master's in
media and public affairs

Silvio Waisbord
Director of Graduate Studies

***Join us for an on-campus information session on December 2, 2009 @ 6:00 p.m. and learn more about the Media and Public Affairs masters program. Meet with the director, key faculty, and current graduate students. . Register here. ***

An internationally recognized center for research and teaching in political and international communication, the Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) at George Washington University offers a M.A. program for students seeking a rigorous grounding in theoretical, research and practical issues related to strategic political communication. Click here to view a six minute introduction to the program.

This program is designed to provide solid training in an array of professions -- including public and non-profit management; government relations; advocacy communication; political public relations and consulting; news media; public opinion and policy analysis; and academia.

The SMPA M.A. curriculum builds on five core courses that provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between media, communication and political processes.

Beyond the core courses, students work closely with faculty advisors to develop expertise on specific issues in the field of media and politics. They can choose from a recommended set of related courses, or design their own course sequence. Students can take classes in GW’s many renowned departments and schools including such top-ranked programs as American Studies, International Business, International Affairs, Law, Political Science, and Public Policy and Administration. To complete the program, students need to take comprehensive exams, write a thesis, produce a strategic project, or write an investigative journalism project during the second year.

Many of our master’s students come to us with some post-college professional experience, and many continue working in salaried or unpaid internship positions while studying. In a typical recent year, SMPA had students working at CNN, CBS, APCO Worldwide Consulting, the federal government and Media Matters.

Our master’s graduates have gone on positions at government institutions like the State Department, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Senate, as well as private companies like the Pew Research Center, Hart Research, Media Matters, and Politico. Some have been admitted to PhD programs at GW and such institutions as the University of North Carolina, the University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University.

Our program has a limited number of financial aid packages in the form of tuition support and research assistantships, which are assigned on the basis of merit. Applicants will be considered for financial aid during the regular admissions process. The deadline to be considered for financial aid is usually in January – check http://www.gwu.edu/~ccas/grad/application.html for more information.

The Graduate Curriculum
The Graduate Faculty
The University and its Location
Application Process
The Joint Master’s with the Elliott School of International Affairs