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Research Opportunities

Home > Graduate Program : Research Opportunities

Collaborative Research

In addition to the research that students conduct as part of class assignments, collaborative research is often available with faculty members. Such opportunities are valuable learning experiences for students plus they often produce publications that enhance a student's vita when entering the job market.

Under the direction of Professor Edward Schiappa, students in the spring 2008 seminar "Parents & Media Research" have created a website for "What Every Parent Should Know" about current research on media.  Seminar students were Heidi S. Croatt, Thomas C. Johnson, Alyssa M. Issacs, Kimberly Klietz, Ashleigh K. Shelton, and Kristine A. Weglarz.  To visit the site, see www.comm.umn.edu/cml.html

Associate Professor Ascan Koerner works with graduate students on research in family and interpersonal communication. Koerner and graduate students Heidi S. Croatt and Alyssa M. Isaacs co-authored the paper "The Impact of Family Communication Patterns During Adolescence on Emerging Adults' Psychological Adjustment and Their Risk Taking Behaviors During Adolescence" which was presented at the International Association for Relationship Research in July 2008.

Associate Professor Laurie Ouellette and graduate student Julie Wilson co-authored the paper "Women's Work:  Affective Labor, Media Convergence, and the Dr. Phil Brand" which was presented at the International Communication Association conference in May 2008.

Independent Research

Although collaborative research opportunities abound, the Communication Studies department also makes a strong commitment to support students' independent research. For instance, the department regularly provides funds for graduate students to travel to national and regional academic conferences to present their research. Additionally, the department sponsors a number of financial awards to support individual research projects.

For a listing of graduate student independent research projects, please refer to the department newsletter Commpost.

Interdisciplinary Studies

Graduate students in Communication Studies also find support for their research in some of the University of Minnesota's other fine programs.

In the area of Communication Theory, we have connections with the Psychology Department, the faculty associated with the doctoral minor in Interpersonal Relationships Research, and the Center for Cognitive Sciences.

In the area of Rhetorical Studies, we have connections with the Department of Writing Studies, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, and Feminist Studies.

"Apprenticeship teaching and research activities that, under faculty mentorship, provide progressively increasing levels of responsibility are effective ways to teach graduate students how to teach and conduct independent research."

—Association of American Universities' Committee on Graduate Education, October 1998