Graduate Program

Admission Requirements

Prior to submitting any application materials, all prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to talk with the graduate coordinator, Dr. Christine Anzur at (423) 439-8108, anzurc@etsu.edu.

Each applicant is evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

• At least a 3.0 overall undergraduate grade point average.

• A WRITING SAMPLE or GRE test scores that indicate strong potential for success in our program. The writing sample is to be an essay on the uses of storytelling and communication in a particular domain of contemporary professional or community practice (performance, education, health and well-being, law, ministry, social justice, business, non-profit organizations, community advocacy, peace promotion, etc.). The writing sample topic must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator before the sample is submitted. Email your topic to Dr. Anzur at anzurc@etsu.edu. For more detailed information about writing sample criteria, please visit our page in the ETSU catalog here.

• Three letters that recommend admission to graduate study and that sufficiently evidence the applicant's potential for success in the Communication & Storytelling Studies program. When selecting persons to write recommendation letters, please choose people who can address your academic/intellectual abilities. Optimally, applicants should supply at least two letters from former or current professors. Letters from professionals should address the applicant's applicable academic skills (e.g., research and writing abilities), potential for intellectual growth, ability to work on multiple projects, under pressure, and autonomously, and overall work ethic.

• The strength of an application essay (personal statement) that discusses both interest and fit. The graduate school requires 150-300 words; the Master’s Program in Communication & Storytelling Studies faculty strongly encourage applicants to write in the high end of that range. The essay should explain why the applicant is interested in our particular graduate program.  Additionally, the essay should discuss why the applicant is a good fit for our program, the courses we require, and the research or creative activity of our faculty. If there are weaknesses in the applicant’s materials (e.g., low grades or GRE score), these should be addressed in the essay as well.

For information about ETSU Graduate Admissions, contact the Graduate School at: (423) 439-4221, gradschool@etsu.edu. Also, visit their application instructions page for more details for both domestic and international applicants.

For information about the Master's in Communication & Storytelling Studies program, please contact the Communications & Performance graduate coordinator Dr. Christine Anzur, at (423) 439-8108, anzurc@etsu.edu

Course Requirements

Master’s in Communication & Storytelling Studies 

CORE COURSES:  15 hours

• COMM 5300 Qualitative Research Methods
• COMM 5330 Communication Theory
• 
  STOR 5140 Foundations of Storytelling Performance
• 
  STOR 5230 Advanced Solo Performance
• 
  STOR 5890 History of Performance Traditions

DIRECTED ELECTIVES:  6 hours
One course from each of the following blocks:

Discourse and Meaning (Choose One)

• COMM 5065 Communication Ethics
• COMM 5200 Gender & Communication
• 
  COMM 5250 Issues in Communication & Culture
• 
  COMM 5317 Rhetoric & Public Address
• 
  COMM 5327 Popular Communication

Professional Applications (Choose One)

• COMM 5377 Health Communication
• COMM 5350 Organizational Communication & Consulting 
• STOR 5647 Applied Storytelling
• STOR 5840 Story Dramatization
• STOR 5850 Story Performance

GENERAL ELECTIVES:  9 hours
Choose any courses in the program not used to meet another requirement.
You may take up to 9 elective hours outside the department.

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE:  6 hours
One culminating experience chosen from the following options:

• COMM/STOR 5960 Thesis, taken in both 3rd and 4th semesters
  -OR-

• 
  STOR 5241 + 5961 Storytelling Practicum + Capstone Project
  -OR-

• Comprehensive Exams + 2 additional Directed Electives

For information about the Communication & Storytelling Studies graduate program, please contact the graduate coordinator, Dr. Christine Anzur at (423) 439-8108, anzurc@etsu.edu.  The department strongly recommends contacting Dr. Anzur prior to writing or submitting your application.

For course descriptions and schedules, see Communication Studies courses and Storytelling courses in the graduate course catalog

For students interested in a shorter program (21 credit hours), see the Graduate Certificate in Storytelling in the course catalog.

Funding

The Department of Communication & Performance offers two types of funding for our full-time graduate students:

Tuition Scholarships (TS)
A tuition scholarship is a merit-based award available to graduate students admitted to the program for the first time. TS funding pays tuition in exchange for 8 hours of work per week.

New students may be awarded a TS within the Department of Communication & Performance. Students who do not receive funding from our department can look for other available TS positions through the Graduate School’ Available GA/TS Positions page.

Graduate Assistantships (GA)
GA funding pays tuition plus a part time stipend in exchange for 20 hours of work per week.  These are competitive positions. We offer four kinds of Graduate Assistantships:

1.TEACHING:  assisting a faculty member in teaching specific courses, generally COMM 2025: Fundamentals of Communication, and other duties as assigned.

2.RESEARCH: assisting a faculty member with their research program, and other duties as assigned. 

3.SPEECH & DEBATE TEAM:  assisting the director and assistant director in running the team, coaching team members, recruiting for the team, hosting and judging tournaments, and other duties as assigned.

4.STORYTELLING: assisting the program coordinator service work or research assignments for the Storytelling Program. Service responsibilities include organizing, publicizing, and executing the community Story Slams; booking school and community storytelling gigs for our student TaleTellers group; serving as President of TaleTellers, maintaining strong relations with the International Storytelling Center in nearby Jonesborough, publicizing for programs and concerts we host, ensuring that the program webpage is current, and completing general office duties and other duties as assigned. 

5.  OTHER GA POSITIONS:  Students who do not receive GA funding from our department can look for other available GA positions on the Graduate School’ Available GA/TS Positions page.

First-time graduate students outside the state Tennessee (including international students) who are pursuing storytelling and who are awarded neither a Graduate Assistantship nor Tuition Scholarship from ETSU, may be eligible for a Creative Arts Scholarship.  This scholarship reduces your tuition dramatically, so that you would only pay in-state tuition.  If you are awarded a GA or a TS, your tuition would be waived so the Creative Arts Scholarship would not apply.  

Graduate Faculty

Click on the faculty member's name to be taken to their webpage.

Dr. Amber Kinser

Dr. Wesley Buerkle

Nancy Donoval, M.F.A.

Dr. Andrew Herrmann

Dr. Kelly Dorgan

Dr. Delanna Reed

Dr. Christine Anzur

Masters Theses & Capstone Projects

Contact

Dr. Christine Anzur

Graduate Coordinator, Communication & Storytelling Studies M.A.

Office:   Campus Center Building 223
Email:  anzurc@etsu.edu
Phone:  (423) 439-8108

Ms. Rickie Carter

Program Specialist, Graduate School
Office:   Burgin-Dossett Hall
Email:   carterrh@etsu.edu
Phone:  (423) 439-6165