Master of Arts in Communication

The department offers a coterminal MA degree program in Communication with a subplan in Media Studies. The department also awards both a terminal and a coterminal MA degree in Communication with a subplan in Journalism. The subplan prints on the transcript but not on the diploma. 

The university requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The university also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.

Coterminal Master of Arts in Communication – Media Studies Subplan

The coterminal MA Degree Program in Communication - Media Studies subplan is a small program that permits current Stanford undergraduates to study for a bachelor’s and a master’s degree simultaneously. The program provides a broad introduction to digital communication and media/multimedia by examining communication processes, their origins, and their psychological, political, and cultural effects. Areas of coursework include research about media psychology on human-computer interactions, regulation of digital technologies, digital communication, multimedia development, and emerging trends in digital communication technologies and markets. 

With early and careful planning, students may be able to complete the coterminal Master of Arts in Communication by the end of their senior year or within one to two additional quarters. See the Registrar’s Office information about coterminal degree programs and contact the Student Services Manager to discuss your options.

The following majors best provide a grounding in a theoretical tradition relevant to the study of communication: communication, computer science, economics, English, history, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychology, public policy, STS, sociology, and symbolic systems.

Master of Arts in Communication  — Journalism Subplan

The department awards both a terminal and a coterminal MA degree in Communication with a subplan in Journalism. 

Stanford Journalism Program

The master’s program in Journalism focuses on the knowledge and skills required to report, analyze, and write authoritatively about public issues and digital media. The curriculum combines a sequence of specialized digital reporting and writing courses with seminars and courses devoted to deepening the student’s understanding of the roles and responsibilities of American news media in their coverage of public issues. Coursework emphasizes the combination of data journalism and storytelling skills. 

The program’s objective is twofold:

1. To graduate talented reporters and writers to foster public understanding of the significance and consequences of public issues and the debates they engender

2. To graduate thoughtful journalists to respond openly and eloquently when called upon to explain and defend their reporting and writing methods and quality.

See the program’s Mission Statement.

Admission to the Coterminal Master’s Program in Communication — Media Studies Subplan

See the Coterminal MA in Communication – Media Studies Track website for additional information on application requirements.

Applicants must submit their application and, if admitted, respond to the offer of admission no later than the quarter before the expected completion of their undergraduate degree. Applicants must have declared an undergraduate major and earned a minimum of 120 units toward graduation (UTG) as shown on the unofficial undergraduate transcript (including allowable advanced placement (AP) and transfer credit) and completed at least six academic quarters.

A $125 application fee is assessed for each coterminal application. This fee will be added to the student’s university bill once the applicant has been admitted and accepted the offer of admission.

Application Deadline: Feb. 1, 2024, at 3 p.m. to start the program in spring quarter 2023-24. Recommenders must submit their online recommendation letters by Feb. 4, 2024.

Requirements include:

• Application for Admission to Coterminal Master’s Program

• Preliminary program proposal

• Statement of purpose

• Master’s project advising confirmation form

• Letters of recommendation from two Stanford professors other than the coterminal advisor

• A current unofficial Stanford transcript

GRE scores are not required.

Admission to the Terminal Master’s Program in Communication - Journalism

Detailed information on application requirements is available on the Graduate Program in Journalism website provides detailed information on application requirements. GRE scores are not required. 

Prospective applicants to the terminal master’s program in Communication with a subplan in Journalism must submit the following:

• Application for Graduate Admissions

• Statement of purpose

• Three journalistic samples

• Transcripts

• Resume

• Three letters of recommendation

• TOEFL test scores for non-native speakers of English. Exemptions are granted to applicants who have earned (or will earn before enrolling at Stanford) a United States (U.S.) bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the U.S. or the international equivalent degree from a university of recognized standing in a country in which all instruction is provided in English.

Admission to the Coterminal Master’s Program in Communication - Journalism Subplan

The Coterminal MA in Communication – Journalism Track website provides detailed information on application requirements. See the Registrar’s Office information about coterminal degree programs and contact the Student Services Manager to discuss your options.

Applicants must submit their application and, if admitted, respond to the offer of admission no later than the quarter before the expected completion of their undergraduate degree. Applicants must have declared an undergraduate major and earned a minimum of 120 units toward graduation (UTG) as shown on the unofficial undergraduate transcript (including allowable advanced placement (AP) and transfer credit) and completed at least six academic quarters.

Online applications must be submitted no later than Feb. 1, 2024, to start the spring quarter 2023-24 program. 

Applicants submit the following:

• Application for Admission to Coterminal Master’s Program.

• Preliminary program proposal

• Statement of purpose

• Three letters of recommendation and recommendation forms from Stanford professors

• Three samples of journalistic work

• A current unofficial Stanford transcript

GRE scores are not required.