School of Communication

Requirements

Requirements are unusually flexible to accommodate students' topical and methodological interests.

Students must be admitted through the Graduate School and observe all Graduate School requirements for maintaining normal progress and completing the degree.

Students without an M.A. or equivalent degree must complete nine courses towards an MA. To receive the degree, students are required to prepare a conference-quality paper under the supervision of a three person committee during the fall quarter of their second year of coursework.

Ph.D. qualifying exams are taken in the spring of the student's final year of coursework. To facilitate this process, student's three classes during this quarter will be independent research courses taken with the three examiners. Under the Chair of the committee the student will write an article of publishable quality. Students also complete exams with each of the other two members of the committee, concentrating on their sub-fields. The committee chair will consult with the other members to make sure that there is adequate breadth and depth across the exam. Following these three written components, the committee will meet with the student for an oral exam follow-up. As per the Graduate School university-wide policy, while the exam fields’ subject matter may be related to the student’s eventual dissertation work, none of the exam fields may be used specifically for the purposes of preparing the student's dissertation prospectus.

Dissertation Prospectus: Students are expected to complete the dissertation prospectus during the summer immediately following the qualifying examination. Following distribution of the final prospectus to the dissertation committee, the student shall meet with his or her dissertation committee for feedback on prospectus. The committee will formally signal its approval by vote subsequent to this meeting.

Program faculty shall meet at least once annually to review the progress of students in MTS towards their degrees in time for July 15th submission of comments to student files.

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Requirements

Requirements are unusually flexible to accommodate students' topical and methodological interests.

Students must be admitted through the Graduate School and observe all Graduate School requirements for maintaining normal progress and completing the degree.

Students without an M.A. or equivalent degree must complete nine courses towards an MA. To receive the degree, students are required to prepare a conference-quality paper under the supervision of a three person committee during the fall quarter of their second year of coursework.

Ph.D. qualifying exams are taken in the spring of the student's final year of coursework. To facilitate this process, student's three classes during this quarter will be independent research courses taken with the three examiners. Under the Chair of the committee the student will write an article of publishable quality. Students also complete exams with each of the other two members of the committee, concentrating on their sub-fields. The committee chair will consult with the other members to make sure that there is adequate breadth and depth across the exam. Following these three written components, the committee will meet with the student for an oral exam follow-up. As per the Graduate School university-wide policy, while the exam fields’ subject matter may be related to the student’s eventual dissertation work, none of the exam fields may be used specifically for the purposes of preparing the student's dissertation prospectus.

Dissertation Prospectus: Students are expected to complete the dissertation prospectus during the summer immediately following the qualifying examination. Following distribution of the final prospectus to the dissertation committee, the student shall meet with his or her dissertation committee for feedback on prospectus. The committee will formally signal its approval by vote subsequent to this meeting.

Program faculty shall meet at least once annually to review the progress of students in MTS towards their degrees in time for July 15th submission of comments to student files.