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

Master of Arts - Concentration in Leadership Communication (Online)

The  Master of Arts in Communication Studies concentration in Leadership Communication 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 program is offered online through NMSU Global with predominantly 8-week asynchronous courses. Enrollment is ongoing, and students can start the program at any 8-week term during the Fall, Spring, or Summer semester. If a student wishes, up to 18 credits of courses can be taken outside of the Communication Studies Department, but coursework outside of COMM is not required. The concentration in Leadership Communication can also be completed in conjunction with the concentration in Analysis and Decision-Making, both resulting in an MA in Communication Studies. 

Admissions

Applicants must meet the following admission requirements of the Graduate School.

  1. Have an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 from an accredited College or University; or

  2. Have a graduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 from an accredited College or University; or

  3.  A minimum of five years of relevant, full-time professional work experience with an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 from an accredited College or University. 

Application Materials

Applicants are required to submit the following materials:

  1. Letter of Application expressing why they want to pursue a graduate degree in Communication Studies

  2. Current Resume of Vita

  3. Official Transcripts from all previous educational institutions

Program Requirements 

The Leadership Communication concentration requires 18 credits in the courses listed below. To complete the MA Degree, students must complete an additional 18 credits in COMM or any related field for a total of 36 graduate credit hours of coursework. Of the 36 credit hours, 18 credits must consist of coursework taken in the Department of Communication Studies, up to 18 credits can be electives from any other department at NMSU, two courses (6 credits) with numbers 4500+ can be counted toward the degree, and up to two courses (6 credits) can be accepted for transfer coursework from another institution at the discretion of the Department Head. The final six credits of coursework should be project hours (COMM 5994 MA Project) taken during the Fall or Spring semester. Project hours should not be taken at any point before the last semester of the student's program of study unless the student will graduate during the summer semester. In this case, project hours should be completed during the spring semester. A grade of B- or higher must be earned in all COMM courses, and a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher is required to graduate.

The concentration in Leadership Communication consists of five required courses (18 credits). To earn the MA in Communication Studies, students must take an additional six approved elective courses (18 credits). 

Prefix Title Credits
Degree Requirements 118
COMM 5510
Organizational Communication3
COMM 5530
Leadership Communication3
COMM 5550
Case Studies in Leadership Communication3
COMM 5560
Ethics & Diversity in Leadership Communication3
COMM 5994
MA Project6
Electives 2
Take an additional 18 credits from any department, including Communication Studies 318
Total Credits36
1

Students must receive a minimum grade of B- or better in all COMM courses. Any student earning a grade of C+ or below will have to retake the class. 

2

Two courses (6 credits) with the number 4500+ can be counted. Coordinate with the Graduate Coordinator or Department Head for Communication Studies to select appropriate courses to meet this requirement. Suggested electives include: COMM 4520 Small Group Communication, COMM 4620 Deception and Communication, COMM 4720 International Communication, COMM 4730 Environmental Communication, COMM 4750 Health Communication, COMM 5110 Theories of Communication, COMM 5120 Persuasion Theory, COMM 5130 Quantitative Research Methods, COMM 5140 Qualitative Research Methods in Communication, COMM 5210 Political Communication, COMM 5220 Communication Technologies, COMM 5230 Strategic Communication, COMM 5310 Sports Communication, COMM 5610 Interpersonal Communication, COMM 5630 Family Communication, COMM 5640 Nonverbal Communication, COMM 5710 Communication and Culture, COMM 5996 Special Topics, COMM 5997 Independent Study, COMM 5998 Communication Internship for Graduate Students, AXED 5110 Management of Change, Diffusion, and Adoption of Innovations, AXED 5320 Risk and Crisis Communications in Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, I E 537 Large Scale Systems Engineering, I E 563 Topics in Engineering Administration, and MGMT 503 Organizational Behavior and Management Processes. 

3

In order to graduate, students will need a total of 36 credits, of which 18 credits must be from the required COMM coursework listed under Degree Requirements. Eighteen additional credits can be from COMM or any other program. Only 6 credits at the 4500-4999 course level will be accepted. Please consult the Global Program Coordinator or the Department Head about the specific requirements and how to complete them in order to graduate.

Graduation Requirements 

The Graduate School requires that students maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all courses taken as a graduate student at NMSU. The Department of Communication Studies requires that a grade of B- or higher must be earned in all COMM courses, and a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher is required to graduate.

The following course sequencing requirements must be satisfied:

  1. COMM 5530 Leadership Communication should be completed in the student's first semester or as soon as the course is offered.

  2. Six credits of COMM 5994 MA Project should be completed in the student's last semester or the spring semester before a student who will graduate in the summer semester.

