Main Navigation
417 Kimpel Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 479.575.3046
Fax: 479.575.6734
Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences
Copyright © 2010
Graduate Students Prospective Students
Organized in 1871 under provisions of the Morrill Act as both the State University and the Land-Grant College of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas is now comprised of nine colleges and schools. The Graduate School, which was established in 1927, has offered a Master of Arts degree in Communication, or its precursor Speech, since 1954. The graduate program is located in the Department of Communication, at 417 Kimpel Hall, on the University’s flagship campus at Fayetteville.
Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville is a cultural crossroads where students find opportunity, excitement, and diversity. The seat of government for Washington County, Fayetteville has a population of nearly 70,000 people, with at least 350,000 people in the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area. This progressive city attracts patrons of the arts, the sciences, and the professions, which makes Fayetteville an excellent choice for graduate study.
While attending the University of Arkansas, you may find the opportunity to have coffee with a nationally recognized researcher in laser physics or lunch with a prize-winning poet. You can enjoy a weekend backpacking through a wilderness area, canoeing the Buffalo National River, sailing on Beaver Lake, or enjoying an open market of arts, crafts, and farm-fresh produce around the town square.
To contact the Department write or call:
Dr. Myria Allen, Graduate Coordinator
Department of Communication
417 Kimpel Hall
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479. 575. 3046
The Department of Communication
Communication is a basic feature of human behavior and is fundamental to everyday life. Within the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Communication conducts research, teaches, and provides services to the University and to the community beyond.
The Department of Communication is committed to the contemporary study of human communication by bridging the humanities and social sciences. We have a long and proud heritage dating to 1891 when we were the Department of Elocution formed at the Arkansas Industrial University. Our name was changed to the Department of Communication in 1980.
Teaching and scholarship in the Department focuses on the study of factors and processes related to symbolic messages in interpersonal, public, and mass communication settings. As such, the contexts of friendships and families, business relationships and political systems, cultural interaction, and technological advances are important areas of study in communication.
In the mid 1990s, a panel of outside scholars reviewed this Department and determined that our program was "nationally recognized." They further noted that our Department's "major strength is its faculty whose credentials are superior. The scholarly productivity of the faculty is best described as prolific and exceptional. Scholarship authored by the faculty is of the highest quality, generally published in the discipline's most competitive journals." There are currently thirteen Ph.D. faculty members in the department. Our faculty members have regularly won awards for their teaching, research, and advising.
If you are interested in the way people interact through the use of messages and symbols, you will find the graduate program in communication offers opportunities for scholarship and research. It’s a comprehensive program of study in three broad areas: (a) rhetoric and public communication; (b) interpersonal, small group, and organizational communication; and (c) mass communication.
The Graduate School Admissions Process
To earn an MA degree, you must formally apply to, and be officially admitted by, the University of Arkansas Graduate School. The University of Arkansas Graduate School Catalog provides a detailed description of admission requirements for graduate study. To learn more about regulations for international students, contact the Graduate School at (479) 575-4401 or contact the International Admissions Office .
Financial aid programs at the University of Arkansas are designed to provide partial or full support in helping meet the costs of graduate education. There are many different programs available. More detailed information is available at the Office of Student Financial Services at (479) 575-3806 or toll free (800) 377-8632.
For all prospective students, more information about the admissions process is available from the Graduate School Admissions Office. Their address is:
Graduate School Admissions Office
346 N Arkansas Avenue #50
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-4401
http://www.uark.edu/depts/gradinfo/prospective/
It is important to note that admission to graduate standing in the Graduate School does not automatically constitute acceptance in any specific program of study. To pursue a graduate degree in communication, you must also be accepted in the program after gaining regular admission to the Graduate School.
Admission into the Department of Communication
For consideration of admission to the MA degree program in Communication, you must provide the department with a writing sample, which may be an essay or research paper that you wrote for an undergraduate or graduate class, your Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score, and a brief admissions essay. In the essay please state, as precisely as you can, your goals for your graduate education, the interests you have in the field of communication, and the subject areas or specific projects you wish to research while enrolled as a graduate student in the department.
A student entering graduate studies should have a minimum of 24 semester hours in undergraduate credit in Communication (or a closely related area). However, the Department of Communication regularly admits students with fewer than 24 hours in Communication. Students lacking adequate preparation in their undergraduate degrees are strongly encouraged to enroll in classes to address these deficiencies during their first semester(s) in the graduate program. Those classes can be selected in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator or the student’s advisor, but should come from 3000-level Communication courses. Those hours do not count in the required hours for the Master’s degree.
For consideration of admission to the MA degree program in Communication, you must provide the department with a writing sample (which may be an essay or research paper that you wrote for an undergraduate or graduate class), three (3) letters of recommendation, your Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score, and a brief admissions essay. In the essay please state, as precisely as you can, your goals for your graduate education, the interests you have in the field of communication, and the subject areas or specific projects you wish to research while enrolled as a graduate student in the department.
