About This Program

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.

Competencies

1. Upon completion of this program, students will have competency in applying communication theories to their research.
2. Upon completion of this program, students will have competency in developing appropriate communication research questions and/or hypotheses for their research.
3. Upon completion of this program, students will have competency in designing appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative research methods for their studies in the field of communication.
4. Upon completion of this program, students will have competency in analyzing data obtained through their research.
5. Upon completion of this program, students will have competency in applying research skills to online and offline, real-life scenarios in interpersonal, organizational, and/or mass media communication contexts.

 

Admissions Criteria

Prospective students must apply for admission through, and supply all information required by the graduate admissions. 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.

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

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 all 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 otherwise appears to meet admission requirements, may be considered for provisional admission.

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:

1. New students coming to UT Arlington in the fall of each semester.
2. Have a GPA of at least 3.0 in their last 60 hours of their bachelor’s degree program.
3. Minimum 3.0 GPA in graduate credit hours.
4. Enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours in the long semesters.

Curriculum 

Communication Foundations		9
COMM 5300	ADVANCED THEORIES IN COMMUNICATION
COMM 5305	COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS
COMM 5306	QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS 1
Communication Specialization		6
Select two of the following communication electives:
COMM 5307	HISTORICAL RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION
COMM 5310	THEORIES IN PERSUASION
COMM 5316	CORPORATION COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
COMM 5320	ADVANCED VISUAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 5321	ADVANCED INTERNET MARKETING COMMUNICATION
COMM 5323	COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
COMM 5332	ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 5335	GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 5341	MEDIA MANAGEMENT
COMM 5345	COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS
COMM 5346	MEDIA AND PUBLIC POLICY
COMM 5347	CRISIS COMMUNICATION
COMM 5349	COMMUNICATION IN VIRTUAL ORGANIZATIONS
COMM 5350	HEALTH COMMUNICATION
COMM 5351	POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 5352	SOCIAL MEDIA THEORY AND PRACTICE
COMM 5353	DIGITAL MEDIA DATA ANALYTICS
COMM 5391	CONFERENCE COURSE
COMM 5392	SEMINAR
COMM 5399	GRADUATE COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIP
Electives		9
Select three additional electives from the list above or other courses with the advice and approval of the graduate advisor.
Completion Options		6-12
Non-Thesis Option
Select four additional electives from the list above.
Thesis Option
Select 6 hours from the following:		6
COMM 5698	THESIS
COMM 5398	THESIS
Total Hours		30-36

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.

Program Completion

A final comprehensive examination is required for both completion options.

Non-Thesis Option

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

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.

Advising Resources

Students enrolled in the program are required to meet with the advisor before class registration each semester to discuss their degree plan and course enrollment; they may reach out at any time with questions or concerns. Prospective students can reach out to our graduate advisor for information about the program. 

Location:

118 Fine Arts Bldg.

Email:

commgradadvising@uta.edu

Phone:

817-272-2163

Web:

Schedule an appointment