Masters In Communication

students

The communication graduate program offers students a variety of opportunities to advance toward personal and professional excellence. Students can focus their graduate studies in Corporate or Mass Communication. Both emphases share a core curriculum that focuses on (1) advanced skills training in collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data, (2) application and understanding of theoretical knowledge, and (3) orientation to the field of communication as a professional and academic discipline.


Mass Communication

students

The Mass Communication Emphasis is designed for students who want to pursue scholarly and/or professional goals in broadcasting and electronic media, journalism, advertising, mediated persuasion, and related fields. Coursework in the Mass Communication Emphasis examines issues such as media effects, mass media law, e-training, multi-media design, advertising campaigns, and emerging trends in new media.

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Corporate Communication

students

The Corporate Communication Emphasis is deigned for students who want to pursue scholarly and/or professional goals in communication training, consulting, management, human resources, marketing, sales, advocacy, and related fields. Coursework in the Corporate Communication Emphasis examines issues such as crisis management, problem solving, conflict resolution, leadership, negotiation skills, organizational needs analysis, training design, and interpersonal communication.

The Master of Science in Communication degree requires thirty hours of graduate coursework with at least half of the degree coursework completed in courses numbered 700 or higher. In addition, students must complete a "capstone" experience; capstone options include the writing of a thesis, taking a comprehensive examination, or development and implementation of an applied communication project. All options are valid; the option that is best for a student may not be the same option that is best for other classmates. Students should begin considering their preference for a capstone option as soon as possible and discuss these options with the Program Coordinator and other Graduate Faculty members as they move through the program.

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In deciding on a THESIS as a "capstone" experience, the following items should be considered:

  1. Interest in an area of communication study that an individual would like to explore in-depth and independently;
  2. Consideration of further study in communication (e.g., a Ph.D. degree);
  3. Self-motivation and self-discipline;
  4. Excellence in writing skills;
  5. Importance of forming a mentoring relationship with professors who have mutual interest in a similar topic;
  6. Flexibility of time in completing the degree.

It is important to note that graduate students are not guaranteed that the thesis option will be available to them. Pursuing the thesis option is contingent upon graduate faculty members’ interest in the project and availability.

WRITING THE THESIS

If a student wishes to pursue this option, the following steps should be taken:

1) Select a general topic or project focus. This should be a topic of interest to the student, one the student would like to explore more fully.

2) Select a Thesis Director from the graduate faculty of the Department. The Thesis Director should have expertise in the topic. If a student wishes, one may consult with the Graduate Coordinator or discuss their interests with individual faculty members. It is the student’s responsibility to secure the agreement of a faculty member to act as their Thesis Director.

3) Select two additional faculty members to be on the Thesis Committee, upon consultation with the Thesis Director. The Committee members should be other Department graduate faculty members. In special circumstances, a fourth member of one’s Committee could be a member of the Communication Department who does not have graduate faculty status or could be a faculty member from outside the Department. It is the student’s responsibility to secure the agreement of these persons to be Committee members.

4) Write the thesis proposal. The proposal form needed for the Department is located on the forms page of this website. The proposal attached to the form should be a 2-3 page overview of the thesis topic, rationale for choice of topic, brief literature review, outline of methods, and a brief timeline for completion of the thesis. A student may use either qualitative or quantitative methods, as long as the thesis involves original research. Many students enroll in Individual Studies (JOURNLSM/SPEECH-798) for the purpose of developing the thesis proposal.

Students must complete the Independent Studies Form located at http://academics.uww.edu/commgrads/forms.html or available from the Communication Department office prior to registering for this course.  The form requires signatures from the instructor supervising the independent study and from the graduate coordinator.  Note, Speech/Journlsm 799 Thesis Credits and Speech/Journlsm 789 ACP credits may not be taken concurrently with Speech/Journlsm 798 Independent Study credits.

5) For students choosing the thesis option, 3 units of Thesis Research (799) may count toward the required 30 units. Students must complete 18 graduate level units including 701, 722, and 785, and submit a signed thesis prospectus (forms available from the Graduate Program Coordinator and the department website at http://academics.uww.edu/commgrads/forms.html) developed in consultation with their capstone faculty committee.  The student will not be allowed to register for thesis credits until the proposal has been signed by the thesis director and by the graduate coordinator, and the departmental secretary has cleared him/her for registration.  In addition, students must complete the Graduate school thesis proposal form (available at http://www.uww.edu/gradstudies/thesisform.php.) prior to registering for thesis credits. The student and the thesis director should also be certain that an IRB protocol form has been completed and submitted if necessary.  Note, Journlsm 799 (thesis) credits may not be taken concurrently with Speech/Journlsm 798 (independent study) credits.

6) Check with the School of Graduate Studies office for any deadlines that must be met and set up a schedule for submission of thesis chapters to the Thesis Director. A schedule will assist students in making progress towards a degree. The student must also submit an Application for Graduation to the School of Graduate Studies Office early in the semester in which the student plans to defend the thesis.