When you are admitted, the Department of Communication assigns a faculty member as your advisor to work with you during your first semester. By the start of the second semester, you should ask a faculty member you think shares a common academic interest with you to become the chair of your M. A. committee. You will name the other members of your committee during your second year of study.
During your first semester, meet with your advisor to develop a Plan of Study (forms are available in the departmental office). This plan will include all coursework completed to date, as well as future classes you propose to take. Both your advisor and the Department Chair must approve and sign your Plan of Study. Over time, your plan may change. You must report any modifications to your Plan of Study to the main office and complete a new Plan of Study form. Work with your advisor to continually develop and update a coherent plan to your coursework. Seek faculty advice so you can select the most appropriate classes for your goals.
Your Plan of Study will include either a minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate course work and 6 hours of thesis credit, or a minimum of 30 semester hours in graduate courses. Although there are some restrictions, generally you (with your advisor’s consent) should select classes that best meet your particular interests and goals.
Required courses. You must complete two graduate courses in communication research methods: 1) COMM 5123, and 2) one of the following courses: COMM 5113 or COMM 5353 or COMM 5143. You must also complete at least one course from two of the three emphasis areas (rhetoric and public communication; interpersonal, small group, and organizational communication; and mass communication). (A listing of courses and emphasis areas may be found at the bottom of this page). Take your two methods courses early in your academic career. They are important foundations and will influence your successful performance in subsequent classes.
COMM 5111, Section 001(Colloquium in Communication Research) is offered each fall to introduce you to the graduate program and orient you to university research and library resources. You must enroll in this class your first fall semester. After that, you are encouraged to sit in on the class each fall semester to update your research skills and network with new graduate students. If you are a teaching assistant you also must enroll each semester in COMM 5111, Section 002 (Colloquium in Communication Education). The hours earned in these colloquia will not count toward the 30 minimum hours required for graduation.
In addition to the two required methods courses, at least five three-hour 5000-level courses must be completed in the Department of Communication. The remaining hours of graduate credit must be selected from the following options:
- Additional 5000-level departmental seminars;
(2) 4000-level courses in the Department of Communication that are approved for graduate credit (However, students are strongly urged to limit the number of 4000-level courses to no more than six hours.);
- Up to six hours of graduate-level courses outside the Department of Communication that directly relate to the student’s Plan of Study;
- Three hours of internship credit in COMM 5913;
- Up to six hours of credit in COMM 590V;
- Up to six hours of Thesis credit;
- Each student must pass a comprehensive examination over the thesis and/or all course work.
Required grade point. In order to receive a master’s degree, you must maintain at least a cumulative 2.85 grade point average. If you are a graduate teaching assistant the department expects you to maintain at least a 3.25 GPA.
You will find a detailed description of performance standards and issues related to academic honesty within the Graduate Catalog. It is important to realize that a grade of “C” in graduate school does not mean the same thing as a “C” in your undergraduate coursework. If you receive C’s in more than one graduate course perhaps you should rethink your immediate career goals. C’s are warning signs and are not to be taken lightly.
Annual Graduate Student Academic Review. The standards of the Graduate School of the University stipulate that you have six consecutive calendar years to complete all requirements for the MA degree. Each spring semester, the graduate faculty in the department will review your record to make sure that you are making normal progress toward your degree. Shortly thereafter, your advisor will communicate the results of this review to you in a face-to-face meeting. This meeting is very, very important for your own information and for planning your academic program. Your participation in supplying documentation for the review process and your attendance at the face-to-face meeting is expected.
The graduate faculty will look at your work as a graduate student and whether you are making normal progress toward the MA degree, adequate progress, or unsatisfactory progress. You should be aware however that anything less than normal progress is a serious warning sign about your ability to complete the degree.
Normal Progress toward the MA in Communication:
Progress in completing courses:
- minimum 6 hrs. per semester w/ 3.0 CGPA over all coursework
- required courses completed or scheduled in plan of study
(NOTE: graduate assistants must complete 15 hrs. per academic year to maintain their assistantship)
Thesis option: satisfaction of thesis committee that the thesis will be completed within the time requirements for the degree
Non-thesis option: required examinations scheduled during the final semester of coursework
Other requirements:
- Updated plan of study on file by February 1 of each year
- Each semester, confers with his/her Administrator or Advisor before registering for classes and before dropping or adding credits
- Participation in the Annual Grad Student Review Process
Adequate Progress toward the MA in Communication:
Progress in completing course:
- minimum 3 hrs. per semester w/2.85 CGPA over all coursework;
- required courses scheduled or completed
(NOTE: graduate assistants must complete 15 hrs. per academic year to maintain their assistantship)
Thesis option: satisfaction of thesis committee that the thesis will be completed within time requirements
Non-thesis option: required examinations scheduled no later than one semester after completion of all coursework
Other requirements:
- Updated plan of study on file by February 1 of each year
- Each semester, confers with his/her Administrator or Advisor before registering for classes and before dropping or adding credits
- Participation in the Annual Grad Student Review Process
Neither Normal nor Adequate Progress toward the MA in Communication:
Requirements for at least adequate progress have not been met in whole or in part
Review Results. The results of the review and your face-to-face interview will become part of your permanent record in the department and the Graduate School. If you wish to appeal the results of your review, you may certainly do so by following the step-by-step procedures as outlined in the Graduate Student Grievance Policy of the Graduate School . This procedure begins by appeal to your advisor and then, to the department chair.
