If 2 years of primary school, 5 years of lower school, 3 years of middle school, 4 years of high school, and 4 years of college just isn’t enough for you, then you may currently be considering graduate programs. 

As you surely know by now, the CCPA department here at SMU is stellar. We’ve got some of the best faculty and professors around. And all of them greatly contribute to student’s knowledge and growth within the field of communication. But perhaps these four years here only have you craving more. If you’re looking to continue your education within the field of communication, then take a look at this list of the top 8 graduate programs in communications.

Picture of open book and laptop in a library setting

1. Columbia University

New York is calling! Columbia University’s top-ranked reputation combined with its geographical location make it one of the best places to study. They even have a PhD program for communications – but that may be for a bit later down the line!

2. University of Southern California

If the other coast is calling your name, then USC Annenberg is definitely a school to consider. With master’s programs ranging from ‘Communication Data Science’ to ‘Digital Social Media’, Annenberg gives you the chance to specialize in a particular field of interest. And while USC is the only California school on this list, be sure to look at other west coast schools; there are plenty out there with great master’s programs.

3. Johns Hopkins University

John Hopkins University has great programs for anyone looking to get their master’s in communication. Not only do they offer a MA in communication, but they also offer a dual MBA and MA communication degree program.

4. University of Pennsylvania

UPenn offers a M.S. in Intercultural Communication. This program allows students to gain a deeper understanding of cross-cultural communication. It also sets students up for careers involving people from other cultures. Here are examples of careers where this degree would be useful: refugee worker, foreign relations and politics, corporate international representative.

5. The University of Texas at Austin

If you want to stay in the good ole state of Texas, then UT Austin should definitely be on your list of schools. UT Austin’s Moody College of Communication is one of the best in the country, offering a variety of courses in communication.

6. Northwestern

Northwestern’s masters program in communication focuses on three major themes throughout the entirety of its course work: Managing Complexity, Collaborative Leadership, and Elegant Communication. These three pillars will guide your studies and give you the perfect skill-set to enter into the job market.

7. New York University

Another great New York School, NYU has a graduate degree program in public relations and corporate communication.

8. George Washington University

George Washington University offers a masters degree in Communication, Culture, and Technology. A great multi-dimensional program, this degree offers student’s the ability to study a range of course work – from Media Management to A.I., Ethics, Law and Policy.

So whether you are wanting to expand upon your education, or you are desperately seeking a way to avoid the real world a little longer, graduate school can be a great route to take. And with your CCPA degree from SMU, you’ll have a great foundational head-start when applying to graduate schools. A great thing about your CCPA degree is that it does not limit your graduate program options strictly to communications-specific degrees; law school or business school for example are also great avenues to take with your CCPA degree. But if you are wanting to delve deeper into the study of communication, then these top 8 graduate programs in communication have some wonderful courses that can give you just what you’re looking for.

Annabel Bailey
Latest posts by Annabel Bailey (see all)