College of Allied
3307 North Broad Street
Peter H. Doukas, Ph.D., Acting Dean
The following graduate degrees are offered by four departments in the College of Allied Health Professions:
Post-Master's certificate (post-professional)
M.S. (both entry level and post-professional)
M.P.T. (entry level)
Ph.D. Physical Therapy
For information, direct inquiries to: Director of Graduate Studies/Communication Sciences, Weiss Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, (215) 204-8402.
Joseph P. Folger, Professor, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin; Tricia Jones, Associate Professor, Ph.D., The Ohio State University.
Thomas F. Gordon, Professor, Ph.D., Michigan State University;Randall K. Stutman, Ph.D., University of Utah.
Master of Arts
The Master of Arts in Applied Communication offers students advanced study of human communication in personal and professional contexts. Students study the nature and functions of communication and the way that communication can be problematic in social, professional, group, and organizational settings. The program is one of the few applied communication degree programs in the country that draws from an urban environment rich in opportunities for field learning in community, organizational, and professional settings.
Graduates are employed in areas such as organizational consulting, conflict intervention and the administration of conflict and mediation programs, human resources, training and development, allied health case management, applied research, and instruction in colleges and universities. Students are encouraged to become involved in a range of ongoing research and intervention projects that are offered under faculty guidance throughout the area.
Areas of Concentration
Coursework concentrates on the following substantive areas: Conflict Processes -conflict processes, negotiation dynamics, mediation and alternate dispute resolution. Coursework helps students understand the development of collaborative processes that bridge differences, and prepares them to address communication problems and implement successful interventions in interpersonal, small group, team, community, organizational, and professional settings. Language and Social Interaction - Coursework in language and social interaction develops an appreciation of communicative choices, problems, and solutions in families, interpersonal relationships, at work, in schools, and in healthcare settings. Provides skills in recognizing and remedying misunderstandings as they relate to the nature of language, cultural diversity, gender and identity.
Applications should be received by November 1 for the spring semester and by March 1 for the fall semester.
Students are eligible to be nominated for financial assistance including graduate assistantships, research assistantships and University Fellowships.
Applicants must submit official transcripts, scores from the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE), three letters of recommendation, a statement of approximately 250 words in which the applicant indicates his or her educational objectives and professional goals, and an example of written work (a class paper or published materials).
All M.A. candidates are required to take:
CS 400 - Communication Theory;
CS 500 - Communication Research Methodology;
and CS 567 - Applied Project
A minimum of 36 semester hours of coursework is required to complete the degree program. Elective courses are identified in consultation with student's adviser.
400. Communication Theory. (4 s.h.)
Communication study through an examination of communication concepts, theories and areas of study. Topic areas include: cognition and information processing; critical theory; functionalism; interpersonal communication; language and discourse; nonverbal communication; communication theory and epistemological/meta-theoretical issues.
464. Discourse Analysis. (3 s.h.)
Introduction to a variety of discourse analytic approaches, including speech act theory, interactional sociolinguistics, ethnography of communication, conversation analysis, variation analysis and critical theory. The relationships between text and context, language and interaction, and discourse and culture are discussed.
470. Applied Communication. (3 s.h.)
Introduction to the relationship between theory and practice in applied contexts. Examination of the situated nature of communication problems and performance. Through application of communication theories, students design effective solutions to common problems in applied contexts.
484. Organizational Communication. (3 s.h.)
Examines implications of organizational theories for communication practice; superior-peer-subordinate communication characteristics; the negotiation of communication rules; information overload and underload; and decision making; formal and informal communication networks, communication styles and leadership, and ethics of communication behaviors.