Degree Verification: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program. An official transcript must be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies.
Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower: Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.
Course Number Acceptability: All courses for a program of study for a master’s degree in Communication Studies must be 6000 level or above.
Matriculation Start Semester: A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s advisor and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.
Coursework Validity: Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.
Master’s forms: Please visit the following link to view required academic forms by the School of Graduate Studies by degree type: https://gradschool.usu.edu/academics/

This is a 33 credit program. 3 courses are required (course, course, and course). The remaining 24 credits are taken between additional coursework and a final project (Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C). See variations among Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C credit requirements below.

Plan A - Description and Requirements

What is a Plan A?

A Plan A project is a full research project. It is original research where students either analyze original data and write a full social scientific report OR complete a full rhetorical analysis.
18 additional credits of coursework
6 credits of Thesis Research (course)

Plan B - Description and Requirements

What is a Plan B?

A Plan B project is an applied project based on academic research. Students write full literature reviews and create an applied project based on the literature.
21 additional credits of coursework
3 credits of Directed Study (course)

Plan C - Description and Requirements

What is a Plan C?

A Plan C project is a comprehensive exam wherein a group of faculty will write overarching essay questions about the field (based on the student's completed coursework). Students will pass based on their ability to demonstrate mastery over the topics covered in the questions asked.
24 credits of additional coursework
Successfully complete a comprehensive exam

Communication Studies - MA

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Program Overview

Program Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes