Communication - Graduate Program
Objective
The Master of Arts in Communication program includes the areas of Communication Studies and Mass Communication. It is designed to meet the educational needs of recent graduates and professionals.
The program’s curriculum emphasizes the integrated nature of the communication discipline. For example, the program offers education in the management of media resources, the changing role of media and technology in an information society, and a theoretical and ethical framework for considering the impact of media on society.
Educational and organizational professionals can focus on working with both external and internal constituencies and communication processes of management, training and development, and human resources. A broader knowledge of communication processes at the interpersonal, organizational, and mass media levels provides the opportunity for career enhancement and/or further graduate studies.
Admission Standards
Prospective students must apply for admission through, and supply all information required by the Graduate School. In addition, the following information will be considered in determining admission status into the program: undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation and an essay. All criteria are considered together; no single factor will eliminate a prospective student from consideration.
The following table outlines specific requirements for unconditional and probationary admission.
Graduate Admission Standards
| Admissions Criteria | Unconditional | Probationary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPA on last 60 hours of Undergraduate Program (as calculated by Graduate School of UT Arlington) | 3.0 | under 3.0 | |
| GRE | Evaluated | Evaluated | |
| 3 letters of recommendation | Evaluated | Evaluated | |
| Essay | Evaluated | Evaluated |
| 1 | Minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for unconditional admission is a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. |
Students not meeting unconditional criteria will be reviewed by a committee of Chair of the Department of Communication, Graduate Advisor, and Graduate Program Committee. The committee will review the following: undergraduate GPA (in last 60 hours of undergraduate work); GRE scores (verbal, analytical and quantitative); letters of recommendation; and essay. An applicant who performs successfully on a majority of these criteria may be admitted on probation. While taking the GRE is encouraged, this requirement may be waived for UTA communication graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. The committee will make a final admission decision and document that decision for the student record.
Unconditional Admission
Criteria for unconditional admission status are designated in the previous table. Decisions on unconditional admission are made after considering the minimum GPA noted in the graduate admission standards and all other criteria noted in the preceding paragraph.
Probationary Admission
Criteria for probationary admission status are designated in the previous table. When on probation, students can make no grade lower than a 3.0 in their first 12 semester hours of graduate coursework.
Provisional Admission
An applicant unable to supply all required documentation prior to the admission deadline but who otherwise appears to meet admission requirements.
Deferred Status
Deferred decision is granted when a file is incomplete or when a denied decision is not appropriate.
Denial of Admission
An applicant will be denied admission if he or she has less than satisfactory performance on a majority of admission criteria listed in the previous table.
Fellowship Criteria
Fellowship selection will be based on the highest GPA in the last 60 hours of the bachelor’s degree program. Candidates for fellowships must meet the following criteria:
- New students coming to UT Arlington in the fall of each semester.
- Have a GPA of at least 3.0 in their last 60 hours of their bachelor’s degree program.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in graduate credit hours.
- Enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours in the long semesters.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Arts in Communication degree offers non-thesis/coursework and thesis options. The non-thesis/coursework option will require 36 hours of coursework. The thesis option will require 30 hours that will include 24 credit hours of coursework and a 6-credit-hour thesis. A final comprehensive examination will be required of students in all options.
| Courses required of all students in the program in the first semester: | 6 | |
| ADVANCED THEORIES IN COMMUNICATION | ||
| COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| Course required of all students in the program in the second semester: | 3 | |
| QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS 1 | ||
| Courses students may elect to take: | 6-18 | |
| Thesis Option: Select at least two of the following communication electives: | ||
| Non-Thesis/coursework Option: Select at least six of the following communication electives: | ||
| HISTORICAL RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION | ||
| THEORIES IN PERSUASION | ||
| CORPORATION COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES | ||
| ADVANCED VISUAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| ADVANCED INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATION | ||
| COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION | ||
| ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| GLOBAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| MEDIA MANAGEMENT | ||
| COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS | ||
| MEDIA AND PUBLIC POLICY | ||
| CRISIS COMMUNICATION | ||
| COMMUNICATION IN VIRTUAL ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| HEALTH COMMUNICATION | ||
| POLITICAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| SOCIAL MEDIA THEORY AND PRACTICE | ||
| DIGITAL MEDIA DATA ANALYTICS | ||
| CONFERENCE COURSE | ||
| SEMINAR | ||
| GRADUATE COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIP | ||
| The following three courses are not electives | ||
| THESIS | ||
| THESIS | ||
| SUPERVISED TEACHING | ||
| Total Hours | 15-27 | |
| 1 | An advanced quantitative research methods course from another department may be substituted for this course with the permission of the communication graduate advisor. |
Graduate courses outside the department may be taken with the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee. Students should submit a letter to the graduate advisor including course title, course description, and statement of value to the program of study.
Non-Thesis Option. (36 semester hours total) 36 semester credit hours of coursework are given. The final comprehensive examination will consist of a written and oral exam covering the coursework. Additional remedial work may be required if deemed necessary by the student’s committee. Students failing the examination will not be allowed to test again.
Thesis Option. (30 semester hours total) 24 semester credit hours of coursework and a thesis, for which 6 semester hours are given. The final comprehensive examination will consist of an oral defense of the thesis prospectus and an oral defense of the thesis. Additional remedial work may be required if deemed necessary by the student’s committee.