Communication/Mass Comm/Journalism

[BadWolf]

Where the hell are you people? God, I can't be the only one...

[kdawg]

*raises hand*

I was wondering the same thing actually.

Where have you applied? Or if you're already in, where do you go?

[BadWolf]

Applying for PhD programs this year - accepted to UConn Communication, Temple Mass Media & Communication, and Indiana U Telecommunications. Waiting on Ohio U Mass Comm still.

Leaning toward Indiana, at this point, as it seems the best fit so far.

You?

[kdawg]

I applied for a master's in Media, Culture and Communication at NYU Steinhardt.

I found it in the fall, fell in love with what I saw, and applied sort of last minute (and didn't apply anywhere else.) On all sorts of grad forums online I haven't heard anything about the program though. No idea how it's ranked, how competitive, etc.

I feel kind of silly asking since I'm the one who applied there, but do you know anything about the program? (stats?)

Are you going straight from your undergrad to a PhD? Have you worked in the field?

[StudyMom]

So glad to see other Communications people out here! I applied to Syracuse, U Georgia, UFlorida, U Miami and just last minute, Boulder. Pretty sure I didn't get in to Syracuse (no surpise). Wait listed at Miami and accepted at UFlorida. Expect to hear from Georgia soon - it is my first choice so I hope I get in.

[BadWolf]

kdawg:

Unfortunately, I don't know much about NYU's program, though the PhD program is well-ranked, and that has to be a good sign. But it really is true that how the program fits you is the most important thing.

I finished my Master's a few years ago, and have been working in a semi-related industry field since then. I wanted to take a few years off from academic pursuits to make absolutely sure that I wanted to go the PhD route. Turns out that I am! (I think!)

StudyMom:

Woo, good luck with UGA. I know someone in the PhD program there who is loving it, according to our advisor. (She got her MA at the same program as me, a year ahead of my cohort.)

[StudyMom]

:cry: I didn't get into UGA -- bummer. I'm in at my second choice and wait listed at my third. Haven't heard yet from the last two. Waiting is such a drag!

[Gethsemane]

Hello! I am a comm person as well, although some of the programs I applied to are more oriented towards rhetorical studies and critical theory than the "communications" of my undergrad. I applied to UIUC, UPitt, Syracuse, UIowa, and UTexas-Austin. So far, I was rejected at UT-Austin (M.A. program communication studies), accepted at Syracuse (M.A. Media Studies), and "shortlisted" or waitlisted (or whatever) at UPitt (PhD communication). Haven't heard back from UIUC or UIowa yet.

Anyway, congratulations to all of you on your acceptances! It's good to see that there are other people in comm on this board...I was beginning to wonder where you all were (after months of trolling, of course)!

Oh BTW kdawg, I am attempting to go straight from my undergrad to a PhD program with no "work" experience, since you asked .

[stevie]

Hi all,

Another Communications person in the house!

I applied to UMCP, Cornell, Indiana, and Carnegie-Mellon for Information Science/Human Computer Interaction type programs. Rejected so far at UMCP, CM, and IU. No word from Cornell, but I see one person posted today that they got their acceptance yesterday... Ah welll...

Also applied to UConn and Penn State for Mass Comm, New Media Technology type programs and have been accepted at both. Pending funding at both, but nothing concrete right now.

Any other future Huskies or Nitney Lions out there?

Stevie

[Cindy]

Hey everyone, I applied for a MA in journalism and I got acceptance from Missouri, IUB, UT-Austin, Ohio, UFL, UGA.

Now I'm freaking out about making a decision...

Missouri, UT-Austin, IUB are my top choices, but it's so hard to pick one..

Any advice?

PS: So nice to meet u all, feel free to add my MSN: cindynd@163.com

[StudyMom]

Hi Cindy,

Good for you for being accepted to so many great programs! If I were you I'd make a spreadsheet with the things that are important to you: MA curriculum, faculty, money, weather etc. and assign each points to see how they rank for you. Personally I thought Missouri looked good but I have also heard good things about UT-Austin, so, it's tough!

Best of luck!

[Cindy]

Thanks so much, StudyMom!

I am trying to compare the two in every aspect. Missouri ranks higher in journalism, but it isn't an ideal location. I'm worrying about the opportunities of internship , etc. As UT-Austin, I gotta find out more about it.

Anyway, best luck to you, too! Have you decided where to go?

[hopptm]

Hi, I'm a Media Studies/New Media Studies/Journalism Studies person over here.

Cindy: I think that Missouri has a more "respected" journalism porgram, but Texas is, as an university, more prestigious. Don't know if that helps, but a trusted professor of mine in the field basically ranked: (1) Columbia (2) Northwestern (3) Missouri. So, yeah.

In my case, I got into Simon Fraser, Villanova, NYU, and San Diego State for Media Studies programs. I'm still waiting on Northwestern to make a decision and release it. It's something of a longshot, but Northwestern is my #1 choice and I would love to get in. Practically speaking, though, I'm down to SDSU and NYU. On one hand, SDSU offered me some pretty decent funding and a GTA position that I would really love. On the other hand, NYU is very respected. SDSU would be cheaper and I'd probably get more attention at the MA level while NYU will cost me a ton and I'll most likely just be one of many students with similliar abilities. The faculty at both places is pretty good, with NYU obviously having more "big names." This is just for MA study. In applying to Ph.D programs, name recognition matters, but just how much is what I'm trying to gauge. And in SDSU's case, I have to factor in the stigma attached to Cal State programs. My GTA position at SDSU would include digital media, which is blowing up in acadamia right now. With all these factors, anyone have any points of emphasis? I've looked at the pros and cons for both schools and I'm even more confused than I was to begin with. My goal is to go to a top ten Ph.D program, would that still be achievable if I chose SDSU?

