Master’s in Communication Studies
Among the top programs in the nation for research productivity, our program helps students develop fundamental understandings of communication theory and research. Emphases include interpersonal and family communication, organizational communication, persuasion and health communication and instructional communication. Graduates of our program go on to continue their education in well-established Ph.D. programs while others take advantage of a wide variety of professional opportunities in communication and business industries.
Financial Awards
We do not want the cost of a graduate education to prohibit you from pursuing your goals. We are able to support the goals of many of our students through merit-based tuition waivers that cover all or part of a student’s tuition and Graduate Teaching Assistantships that provide a monthly stipend to help with other expenses. These assistantships also provide students with the opportunity to work closely with faculty in ways that advance their understanding of the discipline.
Meet some of our Communication Studies graduate students
Peyton Carey
Peyton Carey
Undergraduate Education: Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Political Science from Texas Christian University
Hometown: Yorba Linda, California
Master’s Program: Communication Studies
Why did you choose Texas Christian University?
For starters, academics have always been a priority to me, so being invited into TCU’s Prestigious John V. Roach Honors College was a real privilege and a challenge I was excited to take on! Secondly, coming from an all-boys private high school, I wanted a mid-sized college, but being a huge sports fanatic, I also wanted a university with a strong D1 sports program. I felt TCU fit that bill perfectly, with their sports programs, across the board, from baseball, to basketball, to football, all exceeding my expectations as an undergrad student. From day 1, back in 2018, when I came to tour TCU (the Amon G. Carter Stadium was being built/under construction at the time), something about Fort Worth gave off a feeling like “home” and I loved the community and hospitality. I am honored and thrilled to be able to further my education at this great institution for another two years. Of course, I also plan to catch every game I can!
Why did you choose communication studies?
When I entered TCU, I was on the Political Science path, thinking I might go to Law School, but then Covid hit! By the end of my freshman year, I found myself thoroughly interested in Communication Studies, and quickly changed to a double major. I fell in love with communication because it’s so universal, everybody not only has to do it, but we all do it so differently, and that fascinates me. In addition, I believe it’s something we all need to be able to do extremely well if we want to be successful in our personal relationships, as well as our professional arena. I also chose the path of Communication Studies because of how important it is to everyone’s understanding of the world we live in and how we choose to function in it. Lastly, when given the opportunity to work side by side with the amazing communication studies faculty here at TCU that I was blessed to get to know during my undergrad studies, it was a no-brainer. I was all in!
What are you interested in researching and/or learning about?
Although I haven’t chosen my research field yet, some communication topics that interest me are persuasion/deception, family dynamics, and leadership. I’m sure I will develop a better grasp of what I really want to dial in and focus on as my time here at grad school continues.
What are your internships, responsibilities, and/or hobbies outside of classes?
Outside of my grad school courses, I am in the GTA program (Graduate Teacher’s Assistant) here at TCU, and I am presently teaching two sections of Communicating Effectively. Outside of my schedule at TCU, I am an Uber driver and do Door Dash deliveries when I can. Hobby-wise, I love the outdoors and hiking, though TX happens to be quite flat compared to CA. I love listening to and writing music, and I’m very passionate about sports and physical fitness. I not only have played most sports and enjoy them, but I also like watching them all too; from football, to basketball, to baseball, to boxing/UFC, to swimming/water polo. I love competition!
What do you hope to do after graduation?
An honest answer to this question would be its presently a “work-in-progress” situation. I’m still debating between obtaining my master’s degree and then entering the workforce or continuing my research/going on to get my PhD, so I can teach at a university like TCU. I have lots of hope and aspirations, but expressing exactly what my future holds at this very moment, is a bit premature and unknown!
Sofia Salmeron
Sofia Salmeron
Undergraduate Education: Communication Studies at Texas Christian University
Hometown: Dallas
Master’s Program: Communication Studies
Why did you choose Texas Christian University?
I love the Comm Studies department. After completing my Undergrad here, I realized how much I loved the field I was studying and how much more I wanted to learn. We have such a great program with amazing professors, and I was looking forward to continuing my work with our department.
