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Communication Studies Graduate Program

Required Core Courses
Admission Standards
Advisory Committee/Advising
Assistantships
Graduate Faculty Members		 Comprehensive Exam Requirements
Equivalency Requirements for Students
without a Communication Undergraduate Degree
Contact Information

The M.A. in Communication

The Master of Arts in Communication degree program emphasizes communication research, theory and practice. The flexible program offers opportunities for advanced study in interpersonal communication, organizational communication, public communication, media studies, journalism, and radio-television.

The degree program is designed to serve three broad categories of communication students: (1) those who plan to seek careers in variety of professional fields requiring theoretical and applied communication expertise; (2) those who plan to teach communication at the college or university level; and (3) those who seek to pursue a Doctorate in Communication.
Graduate faculty for the M.A. in Communication offer a broad range of academic expertise in various Communication disciplines. Graduate faculty members believe in a holistic approach to graduate education and are committed to providing the individualized attention that each student deserves.
Students in our program come from colleges and universities across Texas and the U.S. Graduates hold important positions in a wide variety of fields, including, positions in institutions of higher learning.

Hallmarks of the program are its flexibility and planned personal attention to each student's particular interests and needs. The student may choose, in consultation with the graduate coordinator, courses both within and outside the Department and may elect either a 36-hour program without a thesis or a 30-hour program with thesis.

 

Required Core Courses include:

Core courses must be taken during the first year of coursework and completed prior to taking electives. During a semester when students desire to take 9 hours of graduate credit and only 6 hours of core coursework are offered, students may take an elective. Graduate Faculty Advisors will work with students to ensure core coursework is completed as preparatory work for electives and that core coursework is complete prior to the semester comprehensive examinations are to be administered.


M.A. in Communication Admission Standards

Prospective students must submit an essay (300 to 500 words) stating their reasons for pursuing the M.A. in Communication. To be considered for clear admission, applicants with an undergraduate major in Communication must present either evidence of an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 2.8 and a GPA of 3.0 in the major or a GRE score of 1000 (combined Verbal and Quantitative scores).  Applicants with an undergraduate major in an area other than Communication must present either an overall GPA of at least 2.8 and a GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 hours and any communication courses taken in undergraduate work or a GRE score of 1000 (combined Verbal and Quantitative scores) to be considered for clear admission. Applicants who demonstrate outstanding qualifications on other admission criteria may be admitted on a probationary basis with an overall GPA of 2.6 and a GPA of 2.8 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work or a GRE score of 800 (combined Verbal and Quantitative scores).

Graduate Admissions

Graduate Student Advisory Committee and Advising

Graduate students must chose a principle advisor within the first 9 hours of study and the rest of the Advisory Committee (two additional graduate faculty members) must be chosen before completing 18 hours of study.  

For non-thesis track students, the Graduate Student Advisory Committee will provide advising for additional coursework outside of the required core, implement the comprehensive oral examination, and provide assistance with choosing courses to be tested on for the comprehensive examination in addition to the required core courses.  

Thesis track students will use the Graduate Student Advisory Committee to assist with advising for additional coursework outside of the required core and thesis related actions.

M.A. in Communication students must complete the Advising Committee Selection Form to declare an Graduate Faculty Advisor and the Graduate Faculty Advising Committee members. Within the first 9 hours of study, you may turn in the form with only the Advisor declared. Resubmit the form prior to the completion of 18 hours with the added committee members. To change your Advisor or Advising Committee Members from the originally declared faculty, complete the Advising Committee Change Form. All Graduate Faculty Advising Committee Members must be members of the Communication Studies Graduate Program Graduate Faculty.

Advising Committee Selection Form

Advising Committee Change Form

All M.A. in Communication students must be advised by their declared Advisor prior to being enrolled into graduate courses within the program. Complete the M.A. in Communication Advising Form and return to the Communication Studies administrative assistant in Liberal Arts North 434, PO Box 6161.

M.A. in Comm Advising Form

Assistantships/Admission

Financial assistance is available each fall and spring semesters to students awarded graduate assistantships. Those selected gain practical experience in teaching, or develop skills through research assignments and various other field specific duties.

Communication Graduate Faculty Members

Jim Towns, Regent Professor
jtowns@sfasu.edu

Jerry Frye, Professor
jfrye@sfasu.edu

Larry King, Professor
lking@sfasu.edu

Jean Eldred, Associate Professor   
jeldred@sfasu.edu

Al Greule, Associate Professor
agreule@sfasu.edu

Gary Mayer, Associate Professor
gmayer@sfasu.edu

R. Tyler Spradley, Assistant Professor
rspradley@sfasu.edu

Linda Levitt, Assistant Professor
levittlb@sfasu.edu

Dustin Lawhorn, Instructor
dustinlawhorn@sfasu.edu

Sudeshna Roy, Assistant Professor
roys@sfasu.edu

 

 

Comprehensive Examination Policy

Equivalency Requirements for Graduate Students without an Undergraduate Major in Communication

Applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree in a communication discipline must have at least the following:

Basic Communication course (COM 111 or COM 170 or equivalent)

For graduate students wishing to specialize in Interpersonal Communication, Organizational Communication, Public Communication or Media Studies coursework the following courses must be taken:


For graduate student wishing to specialize in Journalism:


For graduate student wishing to specialize in Radio-Television:


Equivalencies are to be determined first by the Registrar’s Office and then by the Graduate Program Coordinator.

For more information on graduate assistantships and admissions requirements, contact:

Dr. Linda Levitt, Graduate Program Coordinator
Assistant Professor, Communication Studies
Division of Communication and Contemporary Culture
Stephen F. Austin State University
Box 6161
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Phone: 936-468-1236
FAX: 936-468-8217
E-mail to: levittlb@sfasu.edu

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