Journalism and Mass Communications, M.A.

Admissions Requirements

An applicant for admission to the M.A. degree program will be evaluated on a combination of factors: undergraduate grades; performance on the GRE; English proficiency scores (TOEFL or IELTS if international applicant); resume; recommendations and the written statement of objectives, in which the applicant outlines reasons for seeking a graduate degree in mass communications. Applicants who have already taken 12 credit hours of graduate-level courses before application, with a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.0 (or a B Grade equivalent) from those courses, will be eligible for a GRE waiver.

Successful applicants usually present an undergraduate grade average of at least 3.0 and a combined GRE score of 300 (153 Verbal and 147 Quantitative) and a 4.0 or higher on Analytical Writing. The typical graduate student in the program exceeds these standards. However, applicants who are unusually promising in other ways–e.g., they have compiled solid professional experience or have overcome formidable obstacles along the way–have been accepted and have done well. International applicants, in addition to the above, must present a score of at least 90 on the TOEFL exam or 6.5 on IELTS. Those with a degree from an English-speaking institution are eligible for an exemption from this requirement. More information is available in the Academic Programs section of the College of Information and Communications Website.

Degree Requirements (30 Hours)

To earn the M.A. degree, a student must successfully complete the following:

Core Courses (21 Hours)

Course Title Credits
JOUR 701Research Methods in Mass Communication3
JOUR 702Communication Theory3
JOUR 706Media Law3
JOUR 720History of Mass Media3
JOUR 749Literature of Mass Communication3
JOUR 799Thesis Preparation1-9
Total Credit Hours16-24

Electives (9 Hours)

Course Title Credits
Select nine additional hours of approved elective credits9
Total Credit Hours9

Comprehensive Examination

A five-hour written examination based on the M.A. core courses.

Master's Thesis Defense

A master’s thesis defended before the student’s thesis committee.