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About MA Completion Options:
The School of Communication Studies offers three options for MA completion. After reviewing these options, and based on the time of your application, please select the one that you plan to pursue. If you choose Plan 1: Thesis or Plan 2: Research Report, and you are accepted into the program, you may be able to change at a later date. If you choose Plan 3: Coursework only, you may be offered admission based on that completion option, and may not be able to choose at a later date if you accept the admission offer. This will be clear in the offer notice, should you receive one. You are also welcome to choose “unsure at this time.” Regardless of your choice, you will be given full consideration for admission into the program. Asking you to make a choice is for our administrative use only.
Plan 1: Thesis. Each student must complete a minimum of 30 semester credit hours, which includes no more than 6 hours or fewer than 3 hours of thesis credit in CMST 599. A thesis is an extended independent research project organized into multiple chapters and completed under the guidance of an advisor. The student will first complete a research proposal (“prospectus”) and defend that proposal to their advisory committee. The advisory committee, composed of three members of the graduate faculty (at least two of whom must be from the School of Communication Studies), must first approve the prospectus. Following a successful prospectus defense, the student completes the final thesis project. The committee will administer an oral examination over the thesis in a thesis defense meeting. The thesis defense is an open meeting. Students are required to submit electronic copies of their thesis as required by the graduate school.
Plan 2: Research Report. Each student must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours, including no more than 3 hours of research report credit in CMST 595. A research report is a rigorous research paper that the student completes independently, under the guidance of an advisor. An advisory committee, consisting of the student's advisor and one other member of the School of Communication Studies, will administer an oral examination over the research report in a research report defense meeting. Students are required to submit electronic copies of their research report as required by the graduate school.
Plan 3: Coursework only. Each student must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours. While not required, students choosing the coursework only option can request to take an independent study (up to 3 credit hours) during their final semester with a graduate faculty member of their choice (and upon agreement from the faculty member) during which they complete a professional practice final project in line with their future career plans. This project may take the form of a training workshop, a research presentation/talk, a performance, a podcast, or some other format approved and chosen in consultation with the student’s advisory committee. Completion of the project would result in a public presentation to the student’s advisory committee and other invited faculty and graduate students in the School of Communication Studies.
