Nov 08, 2024  
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  President’s Message
  Research & Graduate Studies
  Your Graduate School Experience
  Academic Calendar
  Tuition & Fees
  Academic Units
  Degrees & Certificates
  Course Listings
  College of Business
  College of Education
  College of Engineering
  College of Fine Arts
  Division of Health Sciences
  College of Hotel Administration
  School of Law
  College of Liberal Arts
  College of Sciences
  College of Urban Affairs
  Admission & Registration
  Academic Policies
  Progression Policies & Procedures
  Financial Assistance
  Graduate Study Timeline
  Apply Online
  Graduate College Website
  Student Directory Information
  Catalog Saving & Printing Options
HELP
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Journalism & Media Studies M.A.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Units

 

Admission Requirements

Students should send application and college transcripts to the Graduate College. In addition, the following should be sent directly to the Graduate Coordinator of the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies:

  1. A copy of your undergraduate transcripts (you must have a GPA of at least 3.00 in the last 90 credits of undergraduate course work).
  2. Satisfactory scores on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
  3. At least three letters of recommendation from people who are able to attest to the applicant’s ability to do graduate-level work. At least one of these letters should come from a former or current professor or college-level instructor.
  4. A letter of intent detailing the applicant’s goals and expectations as a graduate student in journalism and media studies.
  5. A writing sample such as a college course term paper.

Degree Requirements

All fully admitted students are required to complete the programs’ four core courses:

Notes

Students have the choice of doing research leading to the writing of a thesis (Thesis Track) or completing a program of course work leading to a comprehensive examination (Examination Track). The master’s degree program is designed to meet the student’s professional and/or personal objectives. Although an undergraduate degree in journalism, broadcasting, media studies, or communication is not required for admission to the program, a student without a background in these related fields may be required to complete additional course work at the graduate or undergraduate level in order to satisfy minimum expectations of someone entering a graduate course of study.

Thesis Track

In this track students complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved course work plus six hours of thesis credits. The classes may include up to six credits outside the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies. Nontraditional forms of the thesis are allowed if they are consistent with the overall objectives of the program. An oral examination of the thesis is required.

Examination Track

In this track students complete a minimum of 36 credit hours of course work. No more than nine hours may be taken outside the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies. Students then take a comprehensive examination which they have to pass. The examination is taken over a two-day period with the student writing for between four to six hours each day. An oral examination then follows. A Graduate Record Portfolio is also required, the specifics of which are outlined in a handbook developed by the school. The handbook is available upon request.

General Notes

  1. The Graduate Coordinator is the temporary advisor for all new, incoming graduate students. Before completing 16 credit hours, the student selects a permanent advisor who mentors the student through the remainder of the program and guides them in the thesis or examination process.
  2. Students are responsible for determining a program of study and submitting the proper paperwork to the Graduate College before they complete 16 credit hours of course work. The student’s advisor and Graduate Coordinator approve the program of study.
  3. A passing grade in any graduate-level course is B- or better. Any course grade of C+ or lower will not be included in the student’s degree program. All grades, pass or fail, are calculated to produce the student’s GPA. Students can repeat a course to try to better a grade. To graduate, the master’s student must have a GPA of 3.00 or higher in his or her accumulated course work.
  4. A student who fails the oral examination for the thesis or the comprehensive examination is allowed to reschedule the oral examination no sooner than three months after the first attempt. Failure on the second attempt results in the student being separated from the program.
  5. The Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies matriculates graduate students only in the fall semester.
  6. Review of applications begins March 15.
  7. For additional information, check the school’s website.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Units