Thesis vs. non-thesis option
As suggested earlier, you can design your program to concentrate on graduate coursework (30 semester hours of courses) or to conduct independent research in the form of a 6-hour thesis (and 24 semester hours of course work). Copies of recent theses are available in Mullins Library.
Thesis option. By the end of your second semester of study, you should select a faculty member to direct your thesis. This faculty member becomes your Thesis Advisor for the remainder of your program of study. Discuss possible topics and a tentative schedule with him or her as early as possible. Completing a thesis often requires at least two full semesters. Initiate discussion with your Thesis Advisor and establish a schedule for completing your thesis no later than the beginning of the semester prior to your final semester of study. Your Thesis Advisor can help provide detailed information and requirements.
After selecting a Thesis Advisor and identifying a topic (in consultation with your thesis advisor), you will select at least two more faculty members to serve on your thesis committee. The Graduate School requires that your committee members are members of the graduate faculty, and if two of your committee members are married to each other, neither can serve as your Thesis Advisor.
- Your thesis committee must be formed by the third week of the semester prior to the semester in which you plan to finish.
- By the sixth week of the semester prior to the one in which you plan to graduate, you must present a written thesis proposal or prospectus for approval by the committee. This proposal should include your purpose, rationale, partial literature review, and methodology for the study.
The Graduate School has detailed guidelines for completing the thesis. The guide is available at the campus bookstore (Guide for Preparing Theses or Dissertations). The Dean of the Graduate School must approve the thesis title at least three months before the oral defense is scheduled. Your completed thesis must be submitted to your committee at least two weeks before the oral defense. The oral defense must be completed at least two weeks before the degree is to be conferred. Upon acceptance by the committee and at least one-week before graduation, two unbound laser-printed copies must be delivered to the Graduate Dean for approval before a copy is deposited in the Mullins Library. Check the Graduate School’s web site for more details.
Comprehensive Exams. At the end of your graduate work you must pass either (a) an oral defense of a thesis or (b) a written comprehensive examination over all course work.
Non-thesis option. If you are not writing a thesis you must complete a written exam over all coursework, usually during your final semester of study. These exams are taken between the tenth and fourteenth week of your final semester. It is prepared by a committee of at least three faculty chaired by your Graduate Advisor (the faculty member you selected to direct your program). You must have taken graduate coursework from all the members on your committee. Two of your committee members should specialize in your interest area (rhetoric and public communication; interpersonal, small group and organizational communication; or mass communication); the other must specialize in another area. If two of your committee members are married to each other, neither can serve as chair of your committee. Generally you should not include a faculty member you are studying with for the first time during the semester you are taking your exams.
By fourth week of the semester in which you plan to graduate, you should have a group meeting with all the faculty members on your committee. At this committee meeting, present them with a list of all the courses you have taken and the grades you have earned. Come prepared to tell them your primary areas of emphasis and research (e.g., specific theories and content areas) and what you hope to do after graduation. They can then design exam questions that allow you to synthesize material across your coursework while focusing its application on your future career plans. Although your committee will not give you the specific exam questions in advance, they will take your interests into account in constructing the questions.
Your comprehensive exam consists of three questions. You will write on each question for two hours for a total of six hours. One question focuses on research methodology. The second asks you to integrate material from the two focal areas within which you took courses (rhetoric and public communication; interpersonal, small group, and organizational communication; and mass communication). The final question focuses on your primary areas of emphasis and research.
Your answers to these three questions should reflect months of preparation in which you review old class notes or read new material as indicated by your committee. You are expected to do your best work on these exams. Your preparation can be manifested in a variety of ways such as including citations of authors and researchers. Ask your committee members to specify guidelines (e.g., minimum number of citations that must be included in any answer) they might offer you so that your exam answers are adequate, if not outstanding.
Following your written comprehensive exams, normally a follow-up meeting with your committee will be scheduled. This meeting provides you with an opportunity to elaborate on or change your written answers. Read your original answers, think about ways to improve them, correct any mistakes, and fill in any material you initially omitted. Come prepared to the oral meeting! Your committee will judge your performance (pass, pass with distinction, or fail). If you fail any of the written or oral components of the exam, your committee has several options. They may require you to take additional courses or to retake portions of the exam. They also may elect to dismiss you from the program. A majority of the committee must vote “Pass” for you to pass. