GRADUATE STUDIES
Doctorate of Communication (Ph.D.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW As a doctoral candidate, you are at the scholarly forefront of the communication revolution. We believe that social scientific and humanistic approaches to the study of human communication are essential for a complete understanding of communication. Both theory and research methods are amply demonstrated by the four required core courses in the first year of study and also reflected in the substantive concentrations that you can pursue. Our degree program prepares you for a career in academia as well as in other public and private sector endeavors that benefit from research skills and expansive knowledge of communications structures, processes, and institutions.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS USC Annenberg School offers one of the most intellectually diverse programs in the field of communication. You will have the opportunity to participate in all-expenses-paid summer institutes. With 18 research centers, all doctoral students are assigned to research assistantships in their second through fifth years. All doctoral students receive full tuition, health and dental benefits, a generous annual stipend paid for five years as doctoral fellows and graduate assistants, financial support for dissertation and research projects, and travel expenses to present at research conferences. Our graduates excel as university instructors and communication experts conducting original research and scholarship. Their work advances knowledge in the field, builds practical applications for society and contributes to the success of public and private sector enterprises such as media and entertainment industries as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Master of Communication Management (M.C.G.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Master of Communication Management is a professional management degree that balances academic grounding, both research and theory, with the application to real-world issues of businesses, organizations and nonprofits. This degree program is also taught online for mid-career professionals unable to attend on-campus classes.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS Our program has a breadth that is unmatched by our competition. Other programs tend to focus more narrowly on public relations, integrated marketing or traditional communication. Our areas of focus enable you to study the industry of interest to you, such as entertainment or nonprofit advocacy; the communication function, such as marketing communication, corporate communication, change communication, consulting, and strategy; and the use and impact of technologies. Our instructors primarily hold Ph.D. degrees and have a wide range of academic and practical experiences. Our adjuncts are carefully selected for depth of experience and renown.
Our graduates leave the program with increased skills in critical thinking, conducting and utilizing research, using academic literature to solve business problems, improved skills in writing, strategic analysis and public speaking and the ability to succeed in a world filled with ambiguity, change and opportunity.
Master of Science in Communication and Data Science (M.S.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The M.S. in Communication and Data Science, a cross-disciplinary joint degree program offered by the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, prepares experts for an emerging field. While learning about theories and principles underlying human communication and the ways in which people use and engage with communication technologies, you will gain an understanding of the technical underpinnings of emerging communication platforms. You will also master the theoretical and technical tools to investigate and analyze large volumes of data generated by digital communication platforms using machine learning and artificial intelligence.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS As technology becomes ubiquitous in society, the role of the informed communicator has become critical. Tech industries need individuals who understand the basics of communication and have enough technology knowledge to provide analysis at a meaningful level. In fact, communication is now so vital to the function of many products that success and failure are often determined by how well communication is performed, and how seamlessly it integrates into existing platforms. In the corporate world, the need to understand and capitalize on social media is pervasive. The unique expertise this degree provides leaves you well positioned to design creative approaches to reach new audiences. Many startups also seek a combination of communication and data science skills to improve their products and reach new markets. In addition, there are careers using data science to analyze online activities from a variety of contexts, including entertainment sites, online games and mobile apps. Recommender systems, opinion mining and social information diffusion are emerging technologies for the entertainment industry. Online games generate rich data about social interaction and individual behaviors.
Master of Science in Digital Social Media (M.S.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The M.S. in Digital Social Media, a STEM-designated degree program, teaches you leadership and management of social media, digital media and online communities. If you are interested in the digital and social media sector, if you to be a social media professional or entrepreneur in this area, and if you want to understand the science and practice of digital social media, then this graduate degree program is for you. You will develop expertise in the practice, theory and strategies that are essential for success in today’s business landscape.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS We cover the entire strategic process and teach effective leadership strategies and practices that work for leaders in entrepreneurial efforts, large businesses or in fields that use digital social media such as marketing and public relations, content development, SEO, analytics, etc. Our students are cross-trained for leadership across areas of expertise and gain a broad understanding of the underlying social science theories and the human behaviors that underpin human activity in the digital sector. Upon completion of the degree program, you will have (1) acquired expertise in the challenges and strategies for success in transitioning a business or product to digital; (2) learned how to use currently available platforms and tools to enhance the efforts of products or clients; (3) gained knowledge about the use of social media and other digital strategies to engage audiences in digital products, businesses, sites and apps; (4) learned how to be successful in using social media for marketing, public relations and monetizing products and services in the digital age; (5) and acquired the tools of evaluating products and their strategies through digital analytics and research methodology.
