Degree 需求
需求
学生 must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of credit in approved 500-level 课程. This includes 6 hours for thesis work. A minimum of 24 semester hours must be completed at the University of 南 Alabama. At least 27 semester hours must be taken in communication.
Non- Degree Seeking 需求
学生 may register for and complete up to five 课程 without formal entrance 进入程序. Online application procedures can be found here.
核心课程
For students with an undergraduate degree in communication, the normal requirements consist of the following 3 课程. These 课程 must be completed at the University 南阿拉巴马州.
- CA 500, Introduction to 研究生 Studies in Communication. 学生 must take CA 500 before or concurrently with their first 500-level classes, or be given permission by the graduate studies coordinator to delay enrollment in CA 500.
- CA 502, Communication Theory (generally offered in the fall 学期)
- CA 503, Quantitative Communication 研究 Methods (generally offered in the spring 学期)
Although students are advised to take CA 502 and CA 503 sequentially, they are not 必须这样做.
剩余的课程
With advisor approval, students may take up to 6 of the 33 required graduate hours
outside of the Communication Department. 学生 should work closely with their advisors
to develop a plan of study.
Directed Studies – CA 594
Directed study 课程 involve independent study of a communication topic. 目的 is to provide study in an area of specialization not covered by an existing course.
学生 must submit topic proposals to a graduate faculty member. 一旦话题 is approved, both the faculty member and the students must sign a contract describing student expectations and outcomes and grading criteria.
学生 can register for between 1 and 3 credit hours in CA 594 课程 with course requirements determined accordingly.
学生 may take a maximum of 3 hours in directed study coursework.
特别的主题
There is no limit on the number of special topics 课程 you can take, but you may not repeat a course with the same content.
转移信用
学生 may not transfer 核心课程. 学生 may submit up to 9 hours of graduate course work for transfer consideration. The submissions must include a thorough course description and a statement describing how the transfer credit fits into the 南 阿拉巴马州计划. The graduate coordinator and department chair must approve the request before the hours can be applied to a degree. Hours used toward another degree may not be transferred.
Grade 需求
至少A 3.0的绩点 on all work attempted is required for graduation.
- Courses in which a student receives a “D” or below will not be counted toward the 学位课程.
- A maximum of two 课程 with a grade of “C” will be counted toward the 学位课程. 学生 receiving three grades of “C” or below, regardless of the overall GPA, will be dismissed 从节目中.
- 学生 receiving a failing grade in any graduate course may be dismissed from the 程序.
时间限制
All degree requirements must be completed within 7 calendar years. 大多数学生 take 9 hours per semester complete the degree within a 2-year period. 所需时间 for degree completion depends on how many 课程 a student can take each semester and the ability of that student to complete the thesis.
课程
Two or three 课程 (6-9 credit hours) per semester constitute a full-time course 负载.
Written Qualifying Examinations
All degree candidates must successfully complete a written qualifying examination after successful completion of all core requirements and before the student completes 24学时. The exam lasts 4 hours and covers material from Department graduate 核心课程. It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate independent thought and depth of understanding of the discipline. Using examples from the area of specialization, students should be prepared to demonstrate the ability to:
- Conceptualize problems
- Create and critique research designs
- Evaluate literature, research theories, models, and methodologies
- Discern, discuss, and explain substantive issues, problems, trends, alternative perspectives and research approaches in both general and specific areas.
The qualifying examination may be attempted no more than 2 times.
A student who fails this examination must wait until the next, regularly scheduled examination before repeating it. Failure of the examination on the second attempt will result in dismissal 从节目中.
毕业
Candidates for the master’s degree must apply for the degree approximately six months in advance of the anticipated graduation date. The 注册商’s Office oversees the process and requires an application fee. Once the application is submitted, the 注册商’s Office completes a checklist to determine if all requirements are met.