Graduate Program

Degree Requirements

All candidates for the Master of Arts degree in communication must meet the following requirements:

1. Completion of a minimum of 36 hours of graduate credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 in all course work applied towards the degree.
2. No more than six semester hours in independent study courses may be applied to this degree.
3. A grade of “B” or better in each core course.
   Students choosing the thesis option must submit a standard master’s quality thesis involving original research and satisfactorily defend the thesis. Students choosing the thesis option must complete 30 hours of coursework and COMM 5395 Thesis I and COMM 5396 Thesis II.
4. Students choosing the project option must submit a master’s quality project involving original research and satisfactorily defend the project. Students choosing the project option must complete 30 hours of coursework and COMM 5397 Project I and COMM 5398 Project II.
5. Students choosing the comprehensive examination option must complete 36 hours of coursework and satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination over coursework taken during the student's last semester of enrollment.

MA Course Requirements

Core Courses (6 Hrs.)

• COMM 5308 - Seminar in Communication Theories
• COMM 5310 - Research Methods

Elective Courses (24 hrs. for Thesis Option or Project Option; 30 hrs. for Non-Thesis Option)

• COMM 5301 - Literature of Journalism
• COMM 5302 - Seminar in Rhetorical Criticism
• COMM 5303 - Public Opinion and Propaganda
• COMM 5311 - Seminar in Communication
• COMM 5315 - Mass Media and Popular Culture
• COMM 5326 - Theories of Student Development and Communication
• COMM 5328 - Leadership and the Group Process
• COMM 5329 - Topics in Communication Theory
• COMM 5330 - Gender and Communication
• COMM 5333 - Storytelling Across Media
• COMM 5335 - Seminar in Organizational Communication
• COMM 5340 - Seminar in Intercultural Communication
• COMM 5344 - Seminar in Media Ecology
• COMM 5345 - New Media Theories and Applications
• COMM 5350 - Nonverbal Communication
• COMM 5399 - Independent Study

Thesis Option (6 hrs.)

• COMM 5395 - Thesis I
• COMM 5396 - Thesis II

Project Option (6 hrs.)

• COMM 5397 - Project I
• COMM 5398 - Project II

Dual Master of Arts in Communication (M.A.C.) / Master of Science in Health Sciences (M.H.S.) 

Students completing the Dual M.A.C.-M.H.S. degree option will be awarded the two degrees in the same academic term.

The Dual M.A.C.-M.H.S. Program

Students enrolling for this dual degree option must meet the admission requirements listed elsewhere in this catalog for both Communication and Health Sciences. Students complete a total of 63 hours. In addition to the 36 hours of coursework for the M.A.C. degree, students take 36 hours of coursework for the M.H.S. Nine of the hours for each degree are shared electives, resulting in the dual degree of 63 hours rather than the 72 hours required if each degree is pursued separately. The M.A.C. and M.H.S. degrees are awarded simultaneously at graduation. Students enrolling in this program must sign an agreement to complete both degrees and meet with the Graduate Advisor from each program.

M.A.C. Degree Requirements

All candidates for the Master of Arts in Communication degree must meet the following requirements:

1. Completion of a minimum of 36 hours of graduate credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 in all course work applied towards the degree.
2. No more than six semester hours in independent study courses may be applied to this degree.
3. A grade of “B” or better in each core course.
4. Students choosing the Non-Thesis option must demonstrate satisfactory performance on a comprehensive written and/or oral examination, to be taken during the student’s last semester of enrollment, over the work covered in his or her degree program.
5. Students choosing the thesis option must submit a standard master’s quality thesis involving original research and satisfactorily defend the thesis. Students choosing the thesis option must complete 30 hours of coursework and COMM 5395 Thesis I and COMM 5396 Thesis II.
6. Students choosing the project option must submit a standard master’s quality project involving original research and satisfactorily defend the project. Students choosing the project option must complete 30 hours of coursework and COMM 5397 Project I and COMM 5398 Project II.
7. Students choosing the comprehensive examination option must complete 36 hours of coursework and satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination over coursework taken during the student's last semester of enrollment.