Why did you choose communication studies?
I like the idea of studying something that we all do. We all communicate and the levels that exist within our interactions is something that I enjoy the thought and concept of.
What are you interested in researching and/or learning about?
I am interested in studying the concept of fictive kin and family relationships.
What are your internships, responsibilities, and/or hobbies outside of classes?
Outside of class I volunteer with Inspired Vision Compassion Center, which is a food bank in Dallas. I love helping others.
What do you hope to do after graduation?
I want to continue learning. I would love getting a PhD in Comm. Studies, but I also like the idea of Law School.
Sarah Stacy
Sarah Stacy
Undergraduate Education: Psychology at Baylor University
Hometown: Mesquite, Texas
Master’s Program: Communication Studies
Why did you choose Texas Christian University?
Despite the perpetual rivalry between TCU and Baylor, I have always admired the dedication to academic excellence and the welcoming environment here at Texas Christian University. The faculty members make a wonderful effort to create a safe and encouraging space for learning and growing as a person; they are also the best and most qualified in the country!
Why did you choose communication studies?
I decided to pursue Communication Studies thanks to my encouraging professors at Baylor and previous Communication Studies master’s graduate Crosby Cobb. She gave a presentation detailing her thesis and introduced me to the program one morning during my Communication and the Family course, and ever since, I have been in love with Communication Studies and higher education.
What are you interested in researching and/or learning about?
I am excited to find the ways in which the worlds of Psychology and Communication Studies intersect. I hope to study and learn about how psychopathology affects interpersonal communication, as well as delve deeper into the realm of persuasion.
What are your internships, responsibilities, and/or hobbies outside of classes?
I teach two sections of COMM 10123, Communicating Effectively in your Community. Outside of teaching and classes, I enjoy arts and crafts, playing and arranging music on various instruments, playing video games, and cuddling with my cat (and showing pictures of him to everyone I know).
What do you hope to do after graduation?
I am using my time in the master’s program to explore future career interests. I intend to either enter the workforce in administration or continue teaching higher education at a community college.
Sarah Van Hare
Sarah Van Hare
Undergraduate Education: Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and in Mathematics from University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Hometown: Loveland, Colo.
Master’s Program: Communication Studies
Why did you choose Texas Christian University?
I chose Texas Christian University because I wanted to attend a terminal master’s program with the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant. I also wanted to be situated in a Communication Studies department with a focus on the Social Scientific realm of the discipline (i.e. not Rhetorical) and study under professors with expertise in Quantitative Research Methods.
Why did you choose communication studies?
I fell in love with communication studies research after taking a Social Sciences Research Method course at UNL. I knew I wanted to explore how we can assign variables to the very subject process of communication in order to better understand ourselves, our loved ones and the world around us!
What are you interested in researching and/or learning about?
I am interested in researching identity difference in the family, queer studies, and political identity.
What are your internships, responsibilities, and/or hobbies outside of classes?
I work as a graduate teaching assistant within the department of Communication Studies teaching the basic course to TCU students. Outside of class I play Ultimate Frisbee in a league in Fort Worth on a team called Panic! At The Disc. I also fill my free time sewing clothes. I wear a Me-Made item to class every Monday!
What do you hope to do after graduation?
After earning my master’s degree, I hope to play a lot more Ultimate Frisbee. I also plan to go on to a doctoral program to earn a PhD in Communication Studies.
A Letter from the Director
Dear Prospective Graduate Student,
On behalf of the faculty and students of Texas Christian University, welcome to the Department of Communication Studies! Pursuing a graduate degree is a big decision, and we look forward to answering any questions or inquiries you might have. Choosing the right graduate program typically involves thinking about the program’s emphases, faculty mentors, research and teaching opportunities, departmental climate, location, and cost. With these considerations in mind, let me introduce our department to you in this letter…
Read in FullDear Prospective Graduate Student,
On behalf of the faculty and students of Texas Christian University, welcome to the Department of Communication Studies! Pursuing a graduate degree is a big decision, and we look forward to answering any questions or inquiries you might have. Choosing the right graduate program typically involves thinking about the program’s emphases, faculty mentors, research and teaching opportunities, departmental climate, location, and cost. With these considerations in mind, let me introduce our department to you in this letter.
