Kent State University Catalog 2010 - 2011

Communication Studies - M.A. and Ph.D.

COLLEGE:

College of Communication and Information

DEPARTMENT:

For more information on the Master of Arts in Communication Studies, please contact:
School of Communication Studies
135 Taylor Hall
Tel: 330-672-2659 | Fax: 330-672-3510
Web: http://www.kent.edu/comm

For more information on the Ph.D. in Communication Studies, please contact:
College of Communication and Information
Tel: 330-672-2950 | Fax: 330-672-2952
E-mail:ccikent@kent.edu
Web: http://www.kent.edu/CCI/

DESCRIPTION:	The Master of Arts in Communication Studies provides a broad spectrum of knowledge about human communication. It is preparation for those who wish to pursue a doctorate in communication; to teach at the secondary, community college or small-college level; to continue preparation for professional careers; or to prepare for non-academic careers in which a broad understanding of communication theory and research is desirable. The program focuses on the social and behavioral study of communication theory and research. Students may pursue work in health, interpersonal, mediated, mass and public communication and new technologies/social informatics. The Ph.D. in Communication Studies provides both a broad core of knowledge about communication and information theory and research and individualized specializations in communication and information.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:	Official transcript(s), three letters of recommendation, GRE, TOEFL for international students, goal statement and sample of scholarly writing. Admission into Ph.D. also requires a master's degree.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:	The M.A. degree in Communication Studies requires a minimum of 32 semester hours of graduate credit. Core courses include COMM 65000, 65020, 65652 and 65794 for those holding graduate assistantships. In consultation with their advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee, students develop an approved program of study once they have completed 8 credits in the master’s program. The Ph.D. degree Communication Studies requires a minimum of 45 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the Master's degree and 30 semester hours of dissertation work for a total of 75 semester hours. Core courses include COMM 75000 for those who have not completed a master’s thesis, COMM 75020, 75060, 75652 and 75794 for those with graduate assistantships. The doctoral program is flexibly structured. It is designed to provide both a broad core of knowledge about communication theory and research and individualized concentrations in communication. In consultation with their advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee, students develop an approved program of study to match their interests once they have completed 8 credits in the doctoral program. Doctoral students are expected to have satisfactorily completed a master’s-level course in social and behavioral research methods. As part of their doctoral coursework, they are also expected to complete research and statistics courses appropriate to their programs of study. There is no universal foreign language requirement for the doctoral degree in communication studies.
CANDIDACY:	Ph.D.: To achieve candidacy, doctoral students must pass the doctoral comprehensive examination.
THESIS/ DISSERTATION:	The M.A. program usually includes the successful defense of a 6-credit thesis, which demonstrates the student’s ability to define and address a conceptual or applied research problem in communication. A non-thesis option is available to those who expect the M.A. to be a terminal degree. The non-thesis option requires students to complete an additional 3 credits of coursework as well as a 3-credit applied project or internship that reflects the student’s career goals. The Ph.D. program requires the successful defense of a 30-credit dissertation.
PROGRAM FEE:	None