Weekend Programs in Communication School of Communication American University

Expansions and Renovations Contribute to the Reputation of American University School of Communication

Located in Washington, D.C., American University (AU) School of Communication (SOC) offers degree-granting programs to undergraduate and graduate students in fields related to journalism, strategic and political communication, film and media arts, and international media. AU School of Communication serves approximately 900 undergraduate and 300 graduate students and has approximately 50 full-time faculty positions. As communication becomes more prevalent and relevant in twenty-first century society, SOC continues to grow. The school is planning a $20 million renovation project to its main building, and other expansions are taking place across American University. These improvements build on the reputation that SOC enjoys as a top institution for the study of communication-related fields.

Innovative Weekend Programs Cater to Working Professionals

SOC offers a very unique set of cohort based graduate programs, in Interactive Journalism, Strategic Communication and Producing for Film and Video, for working professionals. Each program may be completed in 20 months with classes the meet only on Saturdays. The executive program in Media Entrepreneurship can also be completed in 20 months with one weekday evening course and one weekend course per semester for five semesters. Students learn from SOC's top notch full-time faculty; nationally recognized local media executives regularly serve as guest lecturers and adjunct professor. The programs are equally suited to career changers and professionals seeking to advance their career. Applicants must have at least three years of professional, full-time post bachelor's work experience and are exempt from the GRE requirement.

Washington, D.C., Is One of the World's Media Capitals, an Advantage for SOC Students

One of the notable distinctions of AU School of Communication is its Washington, D.C., location. The school prides itself on being located in one of the media capitals of the world. Each of SOC's programs of study is designed to take full advantage of the city, and accordingly focus on public affairs and public service. SOC takes advantage of urban Washington, D.C. while being located in a residential area of the city. The beautifully landscaped campus has been declared an arboretum.

Cultural Institutions and International Media Organizations Surround the SOC Campus

In addition to being a center of media and government, Washington, D.C., has a rich cultural heritage. It is home to the Smithsonian Institute, the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Library of Congress. Access to these resources and strategic partnerships with leading local media organizations such as NBC, CBS, Gannett, Inc and the Newseum has helped SOC students supplement their education.

SOC Offers Five Full-Time Graduate Programs in Communication

In addition to weekend graduate programs, AU School of Communication offers a wide variety of full-time master's degree programs. The Master of Arts in journalism and public affairs is a year-long, intensive, full-time program. SOC also offers an M.A. in strategic communication, which allows students to concentrate in arts, government, political, and public interest communication, as well as international strategic communication. Concentrations in the M.A. in film and video, include film and video production, screenwriting, multimedia, and film history, theory, and criticism. The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree is a terminal degree, and upon completion of this program, SOC graduates are equipped to pursue collegiate-level teaching careers, along with a number of other career options.

Alumni of SOC's M.F.A. program won the Student Academy Award for their thesis projects in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The graduate program in international media is offered in collaboration with AU's world renowned School of International Service. This program results in an M.A. degree and offers a combination of theory, research, and professional production skills to provide students with a global media advantage.

The M.A. in Political Communication is presented in partnership with the University's School of Public Affairs and prepares students for careers as politicians, policy-makers, political communication strategists, and campaign executives.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Interactive Journalism Master of Arts (MA)
• Media Entrepreneurship Master of Arts (MA)
• Strategic Communication Master of Arts (MA)
• Producing For Film And Video Master of Arts (MA)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 15
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required and Alternate accepted
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied105
• Accepted76
• Acceptance Rate72%
• Enrolled59
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $50
• Application Fee - International $50
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline August 1st Not Reported Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesNot Reported
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesNot Reported

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$24,264
• Out-of-state tuition *$24,264
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$430.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsNot Reported
• Types of financial support availableFellowships, Institutionally-sponsored Loans

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students113
• Female Percentage57%
• Male Percentage43%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students113
• Part-time Percentage100%
• Full-time Percentage0%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / LatinoNot Reported
• Black / African AmericanNot Reported
• White / CaucasianNot Reported
• American Indian / Alaskan NativeNot Reported
• AsianNot Reported
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific IslanderNot Reported
• Two or more racesNot Reported
• UnknownNot Reported

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty5
• Full-time Percentage0%
• Part-time Percentage100%
• Female Percentage40%
• Male Percentage60%