A Path to Your Future
CCI’s residential master’s programs light the way for our students to meet their education, research, and professional goals.
Master’s Concentrations
The Communication and Information master’s degree will prepare you for professional and management positions in communication organizations. It also provides excellent preparation if you plan to pursue related doctoral studies.
We offer four areas of concentration in our residential program:
Advertising
Do you enjoy developing creative strategies, meeting deadlines under pressure, writing persuasively, and presenting your work? Do you prefer competitive and innovative environments? If so, then join us in the C&I Master’s Concentration in Advertising.
You will gain knowledge in advertising research, creative strategy, media planning, campaign development, social media, account planning, client relations, and more.
You will gain skills required for a brand planner, account service manager, ad sales person, strategy director, campaign manager, copywriter, research analyst, media buyer/planner, social media marketer, and more.
Our advertising professors are experts in design, policy, advertising and society, privacy and disclosure, and gender and health.
UT C&I MS graduates who concentrated in Advertising have job titles such as:
- Account Manager
- Media Buyer
- Social Media Strategist
- Ad Agency Owner/CEO
- Graphic Design Manager
Explore the Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations
Communication Studies
Do you have a passion for exploring and understanding human behavior, or do you seek answers to questions about human interaction? Do you enjoy working as part of a research team?
If so, then, accept our challenge of advancing knowledge of the communication process by joining us in the C&I Master’s Concentration in Communication Studies.
Our communication studies faculty seek to improve the quality of work and family life by advancing understanding of how communication can be made to work well.
As you work with faculty, you will gain research knowledge and skills in the areas of interpersonal communication and organizational communication.
You will graduate from the program prepared for careers in higher education, public service, public health, and management.
UT C&I MS graduates who concentrated in Communication Studies have job titles such as:
- HR Specialist
- Corporate Communications Director
- Event Planner
- Sales Manager
- Medical Practice Administrator
- Professional Athlete
Journalism and Media
Do you enjoy technology, news, sports, science, video? Do you enjoy reporting facts and telling stories?
If so, then join us in the C&I Master’s Concentration in Journalism and Media (J&M). The J&M Professional Track is designed to prepare students for professional positions in digital journalism and multimedia production, sports journalism, and media leadership and management. Students develop skills in digital journalism and multimedia production, sports journalism, science journalism/communication, media management, and leadership.
UT C&I MS graduates who concentrated in JEM have job titles such as:
- Journalist
- Reporter
- Media Writer
- Broadcaster
- Photo Journalist
- Filmmaker
- Freelance Writer
- Communications Coordinator
Public Relations
Are you ready for a career to think on your feet, write, speak, and use creativity to solve problems and achieve understanding between organizations and their stakeholders? Do you have strong oral and written communication skills, thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments, and enjoy hands-on learning?
If so, then join us in the C&I Master’s Concentration in Public Relations.
You will gain the skills to write, research, design, strategize, develop, and manage digital and traditional media, business media, and communication planning.
You will acquire knowledge from graduate coursework that blends theoretical and practical knowledge needed for a diverse career in strategic communication.
Our public relations professors are experts in international public relations, crisis, risk, digital communication, and non-profit organizations.
Our graduates work in careers around the world in corporate and non-profit sectors; educational institutions; and government, military, and public relations agencies. Their work includes: public relations (agency or corporate), media relations, community relations, social media and digital strategy, risk and crisis management, public affairs, and more.
UT C&I MS graduates who concentrated in Public Relations have job titles such as:
- Media Relations
- International Communications Director
- Non-Profit Director
- VP Corporate Communications
- PR Agency Owner/CEO
Explore the Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations
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Admissions
A baccalaureate degree in communication or a related field is recommended for applicants to the CCI Master’s program. However, admission is possible with other baccalaureate degrees. Applicants without the appropriate background may be required to take additional prerequisite and/or co-requisite courses.
After the application is completed, UT Graduate Admissions will verify the applicant meets the minimum requirements. After this verification by UT Graduate Admissions, the student’s application is then reviewed by the respective School, with admission decisions made by the School.
