Communication Studies - Master of Arts
The department offers a thesis, comprehensive exam, and applied project options in its Masters of Arts program. All options require a minimum of 36 credits, which includes not only Communication Studies courses but at least one course from outside the department. The thesis option requires at least 30 credits of coursework, 6 credits of thesis hours (COMM 5999 Master's Thesis), and an oral defense of the thesis and coursework. The comprehensive exam option requires 36 credits of coursework, plus 6 hours of written examination, followed by an oral defense. The applied project option requires at least 30 credits of coursework, 6 credits of project hours (COMM 5994 MA Project), and an oral defense of the project and coursework. All options require a minimum of 30 credit hours of Communication Studies courses.
All tracks (thesis, comps, and project) require a total of 36 credits, 30 credits of COMM, 3 credits from a related discipline, a B or Better in COMM 5110 Theories of Communication, COMM 5130 Quantitative Research Methods, and COMM 5140 Qualitative Research Methods in Communication. A B- or better must be earned in all other courses and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to graduate . Two courses (6 credits) with numbers 4500+ can be counted toward the degree, and 2 courses (6 credits) can be accepted for transfer at the discretion of the Department Head or Graduate Advisor. All students must take COMM 5110 Theories of Communication, COMM 5130 Quantitative Research Methods, and COMM 5140 Qualitative Research Methods in Communication at NMSU and receive a B or better; transfers for these courses will not be accepted or approved. All students must also take 3 of the 4 core courses: COMM 5210 Political Communication, COMM 5510 Organizational Communication, COMM 5610 Interpersonal Communication, or COMM 5710 Communication and Culture.
An M.A. Tracking Form for thesis, comprehensive exam, and applied project options can be are found on the department website.
Graduate course rotation:
Fall
COMM 5110 Theories of Communication
COMM 5140 Qualitative Research Methods in Communication
COMM 5210 Political Communication
COMM 5510 Organizational Communication
Spring
COMM 5130 Quantitative Research Methods
COMM 5710 Communication and Culture
COMM 5610 Interpersonal Communication
Thesis Option:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Requirements 1 | 9 | |
| Theories of Communication | 3 | |
| Quantitative Research Methods | 3 | |
| Qualitative Research Methods in Communication | 3 | |
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Political Communication | 3 | |
| Organizational Communication | 3 | |
| Interpersonal Communication | 3 | |
| Communication and Culture | 3 | |
| Electives 2 | ||
| Select 6-9 credits of COMM Electives | 6-9 | |
| Select 3-6 credits must be from courses in Related Fields (outside of COMM courses and must be numbered 4220+) | 3-6 | |
| Thesis | ||
| COMM 5999 | Master's Thesis | 6 |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Students must receive a minimum grade of B or better in COMM 5110, COMM 5130, and COMM 5140. Any students earning a grade of B- or below will have to retake the class.
- 2
In order to graduate, students will need a total of 36 credits, of which 30 credits must be from COMM coursework. Please consult your advisor about your specific requirements and how to complete them in order to graduate.
Comprehensive Exam Option:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Requirements 1 | 9 | |
| Theories of Communication | 3 | |
| Quantitative Research Methods | 3 | |
| Qualitative Research Methods in Communication | 3 | |
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Political Communication | 3 | |
| Organizational Communication | 3 | |
| Interpersonal Communication | 3 | |
| Communication and Culture | 3 | |
| Electives 2 | ||
| Select 12-15 credits from COMM Electives | 12-15 | |
| Select 3-6 credits must be from courses in Related Fields (outside of COMM courses and must be numbered 4220+) | 3-6 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Students must receive a minimum grade of B or better in COMM 5110, COMM 5130, and COMM 5140. Any students earning a grade of B- or below will have to retake the class.
- 2
In order to graduate, students will need a total of 36 credits, of which 30 credits must be from COMM coursework. Please consult your advisor about your specific requirements and how to complete them in order to graduate.
Applied Project Option:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Requirements 1 | 9 | |
| Theories of Communication | 3 | |
| Quantitative Research Methods | 3 | |
| Qualitative Research Methods in Communication | 3 | |
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Political Communication | 3 | |
| Organizational Communication | 3 | |
| Communication and Culture | 3 | |
| Interpersonal Communication | 3 | |
| Electives 2 | ||
| Select 6-9 credits from Electives in Related Fields, 3-6 credits from (graduate levels; numbered 4220+). | 6-9 | |
| Select 3-6 credits must be from courses in Related Fields (outside of COMM courses and must be numbered 450+) | 3-6 | |
| Project Option | ||
| COMM 5994 | MA Project | 6 |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Students must receive a minimum grade of B or better in COMM 5110, COMM 5130, and COMM 5140. Any students earning a grade of B- or below will have to retake the class.
- 2
In order to graduate, students will need a total of 36 credits, of which 30 credits must be from COMM coursework. Please consult your advisor about your specific requirements and how to complete them in order to graduate.
Entrance Requirements for Graduate Study in Communication Studies
Students wishing to enroll in the Master program in Communication Studies must meet the following criteria:
- Hold a BA or BS degree from an accredited institution of higher learning. Social Science disciplines are preferred
- Hold a minimum grade point average of 3.00.
*The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test is not required for admission; however, existing GRE scores that are high will strengthen a candidate's application and are highly regarded in the awarding of Graduate Assistantships.
New Mexico State University 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 programs. 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 5220 | Communication Technologies | 3 |
| COMM 5230 | Strategic Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5630 | Family Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5640 | Nonverbal Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5310 | Sports Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5998 | Communication Internship for Graduate Students | 3 |
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.