7) Submit thesis chapters to the Committee members after the student has incorporated the suggestions made by the Thesis Director. Chapter revisions are an important component of this process, so students should expect to write and rewrite chapters until the chapters conform to the Committee’s satisfaction.

8) Submit a final version of the thesis to the Committee. This version should have been proofread several times, and should be in a form suitable for submission to the School of Graduate Studies office. Thus, students should check the School of Graduate Studies (under "Graduation") for the format of the Thesis, including signature page, title page, abstract, typeface, pagination, margin requirements, etc. It is the student’s responsibility to have met all Graduate Studies’ requirements for the format of the Thesis. The Committee should have a minimum of two weeks to review this draft.

9) Schedule an oral defense of the Thesis with the Committee. Normally, the defense takes one to two hours. Students should be prepared to explain their rationale, methods, and conclusions to the Committee and to answer questions that Committee members raise. At the conclusion of the defense, students will be asked to leave the room while the Committee discusses the defense. The Committee will issue one of three decisions: " Pass;" "Pass with Revisions;" or "No Pass. " At the conclusion of the defense, a student will also be asked to complete program assessment forms.

top . a) If the Committee’s decision is "Pass," a student should secure all necessary signatures from Committee members and submit the original and one copy of the Thesis to the Graduate Studies Office. Students should also check with Graduate Studies to make certain that all required reporting forms have been submitted.

. b) If the Committee’s decision is "Pass with Revisions," a student should make all revisions to the Thesis before submitting the copies to the Graduate Studies Office. The Thesis Director will work with a student to make sure that all necessary changes have been made.

. c) If the Committee’s decision is "No Pass," a student should check with the Thesis Director and Committee members to determine the next step. If time has been extended, a student may have to renegotiate the prospectus with the thesis committee.

10) Submit all copies to the Graduate Studies Office by the deadline. Also submit a copy of the thesis to the Program Coordinator so it can be kept in the Communication Department.



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In deciding on an APPLIED COMMUNICATION PROJECT (ACP) option, consider the following:

1) Desire to apply theoretical principles and research methods to solving a communication problem or meeting a communication need. Examples of an ACP might include developing an audio or video documentary on a contemporary issue, a DVD project for corporate training, a CD-ROM that presents a public relations or advertising campaign for a client, or a training manual for identifying cross-cultural differences in a work environment;

2) Plans to enter business or industry upon completion of degree as opposed to going on for further academic study;

3) Self motivation and self-discipline;

4) Importance of forming a mentoring relationship with professors who have mutual interest in a similar topic;

5) Flexibility of time in completing the degree.



DEVELOPING THE APPLIED COMMUNICATION PROJECT (ACP)



top If a student chooses this option, the following steps should be taken:

1) Student selects a general topic or project focus.

2) Student selects an ACP Director from the graduate faculty of the Communication Department. The ACP Director should have expertise in the project area. A student may wish to consult with the Graduate Program Coordinator or discuss their interests with individual graduate faculty members. It is the student’s responsibility to secure the agreement of a faculty member to act as their ACP Director.

3) Upon consultation with his/her ACP Director, the student selects two additional faculty members to be on the ACP Committee. Generally, the Committee members will be other Department graduate faculty members. In special circumstances, a fourth member of one’s Committee could be a member of the Communication Department who does not have graduate faculty status or could be a faculty member from outside the Department. It is the student’s responsibility to secure the agreement of these persons to be Committee members.

4) With the guidance of the ACP Director, the student should complete an ACP proposal found on the forms page of this website. Students may enroll in Individual Studies (JOURNLSM/SPEECH 798) for the purpose of gaining sufficient background to develop the ACP idea and proposal.

Students must complete the Independent Studies Form located at http://academics.uww.edu/commgrads/forms.html or available from the Communication Department office prior to registering for this course. The form requires signatures from the instructor supervising the independent study and from the graduate coordinator. Note, Speech/Journlsm 799 Thesis Credits and Speech/Journlsm 789 ACP credits may not be taken concurrently with Speech/Journlsm 798 Independent Study credits.To obtain permission to begin the actual ACP and register for ACP credits (JOURNLSM/SPEECH 789), the ACP proposal form must be signed by the ACP Director and the Graduate Coordinator. The ACP Committee should have been given an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal.

A student must also have completed 18 graduate credits (including courses 701, 722, and 785) to be allowed to register for ACP credits.

For students choosing the ACP option, 3 units of ACP (789) credits may count toward the required 30 units.  789 ACP credits may not be taken concurrently with 798 Independent Study credits.

5) The student should submit an Application for Graduation to the School of Graduate Studies Office early in the semester that the student plans to complete the project.

6) The student, under the guidance of the ACP Director, should set up a schedule for completion of the ACP. A schedule will assist students in making progress towards the degree. The student and ACP Director should also be sure an IRB protocol form has been completed and submitted if necessary.

