Ohio University’s Communication & Development Studies master’s degree program emphasizes the use of communication to promote positive social change. The program is one of only a few world centers for education in communication for social change, and no other university in the United States has a similar, stand-alone program. The ‘Comm Dev’ curriculum encompasses core courses that emphasize topics and proficiencies in areas that include Communication and Social Change; Development Theory; Communication Theory; Participatory Research Methods; and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). The program also values the interdisciplinary nature of the field, and with that in mind Comm Dev students build upon their core coursework by devising a curriculum that suits their individual objectives. Over the past few years students have specialized in areas that include, among others, health communication, participatory video, the digital divide, gender and development, conflict resolution, and the political economy of media. The program encourages original research, with most students completing a thesis or project.

http://www.commdev.ohio.edu/