Master of Arts in Global Communication (M.A.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The M.A./M.Sc. in Global Communication program — jointly taught with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the top-ranked media and communication program in the U.K., focuses on the role of communication and technology in globalization, the changing global media, news and culture industries, and issues of global concern. This program allows you to spend a year each in two global media capitals — London and Los Angeles — and earn master’s degrees from both universities — LSE and USC.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS The program was the first international dual degree program both at USC and the LSE and was the first M.A. program anywhere that focused on global communication. External reviewers at the LSE described this program as the “gold standard” of global communication master’s degrees. Only applicants with a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) or higher are considered for admission.
The program is designed to accomplish different education and training for each year. During the first year at the LSE, you focus on the theoretical foundations of communication, media and globalization, with a particular emphasis on critical thinking and empirical examination of social and cultural products and means of production. Also, you hone your ability to conduct original research. The second year at USC Annenberg gives you the latest research and best practices in your particular areas of interest. In addition, you will meet important figures in those industries/ organizations as well as intern and network with alumni of the program. The capstone course allows you to produce a publishable portfolio. Merit-based scholarships are available.
Master of Science in Journalism (M.S.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The main idea behind the nine-month M.S. in Journalism program is simple: Successful modern-day journalists need to have a wide variety of skills, more than one area of specialty, and the ability to report and produce content for any outlet in order to thrive in today’s turbulent media environment. Our intense, deadline-driven program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills needed for modern journalists to tell stories across any current or developing news platforms in a converged news environment. Building on the program’s foundation of strong reporting and writing, in the course of your work you are taught how to embrace the role of diverse communities in storytelling and how to understand the importance of context and analysis. To that end, you focus on special areas of interest and also produce long-term and long-form work for all the news outlets in the media center.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS In a unique, team-taught environment, you have a multifaceted experience and emerge as a versatile, self-sufficient reporter/producer/writer. You also learn critical thinking, decision-making, ethical responsibility, teamwork, coding and communication skills. The goal is for you to acquire a full set of storytelling tools that can be applied to any topic on any media platform. You will graduate with a mastery of multimedia storytelling skills, fluency with emerging technologies and a deep understanding of the rapidly changing media environment. You will have an area of specialty that makes you unique, but you will also be able to walk into almost any journalism job interview with the basic skills and knowledge needed to get that job and move forward with your career. You will emerge from the M.S. program as an ethical and intellectually engaged storyteller who is well prepared to succeed in today’s competitive media landscape and ready to create the journalism of tomorrow.
Master of Arts in Specialized Journalism (the Arts) (M.A.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The M.A. in Specialized Journalism (the Arts) program at USC Annenberg is about leading arts and culture storytellers toward professional improvement. This ten-and-a half-month degree program provides tools, bodies of knowledge and direct experience with accomplished artists and arts journalists, who are invaluable anchors, informing opinion, guiding debate and producing the next generation.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS The written word is our base. That said, we provide substantial training in video, audio, digital and entrepreneurial practice. These skills have been part of our DNA since 2008. We are also philosophically grounded in understanding the world in terms of personal forces and structures. We recognize and cultivate the full human being in front of us — one by one. Our program is small — only 8 to 12 students — so it is not cookie-cutter. It aspires to add to the character of our society. This program prepares you to be a leader in the arts and culture ecosystem, wherever you might live and work. But Los Angeles is our center; it is our laboratory. We aim to provide a fixed reference point in the ever-changing intellectual space of journalism to which our students can refer and on which they can depend. We offer unprecedented access to the leaders in arts in Los Angeles. Here, you will publish and produce work for the public. You will be connected.