[StudyMom]

Dear hopptm,

Do you have any practical experience? I'm heading into a PhD in Mass Communications and I did my master's a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away....my GPA wasn't great and neither were my GRE's (though respectable) but I have a lot of experience in communications - political, public relations, marketing, journalism, etc. I think if you have a strong resume the school you did your master's in won't matter as much, and you do have consider how much debt you are going to come out with at NYU. Also, you need to think about your end goals -- are you hoping for a career in academia or in business and industry? Academia will care more about the schools you went to than business and industry.

Good luck!

[hopptm]

StudyMom:

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I have a decent enough resume. I've been out of undergrad for about two years and in that time, I've been working as a technical writer for a mid-to-large Government contractor. My goal is academia. Practically speaking, I've heard that the only thing that really matters is your ph.d program, not your ma program. However, my ability to get into a top ph.d program could be impacted by my choice of ma program. I feel so stupid talking about name recognition and top this and that. School is what you make of it. In some ways, I'd like to go to a lesser known school and pave my own way just to show that it can be done.

Good luck to you as well.

[StudyMom]

Hopptm,

If it helps, I turned down LSE and went to another, respected but certainly not top tier, school for my Master's. I feel like I am paving my own way as well but I am making a path that works for me and lets me have joy in the day to day.

Good luck!

[stevie]

hoppTM - I'm kind of in the same boat choosing between 2 programs. The only thing I would add to the conversation is that I did a non-scientific ( :wink: ) study when I was deciding where to apply looking at the professors employed in various Comm programs. I noticed that most, but not all, seemed to come from a small handful of programs. One of the programs I have been accepted to did have some representation amongst the active faculty listings. The other - and this was a big red flag for me - has not had a single graduate go into faculty positions in the past 15 years. Not a single one. I interpret that to mean that I would have a pretty steep uphill climb if I wanted to pursue faculty as a potential career path. Probably not impossible if I was able to establish a name for myself and get some publications/presentations on my CV. But layered into my concern was the fact that almost every current grad I talked to had the private sector as their career goal and so were not actively pursuing publishing or presenting at conferences. Hmmmm.... I'm pretty sure I am going to choose the school (Penn State) with graduates active in the higher ed world.

StudyMom - I am also a non-traditional student from many moons past. It's too bad we won't be at the same school, I would have enjoyed having a compatriot through the journey! When I visited UConn there appeared to be only one other student close to my age (cough cough almost 40 cough cough). He made a point of telling me it wasn't weird being by far the oldest person in the room and that he enjoyed the relationships he had developed with his cohort even though he could be their father. lol... I expect that will be the case wherever we end up. Did you decide where you are going yet?

[StudyMom]

Stevie,

I'm heading to UF. They are very focused on turning out PhD's who want a career in teaching, which is what I want to do. Now, if they would only confirm funding I would be really really happy! Still, I expect to get funded and I'll be horribly disappointed if I don't -- my family has a map of Gainesville with potential houses marked on it on the kitchen island! I think it will be a little strange being (cough cough slightly over 40!) amidst all those younger cohorts but I feel very confident and sure of what I want from my degree. I also think it will be invigorating to be around fresh ideas and energy -- after a while in the field things can get a little boring and it's easy to slide into the usual way of doing things rather than trying new things. UF has a good track record at placing their grads and they have a wonderful research focus and faculty. Who knows -- we may end up after the same teaching positions in three or four years! Best, StudyMom

[Gramo]

Bumping this thread for this year.

So, are there any Comm. Studies people out there? I applied to several PhD programs...I`m surely not the only one.

[samoth]

Bumping this thread for this year.

So, are there any Comm. Studies people out there? I applied to several PhD programs...I`m surely not the only one.

No, you're not. Just because we don't get our own forum doesn't mean we don't exist. Where did you apply ? (I applied to both Annenbergs and to several sociology departments).

[Gramo]

Yea, it's too bad we don't have our own forum. As for my schools, I applied to: Stanford, Cornell, and Northwestern...(and a few interdisciplinary programs). Have you heard from any of your school's yet? I'm assuming I won't hear from mine til late Feb.

Good Luck!

[samoth]

Yea, it's too bad we don't have our own forum. As for my schools, I applied to: Stanford, Cornell, and Northwestern...(and a few interdisciplinary programs). Have you heard from any of your school's yet? I'm assuming I won't hear from mine til late Feb.

Good Luck!

I got an email from Penn saying that they expect to notify applicants by mid-February. As for USC - they only make decisions at the end of March, so I still have a lot of waiting to do.

Best of luck to you too!

[CopperBoom]

I applied to 6. IL Urbana, UCSB, UCSD, Cornell, Amherst, Pitt (2 of them M.A. other 4. PhD).

I am anxiously waiting. I need to be patient for another 4 weeks or so (I guess).

Good Luck everone

[samoth]

Maybe we really are the only ones applying... lol

[CopperBoom]

Unfortunately that is not the case. I have been following up the posts on this site, where they display the admission results: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?t=n&pp=25

There are more applications to life sciences, that is for sure. Since their deadlines were ealier, and they started announcing their admission results.

Cornell (PhD in Communications) started sending out interview invitations. I haven't seen any info on their MA.

I am very nervous and anxiously waiting. I have decent GPA (3.3), strong/valuable work experience in Communications and Mass Media and ungraduate degree, but my GRE verbal is embarrassingly low. Worries me alot.

Good Luck to everyone!!!