Communication and Media M.A.
Communication and Media Major
Students interest in this major must submit a completed Application for Admission to Graduate Study and should refer to their MyUNIverse Student Center To-Do list or contact the Department of Communication and Media for any other application requirements. Detailed information on the major, including directions for procedures to follow for applying, in planning a program, and requesting assignment of an advisor, may be obtained from the Head of the Department of Communication and Media, the Director of Graduate Studies, or on the department’s Web page at the following address: cm.uni.edu/graduate-program. Other graduate information and the application for graduate admission may be found at https://admissions.uni.edu/application.
The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.
Only graduate courses (course numbers 5000 or above) will apply to a graduate degree, even if the undergraduate course number (4999 or less) is listed. No exceptions will be made.
Students who enroll in the program will pursue a degree in Communication and Media. Students may seek a certificate in the following areas: Performance, Rhetoric, and Advocacy; Communication Education and Training; Visual Communication and Digital Media; Organizational Leadership; and Strategic Communication.
The major is available on the thesis and non-thesis options. A minimum of 30 semester hours for the thesis option and 33 hours for the non-thesis option are required. A minimum of 18 semester hours of 6000-level course work is required for the thesis option, including 6 hours of thesis credit. A minimum of 12 semester hours of 6000-level course work is required for the non-thesis option.
Students are required to successfully complete the following coursework:
- COMMGRAD 6001 Introduction to Graduate Study and Research
- COMMGRAD 6011 Communication and Media Theory
- COMMGRAD 6022 Communication Research Methodology
A student is required to successfully complete either a comprehensive exam (non-thesis option) or thesis.
Of the 30 or 33 hours required:
- 27 hours of course work must be in Communication and Media (no more than 3 hours outside the department and/or by transfer).
- No more than 6 hours of independent work: readings, projects, or specialized individual instruction.
- No more than 3 hours of workshop credit.
Non-thesis Option
| Required Core: | ||
| COMMGRAD 6001 | Introduction to Graduate Study and Research | 3 |
| COMMGRAD 6011 | Communication and Media Theory | 3 |
| COMMGRAD 6022 | Communication Research Methodology | 3 |
| Electives (select 24 hours from the following): | 24 | |
| Seminar in Rhetoric | ||
| Mass Communication Theory | ||
| Communication Research Methodology (additional section/s of this besides what is required) | ||
| Seminar in Strategic Communication | ||
| Seminar in Communication | ||
| Seminar in Performance Studies | ||
| Seminar in Communication Education | ||
| Seminar in Visual and Digital Media | ||
| Internship in Communication and Media * | ||
Other 6000-level or 5000-level (approved through MyUniverse student request) | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Thesis Option
| Required Core | ||
| COMMGRAD 6001 | Introduction to Graduate Study and Research | 3 |
| COMMGRAD 6011 | Communication and Media Theory | 3 |
| COMMGRAD 6022 | Communication Research Methodology | 3 |
| COMMGRAD 6299 | Research (6 hrs.) | 6 |
| Electives (select 15 hours from the following): | 15 | |
| Seminar in Rhetoric | ||
| Mass Communication Theory | ||
| Communication Research Methodology (additional section/s of this besides what is required.) | ||
| Seminar in Strategic Communication | ||
| Seminar in Communication | ||
| Seminar in Performance Studies | ||
| Seminar in Communication Education | ||
| Seminar in Visual and Digital Media | ||
| Internship in Communication and Media * | ||
Other 6000-level or 5000-level (approved by advisor and submitted through student request) | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- *
Only 3 hours of CM CORE 5900 may count towards electives.
Learning Outcomes
Communication and Media, M.A.
- Communication History/Theory: Students will understand the historical development of theory and scholarship within communication studies.
- Communication Research Methods: Students will understand appropriate methodologies to ethically examine questions within the communication studies discipline/profession
- Communication Skills: Students will understand and apply oral and written communication skills in relevant contexts.
- Communication Praxis and Community Engagement: Students will integrate communication theories with practices/actions that enhance engagement with civic and/or professional communities