courses is and the monthly salary for a PhD student is $1545.20 (5 checks).
Debate Program Assistantship: The Department of Speech Communication also sponsors an assistantship for a person qualified to work with the University's debate program. Continuance of the assistantship is dependent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree and work with the debate program. The debate program assistantship carries the same stipend as the departmental teaching assistantship. Please contact Dr. Edward Panetta, Director of Debate, at epanetta@uga.edu for more information on the debate assistantship.
Research Assistantships: The availability and nature of research assistantships depends upon external grants that have been produced by faculty. The Graduate Coordinator will inform you of any individual faculty who may have need for funded research assistants.
Applying to either the Ph.D. or M.A. program requires submitting some materials to the Graduate School and some materials directly to the Department of Speech Communication.
Application Materials
The Speech Communication Department Graduate Admissions Committee will start reviewing completed applications on or about January 10th. Incomplete applications will not be given full consideration. A completed application includes all of the following:
Degree Objective: Ph.D. (840A) or M.A. (840) Major: Speech Communication
As part of the application, you will need to also send in the following:
Application Fee. The application processing fee is non-refundable and is collected to cover the cost of processing the admissions application.
GRE scores officially sent from the testing agency (ETS SCHOOL CODE: 5813).
Domestic applicants: Two official transcripts in sealed envelopes from each institution of higher education where a degree was earned. Do not send these directly to the Department.
International applicants: Two official transcripts (official academic records and certified English translations, if applicable) from each institution of higher education attended, TOEFL scores officially sent from ETS. (ETS SCHOOL CODE: 5813), Certificate of Finances (COF).
Names and addresses of three individuals who will be providing letters of recommendation.
Dr. Jennifer A. Samp, Graduate Coordinator
Department of Speech Communication
University of Georgia
110 Terrell Hall
Athens, GA 30602-1725
Department of Speech Communication Application for Graduate Program.
Curriculum vitae/resume.
Answers to four questions as specified in the department application form.
- A sample of your writing as specified in the departmental application form.
VII. Application for Admission
Please be sure to fill out both applications. Application deadline is January 1st, 2010.
The University of Georgia Graduate School Application.
The Department of Speech Communication Application.