TCU’s mission is to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in a global community. In our graduate program, we hope to further the university’s mission statement by offering a close working and mentoring community. We focus intensely on a small number of in-residence graduate students, and our students develop fundamental understandings of communication theory and research. We offer a Master of Science degree in Communication Studies, with emphases in interpersonal and family communication, organizational communication, social influence, and health communication. For a list of graduate courses, see the Graduate Catalog. We are committed to the integration of these areas of study, and our students develop both the content knowledge and the research tools necessary for conducting independent research projects (e.g., a publishable academic study, a well-designed corporate attitude survey, or a communication audit).
All full-time faculty in Communication Studies are active in research, teaching, and service activities. For example, as of August 2022, ComAnalytics (www.cios.org) cited TCU’s Communication Studies faculty as having the 2nd highest mean number of publications per faculty among all master’s level programs. Our program received the 2016 Outstanding Master’s Degree Program Award from the National Communication Association. In recent years, faculty members have received numerous research and teaching awards, some of which include the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Masters Education Division of NCA, the Bernard J. Brommel Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Family Communication, two TCU Dean’s Awards for Research, two Central States Communication Association’s Outstanding New Teacher Awards, and more than 40 Top Paper Awards from NCA and other regional associations. Most important, the faculty have established a tradition of teaching excellence and a departmental climate conducive to mentoring graduate students.
Our graduates are qualified to pursue further study toward advanced academic and professional degrees, or to take advantage of a wide variety of professional opportunities in business and communication industries, including human resources, training and development, digital analytics, public relations, corporate consulting, and managerial positions. Some of our graduates also continue their education in well-established Ph.D. programs. Within the last five years, for example, we have placed students in doctoral programs at Cornell University, Pennsylvania State University, Arizona State University, West Virginia University, and the Universities of Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, South Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Most of our graduate students pay no tuition. We offer Graduate Teaching Assistantships that will pay tuition costs and, depending upon the award, a monthly stipend to help students with other expenses. Our GTAs are provided with office space, travel support for conferences, and the opportunity to work in our basic communication course.
Fort Worth, Texas is a wonderfully vibrant place to live. It is the 12th-largest city in the United States, one of “America’s Most Livable Communities” and rated as one of the Top 10 Cities for Young Professionals (rated sixth by Forbes). From the Historic Stockyards to remarkable museums to the famous Sundance Square—which includes an array of shops and restaurants and is located less than 15 minutes from campus—Fort Worth is large enough to provide the amenities of a thriving metropolitan area, yet not so large that it loses its Texas charm and neighborly feel. Other entertainment and employment opportunities abound in the remaining cities within the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex, including a variety of theaters, museums, professional sports, shopping and media outlets. For more information, check out fortworth.com.
For more information, see our Graduate Resources page.
To complete the application process, apply to TCU Graduate Studies.
The deadline for fall admission is Feb. 15 though assistantships are awarded as they are approved, so early applications are encouraged. Applications for admission should include an application form, a non-refundable application fee of $60.00, official transcripts, official GRE test scores, an academic/professional objectives statement, and three letters of recommendation. We look forward to hearing from you! Please feel free to contact me or other TCU faculty members for more information.
