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The 36-hour project track includes the core of nine hours, 18 to 21 hours of mass communication electives, and six to nine hours of electives from graduate courses outside the school. The electives allow students to select courses in areas that support their special research or job-related needs and interests. The non-thesis option requires three more credit hours than the thesis option.

Comprehensive/Exit Exam

In their last semester in the program and after completing all course work, students on the non-thesis track must pass a five-hour written comprehensive examination to be given over a one-week period usually in either October or March. It is recommended that students not take these examinations during summer sessions. However, if exceptions are made, the student should obtain prior consent of the adviser and other faculty members who are responsible for setting the questions and for grading the exams.

Students must choose a committee consisting of three mass communication faculty under whom they have studied. No single faculty member will write questions for more than two courses per student. The committee chair will solicit questions from faculty members including those in minor areas not on the committee when necessary.

Three tests of one hour each will be given on the core courses, MC5301, MC5302 and MC5303. The questions on the core courses will be set by the faculty who teach these courses. Questions for the other two hours may come from two electives in mass communication or from one elective in mass communication and a course in an area of interest or from a minor area. Students will discuss with their committee members the subject areas for the tests. Some faculty may provide reading lists for their subject areas.

Students will type answers to the questions on a computer under supervised conditions in the Mass Communication department at times arranged with the graduate adviser or a committee member. Faculty members who composed the questions will evaluate the answers. The faculty member may require an oral follow-up session.

If students fail three or more hours, they will not graduate and a failure is reported to the Graduate College. Students who fail one or two hours may be required to rewrite part of the exam. Students have only one opportunity to retake the parts of the test they failed the first time. The student’s exam committee will set the time for the retest. If on the rewrite they fail even one test, a failure will be reported to the Graduate College. In other words, students must pass all five exams to graduate.