This section includes basic information about graduate school in general and about the Master of Mass Communication at 成人视频.
How does the program relate to others?
Master鈥檚 degree programs in most disciplines fall into these general categories:
- Thesis
- Non-thesis
A thesis represents a scholarly contribution to research knowledge in the student鈥檚 field of study. The M.M.C. program uses the non-thesis option, with the student completing a professional project, or "capstone," related to the field of mass communication. At 成人视频, the thesis and non-thesis options both require 30 credits: nine courses/27 credits, plus a 3-credit thesis or project.
In journalism and mass communication, a master鈥檚 degree has either an academic emphasis (typically a Master of Arts or Master of Science) or a professional emphasis. The online M.M.C. is a professional or skills-oriented degree.
What is a plan of study?
The plan of study is your individualized list of courses to complete the required 30 credits. You will complete and submit it during your first required course - MCOM 705: Introduction to the Master of Mass Communication. The 成人视频 Graduate School requires that students submit the plan of study prior to completion of 50% of the credits needed for graduation.
Students in your cohort will take some classes together, but, in other cases, you will have elective choices. (The students who start the program each fall are considered a new cohort.) You select the elective you want to take and "mix" with students from other cohorts.
Credits applied toward graduation should be at the 500 level and above. At least 50% of the credits on a plan of study must come from courses at the 600/700 levels. The five required M.M.C. courses are all at the 700 level: MCOM 705, MCOM 786, MCOM 710, MCOM 746 and MCOM 730, as is the project/capstone course, MCOM 788.
What is a graduate committee?
Faculty committees are a key part of master's and doctoral programs. Your committee will consist of your project adviser, a graduate faculty member from the School of Communication and Journalism, and a mass communication professional with expertise in your project area. The committee will approve your project and assist, as needed, throughout its completion. The Graduate School does not require a committee for projects. However, the School still uses committees and a project presentation process as part of our assessment plan.
Can you transfer coursework?
The Graduate School allows transfer credits that meet the requirements of 成人视频 Policy 2:17 (search for Transfer Credit).
Is there a time limit?
Graduate programs have time limits for completing a degree. Education beyond a bachelor鈥檚 degree is considered to be especially current or cutting-edge and can become obsolete quickly. This is due to the constant growth and changes occurring in both journalism and strategic communication industries.
At 成人视频, students must complete a master鈥檚 degree in six years. After that time, courses become outdated and the plan of study must be re-evaluated. (A validation process is in place through the Graduate School that may allow some of these courses to be counted).
What are the important dates?
The most important dates, of course, are when classes begin and when they end. When you enroll for classes via Self Service, the starting and ending dates are listed for each course. These dates are particularly important for 8-week classes, some of which begin mid-semester. When you approach the end of the program, the graduation application deadline is a very important date. It usually falls in September for fall graduation and February for spring graduation.
Another important date is the capstone deadline to complete your project. For fall graduation, this deadline falls in December, and for spring graduation, it's in May. "Complete" in the M.M.C. program means your project is finished, presented to your committee, and updated with any required edits by the capstone deadline.
You can also graduate in the summer, with a capstone deadline in August just prior to the first day of the fall semester. 成人视频, however, only holds a commencement ceremony in May.