Sincerely,
Paul Schrodt, Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Director
Department of Communication Studies
817-257-5674
p.schrodt@tcu.edu
Nationally Recognized Faculty
Committed to Teaching and Mentoring
Timothy Betts
Organizational Communication Research Methods
Timothy Betts
Assistant Professor
Professional Affiliations
- National Communication Association
- Pi Kappa Delta
Selected Publications
- Betts, T., & Buzzanell, P. M. (2022). Enacting economic resilience: A synthesis of economic and communication frameworks. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 15(4), 178. [Link]
- Betts, T., Hintz, E. A., & Buzzanell, P. M. (2021). Emplotting Anticipatory Resilience: An Antenarrative Extension of the Communication Theory of Resilience. Communication Monographs, 89(2), 211-234. [Link]
- Hintz, E. A., & Betts, T. (2022). Reddit in communication research: Current status, future directions, best practices. Annals of the International Communication Association, 46(2), 116-133. [Link]
Kristen Carr
Communicative development of resilience to adversity
Relational outcomes of interpersonal communication while negotiating non-normative experiences
Kristen Carr
Associate Professor
Selected Academic Publications and Presentations
- Personal Relationships
- Journal of Family Communication
- Health Communication
- Communication Education
Honors & Awards
- Top Paper awards from the National Communication Association
- Top Paper awards from the Central States Communication Association
- Bruce Kendall Teaching Award
- Top Paper award from the International Communication Association
Professional Affiliations and Associations
- National Communication Association
- Central States Communication Association
- International Communication Association
Johny Garner
Organizational communication: supervisor-subordinate communication, group processes in organizations, organizational dynamics in churches and other nonprofit organizations
Johny Garner
Professor
Selected Academic Publications and Presentations
- Sunday Democracies: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Members’ Perceptions of Church Authority and Organizational Dissent. Journal of Applied Communication Research.
- Open Doors and Iron Cages: Management Responses to Employee Dissent. International Journal of Business Communication.
- Different Ways to Disagree: A Study of Organizational Dissent to Explore Connections between Mixed Methods Research and Engaged Scholarship. Journal of Mixed Methods Research.
- Nothing to Laugh About: Student Interns’ Use of Humor in Response to Workplace Dissatisfaction. Southern Communication Journal.
- Changes in Eye Contact and Attraction Scores Relative to Ostracism and Dissent. Small Group Research.
- Dissenters, managers, and coworkers: The process of co-constructing organizational dissent and dissent effectiveness. Management Communication Quarterly.
- Making waves at work: Perceived effectiveness and appropriateness of organizational dissent messages. Management Communication Quarterly.
- When things go wrong at work: An exploration of organizational dissent messages. Communication Studies.
Previous Experience
Assistant professor at Pepperdine University.
Honors & Awards
- B. Aubrey Fisher Award, top article in Western Journal of Communication
- Top Paper, Group Communication Division, NCA
- Top Paper, Nonverbal Communication Division, NCA
- Top Paper, Group Communication Division, NCA
- Top Paper, Group Communication Division, NCA
Professional Affiliations and Associations
- National Communication Association
- International Communication Association
Britney Gilmore
Organizational communication Occupational narratives Issues of identity in the workplace and in professional life
Britney Gilmore
Assistant Professor
Selected Academic Publications and Presentations
- Gilmore, B. N., & Kramer, M. W. (2019). We are who we say we are: Teachers’ shared identity in the workplace. Communication Education, 68, 1-19.
doi: 10.1080/03634523.2018.1536271 - Gilmore, B. N. (2023). ‘I’m just a big teddy bear’: An analysis of men’s professional identity narratives in caring occupations. Communication Studies.
doi: 10.1080/10510974.2023.2271206
Professional Affiliations and Associations
National Communication Association
Amorette Hinderaker
Argumentation and debate
Organizational communication
Religious communication
Intersection between religious and political rhetoric
Amorette Hinderaker
Convener of Debates and Associate Professor
Selected Academic Publications and Presentations
- Severing primary ties: Exit from totalistic organizations. Western Journal of Communication.
- The long road out: Exit stories from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Communication Studies.
- Speaking up on my way out the door: A close examination of church exit and members’ dissent. Journal of Communication and Religion.
Previous Experience
Director of Forensics at North Dakota State University
Professional Affiliations and Associations
- National Communication Association
- Pi Kappa Delta
- National Forensic Association
- National Parliamentary Debate Association
- American Forensic Association
Andrew Ledbetter
Maintaining interpersonal relationships using technology; how attitudes toward technology shape its use; family communication patterns
Andrew Ledbetter
Chair of Communication Studies and Professor
Selected Academic Publications and Presentations
- Ledbetter, A. M. (in press). Parent-child privacy boundary conflict strategies across the first year of college: Mediating family communication patterns, predicting psychosocial distress. Human Communication Research.
