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The master of
arts degree programs in the College of Communication and Information
Sciences are designed to:
- Enable
students to study communication from an individual, group,
institutional, societal, or cultural perspective or combination
thereof, using a variety of humanistic and social-scientific
approaches
- Enable
students to begin or continue preparation for professional
careers in media and media-related fields, teaching, research,
governmental agencies, and industry
- Enable
students to specialize within one of the following academic
departments: Advertising/Public Relations, Communication
Studies, Journalism, or Telecommunication and Film
- Prepare
students to continue their studies at the doctoral level
Graduate students
in the College of Communication
and Information Sciences must meet the admission requirements of the
Graduate School (see
Admission Criteria)
of The University of Alabama. Word processing proficiency is
required in all writing and editing courses offered by the
communication areas of the College (advertising/public relations,
journalism, and telecommunication and film). Word processing
proficiency is not a requirement for communication studies courses.
Each applicant must submit test
scores from either the Graduate Record Examination general test or
the Miller Analogies Test in support of the application. The
Department of Advertising and Public Relations does not accept the
Miller Analogies Test.
Applications for the fall semester
should be submitted to the Graduate School by April 1. Applications
for the spring semester should be submitted by November 1.
Those who wish to
apply for admission directly into the college-wide doctoral program
after completing a BA must have majored in
Communication and Information Sciences, must have shown
superior aptitude at the undergraduate level, and must meet the
Graduate School’s normal requirements for admission at the doctoral
level. Qualified students begin this graduate coursework within a
specific master of arts degree program of the College and complete
their graduate degree as College-wide doctoral candidates.
To be admitted directly into the
doctoral program, one must satisfy the following requirements:
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Hold regular admission status for
a specific college MA program and for admission into the PHD
program
-
Submit a statement of purpose
indicating interest and commitment in graduate work through the
doctoral level
-
Successfully pass a comprehensive
qualifying exam, upon completing 24 hours of graduate coursework
for continuing with the doctoral degree
-
Earn a certificate of completion,
or equivalent, for the MA program, whereupon admission into the
doctoral program becomes official
General Requirements for the MA
Degree
In consultation
with an advisor, the student selects a graduate major in one of the
academic departments of the College. There are two options that
students may choose for pursuing the master of arts degree.
Plan I, master's thesis. The
student's curricular and research interests culminate in the
completion of a traditional master's thesis. Students must take a
minimum of 30 hours of approved graduate courses, of which 6 are
specifically for the thesis. See departmental sections below for
required and recommended courses.
Plan II, nonthesis option.
Students must take a minimum of 30 hours of approved graduate
courses. See departmental sections below for the specific nature of
this option and its requirements.
Regardless of the option selected,
each student must satisfy the following requirements:
Admission to the Graduate
School does not imply admission of a student to candidacy for a
degree. Admission to candidacy is contingent upon the recommendation
of the student's department and the approval of the graduate dean.
The application for
Admission to Candidacy for the Master's Degree should be filed after
12 semester hours of graduate credit have been earned at The
University of Alabama. It must be approved by the time of
registration for the semester in which requirements for the degree
are completed.
Additional information is in the
Degree Requirements
section of this catalog.
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