The Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies offers graduate degrees (M.A. and Ph.D.) intentionally situated within a series of what Martin Buber referred to as a unity of contraries. We embrace the productive tensions between theory and practice; preparation for teaching and for the marketplace; recruitment of traditional and non-traditional students; excellence in teaching and scholarship; professional expectations and an invitational intellectual community.

As a student in our graduate program, you will experience the integration of a humanities education with practical application and a commitment to communication in the marketplace. Consistent with the mission of Duquesne University, we will invite you into a conversation that will expand your horizons through the unity of liberal arts and professional education, moral issues and secular excellence.

To apply for our Master's programs, you must have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. The undergraduate degree does not have to be in a communication-related field, but students are expected to have a basic understanding and awareness of communication when they start the program.

Graduate Program Tracks

Since 1982, the Master of Arts program in Corporate Communication has prepared students for communication management positions in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Designed with both recent graduates and working professionals in mind, the program provides students with a broad, intellectually rigorous foundation in professional communication to prepare them for ethical leadership in the marketplace.

 Explore Corporate Communication
The M.A. in Communication is a flexible program that draws from the richness of the communication field to allow students to pursue a number of interests and professional goals.

 Explore Communication
Grounded in the department's established commitment to the philosophical student of communication, the Master of Arts emphasis in Rhetoric & Philosophy of Communication provides students with a traditional liberal arts education for leadership in academia, law, and the marketplace. This program offers fundamental courses for a doctoral degree or enhancement of a liberal arts foundation in communication. Explore Rhetoric & Philosophy of Communication
This 66-credit combined Master's program is designed for students who are torn between seeking an MBA through the School of Business versus an M.A. through the College of Liberal Arts. You would have the opportunity to take classes through both schools and finish with both degrees. Explore Dual Degree
The Ph.D. in Rhetoric invites you to understand and engage rhetorical and philosophical communication assumptions. The 36 credit curriculum frames a "Rhetoric & Philosophy of . . ." communication program emphasizing a praxis understanding of communication that moves theory into application.

 Explore Rhetoric

Application Criteria

Students must submit official undergraduate transcripts directly to Duquesne University that show a 3.0 QPA or higher. 

Students must submit GRE scores showing above-average performance.

Codes for GRE:

  • 2196 (Duquesne University)
  • 4599 (Communication)

Students must submit a writing sample within a collegiate or business setting.

Shoulds should submit three letters of recommendation from individuals that can speak to their academic and professional performance.

Students should submit a statement of professional and career goals in 500 words or less. This statement should identify the precise M.A. program to which the student is applying: M.A. in Communication (including the emphasis that the student is selecting); Online M.A. in Corporate Communication; or M.A. in Rhetoric & Philosophy of Communication.

Contact for more info

Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies