Communication & Journalism Graduate Program

Communication M.A. is a scholarly program that turns bright students into knowledgeable, academically grounded, independent-thinking communicators. The degree provides a solid foundation for your next step whether it is to pursue a PhD, teach at a college, work for a non-profit organization, or enter private industry. 

Students may choose between a traditional research-oriented thesis or a project-based thesis (also known as "Plan B"). Full-time students will need to make a decision by the end of their 2nd semester (9 credits a semester is considered full time).

Thesis Option

  • A traditional research-oriented thesis

  • 27 credit hours + 4 hours of thesis credits (31 hour in total)

  • At least of 25 hours must be taken within the COJO department, with a maximum of 6 hours of independent study, 3 hours of internship credit hours, and 3 hours of 4000-level coursework

Project Option

  • A project that may involve various forms of communication, including visual (photography, printed materials), audio (podcasts), video (documentaries), and more.

  • 30 credit hours + 3 hours of Graduate Project credits (33 hours in total)

  • A minimum of 27 hours must be taken within the COJO department, with a maximum of 6 hours of independent study, 3 hours of internship credit hours, and 6 hours of 4000-level coursework

A student studying at a cafe

Class Schedule

Required classes are completed in the first year so that the second year is used to develop and complete the thesis or project. A typical schedule for a full-time student includes:

Year 1 - Fall

  • COJO 5080 – Qualitative Research Methods (required)

  • COJO 5800 – Foundations of Journalism and Communication (required)

  • COJO Elective or theory class (to meet theory requirement).

  • *For public speaking Graduate Teaching Assistants, their third course is a 3-hour Teaching Practicum

Year 1 - Spring

  • COJO 5070 – Quantitative Research Methods (required)

  • COJO Elective or theory class (to meet theory requirement)

  • COJO Elective

  • *Graduate Teaching Assistants add 1 hour of Practicum

Year 2 - Fall

  • COJO 5890 – Independent Study (to develop thesis/project prospectus)

  • COJO Elective

  • COJO Elective

  • *Graduate Teaching Assistants add 1 hour of Practicum

Year 2 - Spring

  • COJO 5960 for Thesis or COJO 5961 for Project

  • COJO Electives/Additional classes for Plan B

  • *Graduate Teaching Assistants add 1 hour of Practicum