MA Degree Requirements

Required Courses:
There are three Required Courses: Foundations in Communication, Research Methods, and the Ethics Seminar.
Students should begin their course of study with Foundations in Communication, which will prepare them for advance study in elective courses. As one of the requirements, Research Methods details the various research and analytical models in the field of Communication and Media Studies, in which evidence and data are collected, described and interpreted. The Ethics Seminar is a capstone course, which provides students with the background, philosophical and analytical skills for the myriad ethical dilemmas that present themselves in the vibrant and ever changing world of mass media, new media, the Internet and Public Communication in general. Students may also take up to two courses from the Communications Media Management division of our Lincoln Center Graduate Business Administration with approval from either the Director of the Graduate Program or the Chairperson of the Communication and Media Studies Department.

To complete an M.A. Degree in Public Communications, students must complete 30 credits and choose one of the following options:

• Write a Master's Thesis: Students who choose to write a Thesis to complete their degree will register for Thesis Research I and Thesis Research II in successive semesters.
• Complete an Internship: Students who choose an internship will register for the Internship Seminar in the same semester they complete their internship.

(Summer session registration is possible with regard to both thesis and internship protocols.)

Early Admissions Option to the MA Program:
Students accepted for early admissions into the M.A. Program in Public Communication will be able to apply two graduate courses taken in their senior year toward both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees. In the fifth year, students can take four graduate courses in the Fall and Spring (or three courses each semester plus thesis research work), and thus fulfill the other M.A. requirements. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.2 to be eligible to apply, with higher scores more competitive. This policy applies to FCRH, FCLC, and FCLS. Only two graduate classes will count for BA and MA, and they must be 5000 level courses, beginning with Foundations of Communication.