Department Chair:              Dr. Mark Meister
Graduate Coordinator:       Dr. Stephenson Beck
Department Location:        Minard Hall 338
Telephone Number:           (701) 231-7705
Degrees Offered:                Ph.D., M.A., M.S.
Application Deadline:        March 1 for Fall (Ph.D. only)
Test Requirements:           GRE (general required; subject recommended)
English Proficiency            TOEFL ibT 100, IELTS 7 for admission
Requirements:                    TOEFL ibT114, IELTS 8 for teaching assistantship

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Program Description

The graduate program in communication offers graduate study leading to the M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. The program prepares students for advanced graduate work, management-level positions, teaching or advancement within their current careers.

The department tailors student research projects and academic programs to individual needs and interests. Students may take interdisciplinary graduate course work to enhance their program of study. In addition, the M.A. and M.S. degrees are available through online delivery.  Information also is available on the department's Web site, www.ndsu.edu/communication .

Admission Requirements

Programs are open to students holding baccalaureate degrees from accredited universities or colleges.

Master of Science or Arts

To be admitted with full status to the program, the applicant must meet the Graduate School requirements; have adequate study in communication, journalism or a related area; and provide a score for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Doctor of Philosophy

To be admitted with full status to the program, the applicant must meet the Graduate School requirements. In addition to materials required by the Graduate School applicants must submit:

• A CV or resume which clearly identifies your current position, including your responsibilities; your professional publications and papers; your service and professional activity; and your teaching and training experiences
• A professional writing sample, such as a master's thesis, a final paper for a course, a conference paper, a briefing paper or a news article
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. The department’s typical combined GRE score is 300+ and 4.0+ writing.

Financial Assistance

Students admitted at full or conditional status may apply for teaching assistantships at the master's degree level or at the doctoral level. Teaching assistants teach two speech fundamentals classes or media writing classes each semester. Doctoral-level teaching assistants teach two classes each semester. Depending on experience, a portion of the assistantship may be devoted to assisting with other communication courses. Teaching assistantship deadline is Feb. 15 for the following fall semester.

Graduate assistants receive a stipend and tuition waiver. Applications are available from the department office or online from the department's Web site (www.ndsu.edu/communication). Other assistantships requiring specialized media knowledge may be available through other university offices.

 

Master's program

The Master of Arts program is designed for students who are interested in conducting qualitative or rhetorical research, while the Master of Science program is designed for those interested in quantitative research. Both programs require completion of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. The student can elect to complete a research-based thesis, for which six of the 30 credits are awarded, or a written exam, for which three credits are awarded. A prospectus meeting and final defense of the thesis/written exam is required.

Core
COMM 700	Research Methods in Communication	3
COMM 711	Communication Theory	3
Teaching assistants are also required to take COMM 702 - Introduction to College Teaching in their first or second semester.
Research Tools
Select at least two of the following:		6
COMM 704	Qualitative Research Methods in Communication
COMM 707	Quantitative Research Methods in Communication
COMM 767	Rhetorical Criticism
SOC 700	Qualitative Methods
SOC 701	Quantitative Methods
STAT 725	Applied Statistics
Students pursuing the M.A. degree must take at least one qualitative methods course (COMM 704, COMM 708, COMM 767, or SOC 700). Students pursuing the M.S. degree must complete at least one quantitative methods course (COMM 707, COMM 710, SOC 701, or STAT 725).
Elective Specialization
12-15 credits of additional coursework, depending on whether the thesis or paper/project option is selected. Students can select from a wide range of specializations, pending approval from their advisor. Students may also choose graduate-level electives from other departments that may enhance specialized communication study goals.		12-15
Thesis or Paper/Project
The paper/project option requires three credits of COMM 797. The thesis requires six credits of COMM 798.		3-6

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Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in 4 years, and requires at least 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree. These hours will be in a planned course of study approved and overseen by the student's advisor and advisory committee.

The department currently offers two areas of concentration:

• Interpersonal Communication
• Media and Society
• Organizational Communication

Students with a master's degree in another discipline may be required to complete additional graduate course work in specific areas of communication deemed necessary by the student's advisor and advisory committee. Graduate work taken beyond the master's degree may be judged applicable by the advisory committee, but post-master's graduate credits beyond 9 semester hours will not count toward the 60 credit minimum required for the Ph.D.

Students are strongly encouraged to take all of the Summer Scholars courses and are required to take at least two.

Course Requirements

Minimum of 30 credit hours in core or content concentration:

Core Courses
COMM 701	Advanced Research Methods in Communication I	3
COMM 703	Advanced Research Methods in Communication II	3
COMM 711	Communication Theory	3
Teaching assistants, without adequate prior teaching experience, are also required to take COMM 702 - Introduction to College Teaching in their first or second semester.
Content Concentration
Minimum of 12 credit hours in the department's 700-level courses in the student's major concentration area		12
Minimum of 3 credit hours in the department's 700-level courses in the student's minor concentration area		3
Minimum of 6 credit hours at the 700-level in a cognate area outside the department		6
Research Courses
Minimum of 3 credit hours of research method courses		3
Maximum of 6 credit hours of independent study		6
Additional Credits		6
Dissertation
Dissertation		15

Comprehensive Exams

When coursework is nearly completed, doctoral students will meet with their advisors to determine if they are prepared to complete the comprehensive examination. The advisor will consider the program of study, the student’s professional presentations and publications, the student’s teaching or other applied work, and the student’s professional service.

When the advisor agrees, the student will complete the comprehensive examination. After completion of the examination, the doctoral committee will evaluate the written work. If the committee deems the work to be generally acceptable, the advisor will schedule an oral examination in which the student will defend his or her exam.