The faculty in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication offer a graduate program leading to the professional degree Master of Mass Communication (M.M.C.). The program is designed to help students achieve academic and professional growth, to prepare students for positions in the mass media, and to provide a background to enable persons currently in the media to advance their careers.

Admission. In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate College, the M.M.C. program requires applicants to provide three letters of recommendation (including two from professors in the last unit of study from degree-granting institutions), scores on either the GRE (verbal and quantitative) or the MAT, a biographical sketch that includes all professional media experience, and a 250–500 word statement outlining career aspirations that could be enhanced by admission to the program (the statement is also used as a writing sample). The applicant’s undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, test scores, and professional media experience are all considered in the admission process. A TOEFL score of 600 or higher is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants wishing to enroll for fall semester must have all their application materials submitted by March 1.

Admission Classification. Applicants who have an undergraduate degree in an area of mass communication, who meet all other requirements, and who receive regular admission may begin in the program in either the fall or spring semester. A two-year program is designed for applicants who have an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than mass communication. The program consists of 45 semester hours. The first-year courses are designed to provide a foundation in journalism knowledge and skills and must be taken in prescribed sequence. Some first-semester courses are prerequisites for courses to be taken in subsequent semesters.

Registration. Registration in courses numbered 500 is limited to students who have been admitted to the M.M.C. program or have approval from the instructor of the class. Nondegree graduate students may not register for 500-level courses in the School of Journalism and Telecommunication during early registration. Undergraduate students wishing to reserve graduate course credit must follow Graduate College guidelines and obtain approval from the director of graduate studies.

Program of Study. The program consists of 36 semester hours of graduate credit for students with undergraduate degrees in the areas of mass communication. Requirements are as follows:

1. 12 hours of core course work,
2. six to 12 hours of specialization courses,
3. nine to 15 hours of a related area outside the school, and
4. three hours of supervised applied project (MCO 593).

The program consists of 45 semester hours of credit for students with undergraduate degrees in areas other than mass communication. Requirements are as follows:

1. 15 hours of core course work,
2. 12 hours of specialization courses,
3. six hours of mass communication writing skills courses,
4. nine hours of a related area outside the school, and
5. three hours of supervised applied project (MCO 593).

Foreign Language Requirements. None.

Thesis Requirements. None.

Final Examinations. An oral examination in defense of the supervised research or creative project is required.

1998–99 Graduate Catalog Table of Contents

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