7) After adhering to feedback from the ACP Director and other Committee members, the student will conduct the project and submit the written component of the project to his/her Committee. The written component should be structured so that it has an introduction including rationale for project, literature review, detailed description of the project, assessment information relative to the project, a reference list, and appendices, if appropriate. This draft should have been proofread several times and follow A.P.A. style. The Committee should have a minimum of two weeks to review the draft.

top 8) The student and ACP Director schedule an oral presentation/defense of the ACP with the Committee and guests, if appropriate. Students should be prepared to explain their rationale, development, implementation, and means of assessing the project to the Committee. The student will be prepared to answer questions that Committee members raise. At the conclusion of the presentation/defense, students will be asked to leave the room while the Committee discusses the project, including both written and oral components. The Committee will issue one of three decisions: "Pass;" "Pass with Revisions;" or "No Pass." The assessment will be based on what is "Satisfactory" work at the graduate level. At the conclusion of the presentation/defense, as student will also be asked to complete program assessment forms.

a) If the Committee’s decision is "Pass," a student should secure all necessary signatures from the Committee.

b) If the Committee’s decision is "Pass with Revisions," a student should make all revisions required by the Committee, working with the ACP Director to be sure that all revisions have been made.

c) If the Committee’s decision is "No Pass," a student should check with the ACP Director and Committee members to determine the next step. If time has been extended, a student may have to renegotiate the proposal and check with the School of Graduate Studies office to reapply for a later graduation date.

9) After passing the ACP, the student should make an extra copy of the project and the project’s written component to be house in the Department.



In deciding on the written COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION as a "capstone" experience, students should consider the following:



1) Sufficiency of knowledge and training for present and future career goals;
2) Likelihood of the M.S. degree as the final formal course of study;
3) Ability to synthesize and apply information from several courses or perspectives, as evidenced by coursework in the program;
4) Importance of completing the degree within a specified time frame.

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WRITING THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION



If a student chooses this option, the following steps should be taken:

1) At least one semester before a student plans to write his/her comprehensive exam, s/he should select a Chairperson for the Examination Committee. The Chairperson should be a Department graduate faculty member from whom a student has taken at least one course. The Chairperson will coordinate the gathering of exam questions from Committee members, and will write an examination question as well. It is the responsibility of the student to secure the agreement from the faculty member to act as Chairperson of the Examination Committee.

2) Contact the Graduate Studies Office to determine the date of the examination. The examination is administered by Graduate Studies, not the Department, and is normally scheduled for one Saturday in each of the Fall and Spring semesters. Although the Graduate Studies Office may schedule an exam date during the Summer semester, the Department does not schedule comprehensive exams during this time.

3) In consultation with the Chairperson, select two other Department graduate faculty members who will be on the Examination Committee. These graduate faculty members will also write examination questions. It is the student’s responsibility to contact these faculty members and secure their agreement to be on the Examination Committee.

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4) Register for the examination by completing an Application for Graduation form with the Graduate Studies Office early in the semester in which the examination will be written. When registering, ask Graduate Studies personnel for information on special arrangements (e.g., word processing facilities, room assignments, etc.). Registration for the examination should be completed before the end of the first week of the semester in which the student plans to take the exam.

5) Study for the examination. In preparation for the examination, a student should consider the following:

a) The written examination is six (6) hours in length. This time will be divided among questions submitted by all of the Examination Committee members. Exams are taken in the last semester after all incompletes have been satisfied.

b) Students will generally be asked questions regarding the following:

1) communication theory,

2) research methods, and

3) the student’s specific area of expertise. The division of questions and time for answering them, however, will be at the discretion of each Committee. Students should ask the Chairperson for clarification if necessary. Students should also expect questions that not only ask for specific content, but which also allow for demonstration of ability to synthesize information from various classes and to apply theoretical constructs to practical situations.

c) Students may meet with members of the Examination Committee to determine possible areas for questions. Committee members may chose to give students questions that are in a take-home format and do not require a written response on the day that the campus-wide Comprehensive Examinations are administered.
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6) On the day of the examination, students should arrive early so that they can begin the examination when scheduled. Students should make certain that they have all required materials for writing answers and that they comply with all Graduate Studies’ instructions. Exams may be hand written or word-processed. Check with the Chairperson of the Exam Committee.

7) Approximately two weeks after the examination has been completed, the student’s Chairperson will set up a time for the oral examination. This oral examination normally takes 1 to 2 hours. During this examination, students may be asked to clarify or expand on answers they have written to examination questions. Students may also be asked related questions based on their coursework. At the end of this examination, students will be asked to leave the room while the Committee discusses overall performance on both the written and oral exams. The decision will be a "Pass" or "No pass." The Committee may decide to pass on all portions of the Comprehensive Exam or only a partial passing on particular sections. If a student does not pass on a section(s), s/he will need to arrange with the appropriate faculty member(s) for a rewrite question(s) for the failed section(s). This will be arranged at the discretion of Committee members.

a) If the Committee’s decision is "Pass," signatures are secured from the Examination Committee. The Program Coordinator delivers the signed form to the Graduate Studies Office by the specified
deadline.

b) If the Committee’s decision is "Partial Pass" or "No Pass," students need to discuss the next step with the Examination Committee.

c) At the conclusion of the meeting, the student will be asked to complete program assessment forms.

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