- Taylor, S. H., Ledbetter, A. M., & Mazer, J. P. (in press). Initial specification and empirical test of media enjoyment theory. Communication Research.
- Buckner, M. M., Ledbetter, A. M., & Payne, H. J. (2018). Family communication patterns as predictors of organizational dissent: A replication study. Communication Studies, 69, 325-335.
- Ledbetter, A. M., & Finn, A. N. (2018). Perceived teacher credibility and students’ affect as a function of instructors’ use of PowerPoint and email. Communication Education, 67, 31-51.
- Shimkowski, J. R., & Ledbetter, A. M. (2018). Parental divorce disclosures and young adults’ emotion regulation strategies. Journal of Family Communication, 18, 185-201.
- Phillips, K. E., Ledbetter, A. M., Soliz, J., & Bergquist, G. (2018). Investigating the interplay between identity gaps and communication patterns in predicting relational intentions in families in the United States. Journal of Communication, 68, 590-611.
- Taylor, S. H., & Ledbetter, A. M. (2017). Extending media multiplexity theory to the extended family: Communication satisfaction and tie strength as moderators of violations of media use expectations. New Media & Society, 19, 1369-1387.
- Hendry, M. P., & Ledbetter, A. M. (2017). Narrating the past, enhancing the present: The associations among genealogical communication, family communication patterns, and family satisfaction. Journal of Family Communication, 17, 117-136.
- Kaufmann, R. M., Buckner, M. M., & Ledbetter, A. M. (2017). Having fun on Facebook?: Mothers’ enjoyment as a moderator of well-being and Facebook use. Health Communication, 8, 1014-1023.
- Ledbetter, A. M. (2017). Relational maintenance behavior and shared TV viewing as mediators of the association between romanticism and romantic relationship quality. Communication Studies, 68, 95-114.
Previous Experience
Assistant Professor, Ohio University School of Communication Studies, 2007-2010
Honors & Awards
- Multiple top paper awards
- A First Look at Communication Theory (10th ed.)
- Directed Sam Taylor’s master’s thesis, which received the Outstanding Thesis Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
- Outstanding Mentor Award from the Master’s Education Division of the National Communication Association.
- Article of the Year Award from the Journal of Family Communication
- Early Career Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
- NCA “Teachers on Teaching” recognition.
- Outstanding New Teacher Award from the Central States Communication Association.
- Research featured in The Atlantic.
Professional Affiliations and Associations
- National Communication Association
- Central States Communication Association
Chris R. Sawyer
Communication Apprehension
Instructional communication
Physiology of Communication
Chris R. Sawyer
Professor
Selected Academic Publications and Presentations
- Communication apprehension and public speaking instruction. In P. Witt (Ed.), Handbooks of Communication Science: Vol. 22, Communication and Learning.
- Motivational factors and communication competence. In A. F. Hannawa & B. H. Spitzberg (Eds.), Handbook of Communication Competence.
- Profiles of response stereotypy and specificity for public speaking state anxiety. In J. M. Honecutt, C. R. Sawyer, & S. A. Keaton (Eds.), The Influence of Communication on Physiology and Health
- The Influence of Communication on Physiology and Health.
- Listening fidelity among native and nonnative English-speaking undergraduates as a function of listening apprehension and gender. Communication Research Reports.
- Components of students’ grade expectations for public speaking assignments. Communication Education.
- Psychophysiological patterns of arousal in communication. In M. J. Beatty & J. C. McCroskey (eds.), Biological Dimensions of Communication: Perspectives, Methods, and Research.
Previous Experience
Chair of NCA’s Communication Apprehension and Avoidance Commission
Honors & Awards
- Nomination for Minnie Stephens Piper Foundation award
- Twice recipient of College of Communication Distinguished Research and Creative Activity Award
- Recipient, Deans Research and Creative Activity Award
- Top Paper Awards from Communication Apprehension and Competence Division of the National Communication Association for 2016, 2015, 2010, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004.