United States degree holders must have earned a minimum of 2.7 (4.0 system) Grade Point Average (GPA). Applicants with non-U.S. degrees must have earned a minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or other equivalent to a ‘B’ average. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are optional. For students whose native language is not English and who have not earned an earlier degree at an English-language college or university, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), is required. The score must not be older than two years. Please see the Graduate Admissions Requirements page for more information.
Please note that the above information pertains to the on-campus (residential) college-wide master’s degree in communication and information. Information about the Distance Education concentration in Strategic & Digital Communication is available on the CCI online master’s program page.
Application
After the application is completed, UT Graduate Admissions will verify the applicant meets the minimum requirements. After this verification by UT Graduate Admissions, the student’s application is then reviewed by the respective School, with admission decisions made by the School.
A baccalaureate degree in communication or a related field is recommended for applicants to the CCI Master’s program. However, admission is possible with other baccalaureate degrees. Applicants without the appropriate background may be required to take additional prerequisite and/or co-requisite courses.
United States degree holders must have earned a minimum of 2.7 (4.0 system) Grade Point Average (GPA). Applicants with non-U.S. degrees must have earned a minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or other equivalent to a ‘B’ average. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are optional. For students whose native language is not English and who have not earned an earlier degree at an English-language college or university, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), is required. The score must not be older than two years. Please see the Graduate Admissions Requirements page for more information.
Please note that the above information pertains to the on-campus (residential) college-wide master’s degree in communication and information. Information about the Distance Education concentration in Strategic & Digital Communication is available on the CCI online master’s program page.
Financial Aid
A baccalaureate degree in communication or a related field is recommended for applicants to the CCI Master’s program. However, admission is possible with other baccalaureate degrees. Applicants without the appropriate background may be required to take additional prerequisite and/or co-requisite courses.
Applicants who want to apply for assistantship funding should indicate this on their admission application. Preference is given to applicants who materials are submitted by January 10.
If you are interested in other Financial Aid, please review information on the UT Graduate Admission’s page: https://gradschool.utk.edu/graduate-student-life/costs-funding/.
Program Requirements
Required Hours
The MS program combines a cross-disciplinary core in theory and methods with a concentrated set of courses in a concentration area and elective courses. Both the thesis and non-thesis options require a minimum of 30 to 33 hours (depending on concentration) of approved graduate work. A minimum of 23 hours must be at the 500-level or above. All courses taken below the 500-level must have graduate credit registration. Up to nine hours of graduate credit may be accepted for transfer into the program, but these hours are subject to approval by the program adviser and the associate dean. Program Planning Guides for the Master of Science in Communication and Information can be found in the Appendix of the Graduate Handbook.
Other Requirements
Students without the appropriate background may be required to take additional prerequisite and/or co-requisite courses.
Coursework for the master’s degree culminates in a capstone experience, which is a project (non-thesis) or thesis. All master’s students also conduct an oral defense of the completed project or thesis.
Transfer Credits
Courses taken at another institution may be considered for transfer into the MS program as determined by the student’s committee and approved by the University Registrar’s Office. (See “Transfer Credits” in the Graduate Catalog for limitations on transfer credit.)
To be transferred into a master’s program at UT, a course must:
- Be taken for graduate credit.
- Carry a grade of B or better.
- Be part of a graduate program in which the student had a B average.
- Not have been used for a previous degree.
- Be approved by the student’s committee and the University Registrar’s Office on the Admission to Candidacy form.
Courses transferred to any graduate program will not affect the minimum residence requirements for the program, nor will they be counted in determining the student’s grade-point average. A maximum of 9 hours may be transferred.
Time Limits
The CCI Master’s program is intended to be a 2-year program. Candidates for the master’s degree have six calendar years from the time of enrollment to complete the degree. Students who change their academic unit during the six-year period may be granted an extension after review and approval by the dean of the Graduate School. In any event, courses used toward a master’s degree must have been taken within six calendar years of graduation.
Request More Information
Please complete the form to receive updated application information for our master’s program. We will keep in contact with you to provide detailed enrollment information and application deadlines.
Master of Science in Information Sciences
This versatile degree through the School of Information Sciences gives students all the tools they need to be skilled information professionals in a variety of settings, including libraries, healthcare, national labs, or academic organizations.
Questions? We’re here to help!
