Master of Arts in Communication
Foundations: (Required of all students) | 13 hours |
Area 1: Interactional Communication (One course) | 3 hours |
Area 2: Integrated Communication (One course) | 3 hours |
Area 3: Social Advocacy (One course) | 3 hours |
Electives: Students may concentrate in an area by taking additional area courses as electives. Other elective courses are listed below. Three hours of Practicum or Directed Reading may be taken beyond the courses taken for a non-thesis option. Three hours may be outside of Communication Department chosen with consent of Advisor. Additional electives may be outside of Communication with consent of Program Director. | 9 hours |
Thesis (includes oral defense of thesis) | 6 hours |
Total | 37 hours |
Six hours of 500-level Communication courses taken as an undergraduate may be accepted for graduate credit. Also, a student may transfer up to six hours for graduate credit from another institution pending approval of the courses.
Non-thesis option:Students electing a non-thesis option will complete the 37 hours specified above, with two differences. Students who select the non-thesis option will substitute one 600-level practicum and one elective, for the six thesis hours. The non-thesis option also will include a Comprehensive Examination administered by Department Faculty.
Experiential component
The Master of Arts does not require an experiential component. However, students may choose to do a practicum in a private business, community organization or government agency that deals with communication. Students may complete the practicum in two ways. A student may turn current work or volunteer experience into a research project, or a student not previously affiliated with the practicum site may develop a project useful to the organization. In both cases, the student will work with a Communication Department faculty member to shape the project and will write a formal paper dealing with the project. Students who choose the practicum will be applying knowledge acquired in Communication course work directly to area needs, thus serving the community and helping to build stronger university/community ties.