Communication, MA

Erin Wehrman, Graduate Director
Craig Hall, Room 372, Phone 417-836-5158
ErinWehrman@MissouriState.edu

Entrance Requirements

The applicant must have received an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
The applicant must hold an undergraduate degree with an academic major in communication (speech or mass communication, journalism, rhetorical studies) or a related discipline (e.g., anthropology, English, history, psychology, or sociology), or have completed a minimum of 15 hours of undergraduate course work in communication to demonstrate an adequate background for graduate work in the field of communication. Additional undergraduate courses may be required as prerequisites to the student’s graduate program. Prerequisites are determined by the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film and relayed to the Graduate College as conditions of admission.
The applicant must have attained a GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for the last 60 credit hours of academic work.
Applicants who do not meet the standard entrance requirements, but who show an indication of high promise, will be considered for admission on a case by case basis.
The applicant must submit a 500-700 word letter of application. This letter should address the following questions:

Why are you interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Communication?
Why did you choose to apply for graduate study in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film at Missouri State University?
How does your background (educational and otherwise) prepare you for graduate study?
What professional goals do you hope this degree will help you achieve?

The applicant must submit at least two letters of recommendation, of which one is from an assistant professor, associate professor, or professor who has had the student in class. Applicants more than six years out of their bachelor’s degree must submit a letter of recommendation from a supervisor or another person adequately qualified to evaluate the student’s suitability for graduate study.
Acceptance decisions for fall semester will begin in early February. All application materials must be submitted by February 1.
Meeting the above entrance requirements does not guarantee admission to the Master of Arts in Communication. The decision to accept a graduate student is competitive and complex. It is based on multiple factors, only one of which is meeting the entrance requirements listed above.
All other University and Graduate College requirements for admission to a degree program will also apply. Please refer to the requirements given in this catalog.

Enrollment Requirements

To enroll in graduate courses in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film, a student must satisfy one of the following two conditions:

Be admitted to a graduate program in Communication, or
Have permission to enroll into the Communication course from the Instructor of Record.

Degree Requirements Minimum Credit Hours: 33

Theory

Must complete 9 hours in Theory as follows:

Methodology

Must select two courses, 6 hours, in the Methodology of Inquiry:

Additional Course Work

Students are required to complete a minimum of 18 additional hours selected by advisement and approved by the Graduate Director, consistent with their professional, educational, and/or personal objectives. No more than 9 hours may be selected from departments other than Communication, Media, Journalism and Film. It is possible to complete all 18 credits in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film.

Teaching Assistants

In addition to the above listed requirements, anyone applying for a graduate assistantship in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film must include a writing sample as part of the admission process. All graduate teaching assistants (TAs) must enroll in COM 710 during the first semester of their assistantship. See course description of COM 710 for additional information.

Research

Complete one of the following three research options.

Option I:

Completion of a thesis that is approved by committee, the Graduate Director and the Graduate College. The department further requires a public presentation of the thesis. A maximum of 6 credit hours of COM 799 may be used for the purpose of completing a thesis.

Option II:

Complete a seminar paper approved by a seminar paper advisor, a departmental committee on seminar papers, and the Graduate Director. The department further requires a public presentation of the seminar paper. A maximum of 3 credit hours of COM 796 may be used for the purpose of completing the seminar paper.

Option III:

Complete a professional project approved by a professional project advisor, a departmental committee on professional projects, and the Graduate Director. The department further requires a public presentation of the professional project. A maximum of 3 credit hours of COM 796 may be used for the purpose of completing the professional project.

Comprehensive Examination

A comprehensive examination must be passed by the candidate before a degree will be granted.

Non-class Instruction

A maximum of eight credit hours of non-class instruction (COM 795 - Communication Internship , COM 796 - Independent Study and/or COM 799 - Masters Thesis hours) may be counted toward the minimum 33 hours necessary for graduation.

Accelerated Master’s Degree Option

Eligible undergraduate majors in the School of Communication Studies may apply for early admission to the Master of Arts in Communication during the second semester of their junior year. Once accepted for early admission, students will be able to take up to 12 credit hours at the 600-700 level that apply to both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Students MUST enroll in COM 701 during the fall semester of their senior year as part of the accelerated program. Before enrolling in courses to be counted for both undergraduate and graduate credit, an undergraduate student must be accepted into the accelerated master’s program AND receive prior approval from the Director of Graduate Studies, the Department Head, and the Dean of the Graduate College (on a Mixed Credit Form).

Admission Requirements for the Accelerated Master’s Option

The applicant must be of junior standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.25.
The applicant must have a declared major in the School of Communication or the equivalent, having completed 15 hours in the major department, including at least six hours at the 300-level or above, with a GPA in the major of 3.50 or better.
The applicant must submit three letters of recommendation, two of which must be written by a graduate faculty member in the School of Communication Studies.
The applicant must submit a letter of application of no more than 2 pages. This letter should address the following questions:

Why are you interested in pursuing an accelerated graduate degree in Communication?
Why did you choose to apply for accelerated graduate study in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film at Missouri State University?
How does your background (educational and otherwise) prepare you for accelerated graduate study?
What professional goals do you hope this degree will help you achieve?

The applicant must submit a sample of sole-authored academic writing of no less than 3 pages.
Admission decisions will be made by the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film. Meeting the above entrance requirements does not guarantee admission to the Master of Arts in Communication Accelerated Program. The decision to accept an accelerated graduate student is competitive and complex. It is based on multiple factors, only one of which is meeting the admission requirements listed above.
Acceptance decisions for fall semester will begin in early February. Date for first consideration for applications is February 1.