By Degrees

Book excerpt: By Degrees: Resilience, Relationships, and Success in Communication Graduate Studies provides readers with an indispensable guide to navigating the graduate school experience in Communication Studies programs. The book helps current and future graduate students consider their options, make wise choices, and thrive within their master''s or doctoral programs and beyond. The text''s 15 contributed chapters discuss such topics as how to select the right program, build strong advisor-advisee relationships, navigate roadblocks, find community, share work, develop into competent scholars and teachers, and pursue careers inside and outside the academy. The diverse and global nature of communication research and pedagogy and finding and pursuing your passion within the discipline is evident throughout the book. Designed to resonate with today''s learners, each chapter is co-authored by leading scholars and current or recent graduate students and features unique perspectives from students'' experiences. This approach provides readers with an enlightening window into graduate students'' insights, challenges, and lived experiences. The text also features a distinct emphasis on diversity, inclusion, equity, and access, and reflects upon the international character of communication research and pedagogy. Readers will engage in robust discussions related to justice and equity and learn how the Communication discipline has developed and continues to develop around the globe. By Degrees is an exemplary resource for introduction to graduate studies courses and for individuals considering master''s or doctoral programs. Chapters and contributors include: Introduction for Students: "Completely Altered the Way I Viewed the World"- Betsy Wackernagel Bach, Dawn O. Braithwaite, and Shiv Ganesh Chapter 1: "Providing the Intellectual Tools": Getting to Know the Discipline of Communication - Dawn O. Braithwaite, Tina M. Harris, Jessy Ohl, and Trevor Kauer Chapter 2: "How Do I Find a Good Fit?": Applying to Master''s and PhD Programs - Betsy Wackernagel Bach, Kendyl Barney, and Mackensie Minniear Chapter 3: "I Have to Re-choose to Do This Every Single Day": Beyond Narratives of Success in the Pursuit of Graduate School - Shiv Ganesh and Andrea Zorn Chapter 4: "Spanning the Abyss": Graduate Student Steps and Tasks - Randall A. Lake, Emma Frances Bloomfield, Beth L. Boser, Allegra Hardin, and Barbara A. Pickering Chapter 5: "Work with Someone Who Seems Excited About Your Success": Building Advisor/Advisee Relationships - C. Kay Weaver and Bridget Reynolds Sheffer Chapter 6: "Do Something You''re Passionate About": Planning and Carrying Out Research - Sarah J. Tracy, Cris J. Tietsort, and Laura Martinez Chapter 7: "A Process of Discovery": Finding Your Groove as a Writer - Lisa Keränen and Andrew Gilmore Chapter 8: "Yikes! What Do I Do Now?": Advice for Graduate Students Sharing Their Work - Ronald Jackson II and Celnisha Dangerfield Chapter 9: "From Sitting in the Classroom to Facing It": Becoming and Growing as a Teacher - Kirstie McAllum, Simon Mallette, Tyler Rife, and Uttaran Dutta Chapter 10: "Without People in My Corner, I Will Fail": Personal Resources for Graduate Students - Vincent R. Waldron, Brianna Avalos, Dayna N. Klober, and Jameien Taylor Chapter 11: "One Mountain, Many Paths": Navigating Roadblocks and Succeeding in Graduate School - Jordan Soliz and Megan E. Cardwell Chapter 12: "Graduate School is a Human Experience of Struggling, Celebrating, and Striving Together": Graduate Life as a Collective Endeavor - Jenna N. Hanchey, Samantha Gillespie, and Ana-Luisa Ortiz-Martinez Chapter 13: "It Was Within My Control to Max My Possibilities": Academic Life After Graduate School - Patrice M. Buzzanell, Zhenyu Tian, and Timothy Betts Chapter 14: "A Roadmap to Career Success": Pursuing Careers Outside of the Academy for MA Graduates - Stephen K. Hunt, Aimee E. Miller-Ott, and Viraj Patel Chapter 15: "Translate Your Talents": Pursuing Careers Outside of the Academy for PhD Graduates - Katlyn Gangi and James Stiff