Communication Studies (Leadership Communication) - Master of Arts (Online)

The concentration in leadership communication resulting in an Master of Arts with a major in Communication Studies is designed to equip students to develop effective leadership skills in individual, group, team, and organizational contexts for professionals who work in organizations of any type (private, government, non-profit). The program will help students master effective leadership in a time of dynamic change in global organizations, diversity, technology, and digital skills.

The MA requires 36 credit hours of coursework, at least 18 credits of coursework must be completed in the Communication Studies Department, and the final 6 credits of coursework must be project hours (COMM 5994 MA Project ). Project hours are only offered during the spring and fall. If a student intends to graduate during the summer semester the project needs to be completed the spring semester prior to completing the course of study. All courses are offered online and taught asynchronously in 8-week formats. If a student wishes, up to 18 credits of courses taken outside of Communication Studies can be counted toward the degree as long as the Leadership Communication Concentration is completed in Communication Studies. Students can also transfer up to 6 graduate credits from another accredited institution at the discretion of the Department Head or Graduate Advisor of Communication Studies.  

A GPA of 3.0 or better must be maintained overall, and grades in each course must be a B- or better. Two courses (6 credits) with numbers 4500+ can be counted.

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Two courses (6 credits) with the number 4500+ can be counted. Coordinate with the Department Head or Graduate Advisor for Communication Studies to select appropriate courses to meet this requirement.

A Suggested Plan of Study for a Full-Time Student

A Suggested Plan of Study for a Part-Time Students

New Mexico State University's Master’s Accelerated Program provides the opportunity for academically qualified undergraduate students to begin working on a master’s degree during their junior and senior years while completing a bachelor’s degree. Typically, a bachelor’s degree requires four years to complete, and a master’s degree requires an additional two years. The master’s accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to complete a graduate program in an accelerated manner. You can also check NMSU’s catalog for additional information about our program. The MAP program allows undergraduate students to take graduate courses and count up to twelve credits toward both undergraduate and graduate degrees in COMM.

MAP Requirements

• The Graduate School allows qualified junior or senior students to substitute its graduate courses for required or elective courses in an undergraduate degree program and then subsequently count those same courses as fulfilling graduate requirements in a related graduate program.
• Undergraduate students may apply for acceptance to the accelerated master’s program after completing 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework of which a minimum of 25 semester credit hours must be completed at NMSU.
• The grade point average must be at a minimum of 3.25.
• Students must receive a grade of B or higher in this coursework to be counted for graduate credit. If a grade of B- or lower is earned, it will not count toward the graduate degree.

Accepted MAP Courses

The following courses are accepted for use in the MAP program, any other courses may be considered after a consultation with an advisor. An exception will need to be made to the degree audit in order for the additional course(s) to be included on both the Undergraduate and Graduate degrees.

Enrollment in graduate courses requires the approval of the Department Head and a completed MAP form before the first semester to take MAP courses for dual credit. Please meet with Department Head or Graduate Advisor for more information.