Graduate Program Requirements

A student selects and completes distributions in required courses, an area of interest, and electives.

Students must complete at least 30 credit hours; however, additional credit hours may be necessary to fulfill the Graduate School’s Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement. We suggest that students enroll in INT 601: Responsible Conduct of Research (1 credit; offered online and asynchronously) during the summer after their first year to fulfill this requirement, though students are encouraged to confer with their advisor.

Core (15 credits)

1. Required Courses (6 credits):
   CMJ 601 — Seminar in Research Methods (Credits: 3)
   CMJ 608 — Communication Theory (Credits: 3)
2. Required Methods Course (one additional course selected from below or from pre-approved list of courses outside of CMJ)* (3 credits):
   CMJ 503 — Critical Historiography of Rhetoric (Credits: 3), OR
   CMJ 603 — Seminar in Rhetorical Criticism (Credits: 3), OR
   CMJ 604 — Qualitative Communication Research Methods (Credits: 3)
3. Two CMJ seminars in specific “Area of Interest” (6 credits): See list of courses under “Electives” below. “Area of Interest” courses to be approved by Advisory Committee

Electives (15 credits)

1. Departmental Electives
   • CMJ 503 — Critical Historiography of Rhetoric (Credits: 3) if not used as methods
     
   • CMJ 506 — Rhetorical Theory: Civic Tradition (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 520 — Media History (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 525 — Propaganda and Political Communication (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 540 — Social Media and Digital Cultures (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 560 — Media Psychology (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 580 — Environmental Communication (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 593 — Topics in Communication (Credits: 3) may be repeated with new content
     
   • CMJ 603 — Seminar in Rhetorical Criticism (Credits: 3) if not used as methods requirement
     
   • CMJ 604 — Qualitative Communication Research Methods (Credits: 3) if not used as methods
     
   • CMJ 606 — Rhetorical Theory: Critical Tradition (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 610 CMJ 640 — Seminar in Risk Communication (Credits: 3) Critical Communication Pedagogy (Credits: 3)
     
   • CMJ 695 — Graduate Internship (up to 3 credits; approval required)
     
   • CMJ 698 — Contemporary Issues in Human Communication (Credits: 3)
2. Outside Electives: Up to 6 credits of elective course work outside of CMJ may replace Departmental electives:
   • if the courses are applicable to the student’s research interests, and
   • if the student receives unanimous approval from the student’s Advisory Committee

          NB: More than six credits of outside electives are possible with CMJ Graduate Faculty approval.

Thesis Credits (Optional)

If the MA thesis option is selected, 6 credits replace Elective course work [CMJ 699: Graduate Thesis (1-6 credits/term, repeatable)]

 *Graduate-level Research Methods Courses outside CMJ