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GRADUATE STUDY

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The graduate program in Rhetoric/Communication at Kansas State University offers students a program of study leading to the Master of Arts degree in Speech. Program faculty strive to provide students with a high-quality graduate education in a supportive atmosphere. Small classes (from 5-12 students, typically) allow for a high degree of interaction between students and faculty. In recognition of its strengths in these and other areas, the graduate program in Rhetoric/Communication was identified as one of the top seven (of 37) master's programs in the Midwest region by a study published in Communication Education (Trott, et al., 1988)

In recent years, the program has attracted students from Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Vermont and California. Students come to the program from a variety of academic backgrounds, including speech, English, history, political science, and theatre.

Students plan their programs of study in consultation with their graduate advisors. In most cases, students complete the program in four academic semesters. During that time, they receive a broad-based introduction to the discipline, through a series of four core courses. At the same time, students are encouraged to pursue areas of specialized interest (eg. political communication, coaching and directing forensics, etc.) through electives and independent study.

Graduates of the master's program in Rhetoric /Communication have a solid record of achievement. Some are pursuing doctoral studies at institutions such as Purdue, Penn State, Northwestern and the University of Minnesota. Others have gone directly into teaching and coaching positions in community and four-year colleges. Recent graduates of the M.A. program hold teaching positions at Kearney State University (Nebraska), Miami University (Ohio), Hastings College (Nebraska), Pepperdine and Clemson University. At the 1992 CEDA national debate tournament, four of the top eight teams in the nation were coached by K-State alumni. Still other graduates of the program are pursuing careers in secondary teaching, corporate training, and communication consulting.

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