The Program
The M.A. program in Communication Studies is intended to qualify the student to assume a variety of professional roles in educational, industrial, and government institutions; teach the subject matter at the college level; or undertake advanced training toward a doctorate in Communication Studies.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the M.A. degree program in Communication Studies, it is expected students will be able to:
- demonstrate a broad knowledge of the field of Communication Studies through the identification and explanation of the research domains which comprise the field of Communication Studies.
- demonstrate a general knowledge of the research methodologies used in the field of Communication Studies.
- identify the significant contributions made by researchers in the field of Communication Studies to the social science discipline.
- further develop their writing, analytical, and research skills to guide future research endeavors and projects in the field of Communication Studies.
Program Timeline
The M.A. degree program is designed to take no more than one academic year. Students complete 15 hours of coursework during the Fall semester, 15 hours of coursework during the Spring semester, and 6 hours of coursework during the Summer term. Students are not permitted to extend their enrollment in the program past one academic year unless extenuating circumstances prohibit the student from finishing within the allotted year. The constitution of extenuating circumstances is determined by the Department Chair.
The 2008-2009 M.A. program will begin August 7, 2008 and will end (depending on the student?s progress) around June 15, 2009.
Program Requirements
To graduate with the M.A. degree in Communication Studies, students must complete 36 hours of coursework and successfully write and orally defend either a thesis or a comprehensive examination. All students must complete COMM 700 and COMM 701 in addition to 30 hours of coursework.
Of these 36 hours, a minimum of 30 hours must be completed in the Department. All 36 hours must be at the 500 level, 600 level, or above. It should be noted that:
- No course for which a student earns a grade below B- can be counted toward the 36 hours.
- A GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.
- Students who receive more than 6 hours of ?C? may not be permitted to remain in the program.
Students enrolling in the M.A. degree choose, in conjunction with the M.A. Coordinator, enrollment in either Program A – Thesis Option, or Program B – Nonthesis Option. Students who enroll in Program A – Thesis Option complete 30 hours of coursework, complete six hours of COMM 697, and successfully write and orally defend a thesis. Students who enroll in Program B – Nonthesis Option complete 36 hours of coursework and successfully write and orally defend a comprehensive examination. To be eligible to take the comprehensive examination, students must have completed a minimum of 30 hours with a grade of B- or better.
No more than six hours of transfer credit from another university or department may be applied toward meeting the 36 credit hours as required by the Department. (Any request to submit transfer credit must be approved by the M.A. Coordinator.) These credit hours must be from coursework at the 500 level, 600 level, or above with a grade of B- or higher. The grade received for these credit hours from another university will not be calculated in students? cumulative grade point average, but the grades received for these credit hours from another department will be calculated in students? cumulative grade point average.