Master of Arts in Strategic Public Relations (M.A.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The M.A. in Strategic Public Relations degree program is ranked among the best in the world for preparing graduates for rewarding careers in a variety of industries. It is a 16-to-18-month program designed to educate the next generation of innovators and leaders in public relations and strategic communication. The program views the PR practitioners as advocates for brands or causes, and our coursework better prepares you to elevate the image of a client or organization ethically, strategically and with research-driven insights.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS The program takes a highly applied approach that emphasizes strategic thinking, problem solving and specific skills to qualify graduates for a successful career in the exciting, rewarding and fast-growing field of public relations and other communication professions. You will be equipped with the conceptual and practical tools needed to be a leader in the dynamic field of PR. In your first two semesters you will build a solid foundation in strategic thinking, writing, ethics, content development and highly applied research and analysis. Building on this foundation, you will customize the program by selecting courses in a variety of practice areas, such as sports and entertainment, lifestyle public relations and civic engagement. Alternatively, you may earn a specialization in a skills area, such as computational public relations, digital, interactive and converged communication, or corporate and business communication. In this way, the program helps you identify — and then pursue — the specific industry or practice area about which you are most passionate. Graduates are sought by Fortune 500 companies, fast-moving start-ups, public relations and digital agencies, communication consultancies as well as government organizations and the nonprofit sector.
Master of Arts in Specialized Journalism (M.A.)
PROGRAM OVERVIEW The nine-month M.A. in Specialized Journalism is an intensive program that allows you to develop a deep level of expertise in a specific field of reporting and master cutting-edge reporting and production skills. Your advanced journalism courses will focus on research methods, entrepreneurship and decision making. Reporting areas of focus include sports, entertainment, science writing, business, and religion. In addition to your USC Annenberg courses, you may choose graduate-level courses in disciplines such as law, cinematic arts, medicine, gaming, multimedia literacy, public policy, gerontology, sociology and social work from USC’s world-renowned schools. This combination of state-of-the-art digital skills with deep subject area expertise creates a powerful experience that prepares you to thrive in the rapidly changing and competitive world of media.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS Your fellow students create a tight cohort of passionate and talented writers, reporters and producers with all levels of experience. You will work together in a unique interdisciplinary environment focusing equally on skills and content. You will create radio and film documentaries; long-form literary and investigative journalism, interactive multi-media experiments and deadline coverage of breaking news in our world-class media center. Your faculty will include Pulitzer Prize, DuPont and Emmy winners, outstanding faculty award winners and leaders across every sector of the media industry. Also, you will partner with news organizations in Los Angeles and around the world to publish and broadcast your work. Upon graduation, you will have the opportunity to put your skills to use at any number of leading newsrooms, organizations and start-ups.
Master of Public Diplomacy (M.P.D.) PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Master of Public Diplomacy (M.P.D.) is an innovative multidisciplinary program drawing on faculty from both Communication and International Relations. It is designed primarily to prepare you to work for an international actor advancing the ends of their foreign policy by engaging foreign publics.
PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS The USC M.P.D. is unique in the world and the first degree of that name. Other U.S. schools teach advanced classes in public diplomacy or a joint program in international relations and public relations. The USC degree brings together a dynamic learning community of internationally minded student and faculty who lead the world in this field. The degree enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the USC Center of Public Diplomacy, which is an internationally known center of research. The M.P.D. degree is oriented toward skill development. Assessment in many classes includes public diplomacy work place “genres� like reports, planning documents, op-eds and case studies. You work in new and old media, explore team working skills, take a lead in publishing your own journal and participate in an international field trip. The degree includes an optional international requirement and a required research practicum.
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GRADUATE APPLICATION PROCESS Apply using the online USC Graduate Admission Application after reviewing the graduate application guidelines for the degree program(s) of your choice. Application deadlines vary by degree program. All complete applications are considered for admission and any available departmental scholarships, fellowships and assistantships opportunities.
092018