Students requesting transfer credit for any graduate courses taken from another institution must submit a written justification, including course syllabi and transcripts, to the department head during their first semester of studies.

Final Examination for the Degree: 

A student will satisfy the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam by completing the Leadership Communication concentration's necessary coursework, supplemented or modified requirements for the concentration, and an additional 18 credits of graduate level coursework for the MA in Communication Studies. The following three criteria must be met by the end of their final semester or at the end of a subsequent semester during which graduate level courses are taken or retaken to meet the specified cumulative GPA. 

  1. The student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all courses taken as a graduate student at NMSU, including those taken in COMM and approved electives taken in other departments at NMSU, and courses to fulfill the requirements of the concentration of MA, or approved course substitutions including any MAP courses used to satisfy the graduate degree or concentration. 

  2. The student must complete all required and elective courses,or approved course substitutions including any MAP courses used to satisfy the graduate degree or concentration with a B- or better and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher.

  3. The student must complete six credits of COMM 5994 MA Project. However, with special approval, a degree candidate may elect to write a thesis with at least 6 credit hours earned under COMM 5999 Master's Thesis in lieu of COMM 5994 MA Project. Both courses require satisfactory completion.

    1. The project student must successfully complete all coursework and pass 6 or more credits of COMM 5994 MA Project. Projects are directed by the students advisor. By completing a professional project and oral presentation of the student's project. The project serves as the culmination of the program required for graduation and thus, along with earning a B- in all coursework and a GPA of 3.0 or higher, the student has met and satisfied the Graduate Schools requirement for a final exam.Non-thesis project students do not need to defend their project to a committee. Sucessful completion of 6 project hours and an oral presentation of their project of at least 15 minutes, approved by their advisor, meets the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam. Project students do not need to defend to a committee or submit the Master's Final Examination Form in order to meet the Graduate School's requirements for a final exam. 

    2. If a student is approved for a thesis, the student must successfully complet all coursework, pass six credits of COMM 5999 Master's Thesis, and successfully pass a committee oral defense. Thesis students must defend their thesis before a committee, including their advisor from the Department of Communication Studies, on additional Graduate Facutly member from the Department of Communication Studies, and a Graduate Faculty member from any department outside of the Department of Communication Studies. Student must submit the Master's Final Examination Form with all necessary signatures to the Graduate School at least ten working days before their oral defense. 

A student who fails to meet one or both previous criteria may, during one or more subsequent semesters, may take or retake additional graduate-level courses to increase their cumulative GPA, thereby satisfying the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam.

Note: The Department of Communication Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences reserve the right to change the published requirements. Any such changes will be announced and will not be retroactive without the consent of the Head of the Department of Communication Studies. Currently, all required courses are offered once each year except for some electives. Always consult with the Graduate Coordinator for NMSU Global, the Graduate Student Advisor, or the Department Head of Communication Studies. 

Concentrations:  Students in the NMSU Global program may elect to pursue any of several concentrations and can complete two concentrations in earning the MA in Communication Studies:

A Suggested Plan of Study for a Full-Time Student

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
COMM 5530 Leadership Communication 3
COMM 5550 Case Studies in Leadership Communication 3
Elective Course 3
 Credits9
Spring
COMM 5510 Organizational Communication 3
COMM 5560 Ethics & Diversity in Leadership Communication 3
Elective Course 3
 Credits9
Second Year
Fall
COMM 5230 Strategic Communication 3
Elective Course 3
Elective Course 3
 Credits9
Spring
COMM 5994 MA Project 6
Elective Course 3
 Credits9
 Total Credits36

A Suggested Plan of Study for a Part-Time Students

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
COMM 5530 Leadership Communication 3
COMM 5550 Case Studies in Leadership Communication 3
 Credits6
Spring
COMM 5510 Organizational Communication 3
COMM 5560 Ethics & Diversity in Leadership Communication 3
 Credits6
Second Year
Fall
Elective Course 3
Elective Course 3
 Credits6
Spring
Elective Course 3
Elective Course 3
 Credits6
Third Year
Fall
Elective Course 3
Elective Course 3
 Credits6
Spring
COMM 5994 MA Project 6
 Credits6
 Total Credits36

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.

Prefix Title Credits
COMM 5210Political Communication3
COMM 5220Communication Technologies3
COMM 5230Strategic Communication3
COMM 5310Sports Communication3
COMM 5530Leadership Communication3
COMM 5550Case Studies in Leadership Communication3
COMM 5560Ethics & Diversity in Leadership Communication3
COMM 5630Family Communication3
COMM 5640Nonverbal Communication3
COMM 5996Special Topics1-9
COMM 5997Independent Study1-6
COMM 5998Communication Internship for Graduate Students3

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 The Global Program Coordinator, Graduate Advisor, or Department Head for more information on the MAP Program.