The Master of Arts in Communication is a "generalist" (nonspecialized) degree with two options: thesis and non-thesis. The program is 100 percent online and can be completed in as little as twelve months. The pace required to achieve a one-year cycle typically mandates full-time graduate student status and is very challenging.
Requirements for Admission
- General admission to graduate study.
- GRE score multiplied by undergraduate cumulative GPA must meet or exceed 781 (a minimum of 163 on the GRE verbal section). The candidate may forego the GRE if:
- the applicant provides documentation of a completed Master of Arts degree from a regionally accredited school, or
- the applicant has completed 9 hours of graduate work at MSU with a GPA of 4.0.
- Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in communication or another related field. Undergraduate courses may be required in cases where the undergraduate degree is deemed too far afield.
- GRE and TOEFL (for students who speak English as a foreign language) must be completed prior to admission to the program. Minimum TOEFL score of 525.
Exit Assessment
To complete the Master of Arts in Communication, candidates will present to the entire graduate faculty in communication the contents of a "graduate portfolio," including at least one major paper from each of our three core courses and any additional materials the student would like to include. A one-hour in-person telecommunicated interview (using Blackboard, Skype or phone) will be conducted with the candidate by all members of the graduate faculty, facilitated by the graduate advisor.
The details of the portfolio process are on the program's Blackboard website, which is where the students will maintain their portfolios.
Requirements for the Degree
- Satisfy general degree requirements.
- Must be unconditionally admitted.
This degree requires 30 hours of coursework. Nine hours are required "core courses". The remaining hours are selected based on student/advisor collaboration. Students doing the "non-thesis" option are able to take up to six graduate credit hours in an area of interest outside of the department. Consult your advisor on this matter.
Program Requirements – Communication M.A.: Non-thesis
Required Core
| COMM 600 | Research Methods in Communication | 3 |
| COMM 605 | Communication Theory | 3 |
| COMM 610 | Bibliographic Research and Writing | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9 |
Non-thesis Electives
Non-thesis students may take up to six hours of elective coursework outside of the Department of Communication, Media and Leadership Studies. Such courses are to be selected with the approval of the academic advisor.
Program Requirements – Communication M.A.: Thesis
Required Core
| COMM 600 | Research Methods in Communication | 3 |
| COMM 605 | Communication Theory | 3 |
| COMM 610 | Bibliographic Research and Writing | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9 |
Electives
Thesis
Student Competencies
Students must demonstrate competency in the following areas:
- Qualitative research methods
- Communication theory
- Graduate-level writing
- Bibliographic research
- Integration, synthesis and application of course concepts
Means of Assessing Competencies
Course grades plus the results of the exit assessment are combined to determine an assessment of the student's performance. Courses use the common letter grade scale. The exit assessment is pass/fail.
Note: To receive program credit, all students must receive a grade of "A" or "B" in core courses. No credit is allowed in any other course for a grade below "C." Students who fail the exit assessment are able to retake it only once at the end of the same semester as the original examination. Subsequent retakes must be scheduled for the end of the following semester.