- Top Paper Award from Basic Course Division of the National Communication Association for 2014 & 2012.
- Top Conference Paper from the International Listening Association.
- Named Top Ten Scholar in Communication Studies, 1915-2006
- Article of the Year Award from the Communication Apprehension and Competence Division of the National Communication Association.
Professional Affiliations and Associations
- National Communication Association
- Southern States Communication Association
- Eastern Communication Association
Paul Schrodt
Family communication and interpersonal communication
Communicative cognitions and behaviors that facilitate family relationships
Message strategies and behaviors that facilitate stepfamily functioning
Paul Schrodt
Philip J. & Cheryl C. Burguières Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
Selected Academic Publications and Presentations
- Communication Monographs
- Human Communication Research
- Personal Relationships
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
- Journal of Family Communication
- Communication Quarterly
- Communication Studies
- Western Journal of Communication
Previous Experience
- Prior to TCU, taught at the University of Nebraska, the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Kansas.
- Former Chair of the Interpersonal and Family Communication Divisions of the National Communication Association.
- Currently Editor-in-Chief of Communication Monographs.
Honors & Awards
- 45 Top Paper awards from national and regional associations
- Bernard J. Brommel Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Family Communication
- Early Career Award in Interpersonal Communication from NCA
- Sandra Petronio Dissertation Award from the Family Communication Division
- Outstanding New Teacher Award from CSCA
- Franklin H. Knower Article Award from the Interpersonal Communication Division
- 2013 Dean’s Research and Creative Activity Award from TCU
Professional Affiliations and Associations
- National Communication Association (NCA), serves on the Publications Board
- Central States Communication Association (CSCA)
- International Association for Relationship Research (IARR)
Qinghua Yang
Health communication, intercultural communication, new media, quantitative research methods
Qinghua Yang
Associate Professor
Academic Publications and Presentations
- Journal of Health Communication “Are social networking sites making health behavior change interventions more effective? A meta-analytic review.”
- CDC Health Communication Science Digest. “Social support, trust, and health information seeking behaviors (HISBs): A study using the 2012 Annenberg national health communication survey (ANHCS).”
- Health Information Management Journal “A meta-analytic review of health information credibility: Belief in physicians or belief in peers?”
- Communication Education “Are you satisfied? Explore the mediating effects of mentoring communication strategies in predicting international graduate students’ program satisfaction.”
- Health Education “What health-related information flows through you every day? A content analysis of Microblog messages on air pollution.”
- Computers in Human Behavior “What’s on the other side of the great firewall? Motivations for Chinese Web users’ bypassing the Internet censorship.”
- Journal of Communication Media Studies “A picture is worth a thousand words: Chinese college students’ self- presentation on SNSs.”
- Computers in Human Behavior “Mozart or Metallica, who makes you more attractive? A mediated moderation test of music, gender, personality, and attractiveness in cyberspace.”
Previous Experience
- Postdoctoral research fellow of Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
- Graduate instructor and research assistant of School of Communication, University of Miami
Honors & Awards
- Top Paper Award, National Communication Association (NCA), Health Communication Division
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science (TCORS), Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
- Outstanding Research Assistant, University of Miami Graduate School
- Graduate Student Travel Grant, ICA, San Juan, PR
- Graduate Student Travel Grant, ICA, Seattle, WA
- Academic Excellence, Leadership & Service Award, University of Miami Graduate School
- Second Century Scholarship, Columbia University
- First Place Scholarship for Graduate Students, Capital Normal University
- Outstanding Undergraduate Student, Capital Normal University
- Outstanding Olympic Family Assistant, Beijing Olympic Committee
Professional Affiliations and Associations
- National Communication Association (NCA)
- International Communication Association (ICA)
- American Public Health Association (APHA)
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
Jie (Jackie) Zhuang
Health communication Health stigma Social influence and persuasion Emotional appeals
Jie (Jackie) Zhuang
Associate Professor
Previous Experience
- Communication Studies Instructor at Michigan State University
- Project manager of Community Engagement Core, Michigan State University Superfund Program Research Center