The Department of Communication at the Faculty of Arts offers an MA program in Communication with thesis or with research paper. Students enrolled in the research paper also have the option of participating in a double degree program offered conjointly with the University catholique de Louvain, allowing them to earn a Master en communication multilingue at the same time as their MA from the University of Ottawa.

Students enrolled in the Master's degree with research paper can select the concentration in health communication.

The Department of Communication also offers a Master of Communication (MC) by coursework to which a co-op option can be added, and a PhD in Communication.

The department is one of the participating units in the collaborative program in Science, Society and Policy.

The MA program focuses on two fields of research: media studies and organizational communication. The media studies field examines the content and the modes of operation of traditional and emerging media in their social, cultural, economic, political and regulatory contexts.

Organizational communication focuses on interpersonal and group interactions in the workplace; planning for internal and external communication in private, public, and nonprofit organizations; risk/crisis communication, public relations, ICT’s uses within organizations, etc.

The MA program aims to develop in graduates the following skills:

Evaluate critically the theories, concepts and assumptions underlying media studies or organizational communication with particular attention to their chosen research interest.
Demonstrate an ability to identify and work with the varying epistemological traditions developed by French-speaking and English-speaking scholars in communication studies.
Contribute to the development of skills, theories, approaches, and materials for both academics and professionals.
Analyze data and communicate research results to diverse audiences, including scholars, policymakers, and professionals in communication studies.

The master of arts is offered on a full-time or on a part-time basis.

In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, students have a right to produce their work, their thesis, and to answer examination questions in French or in English.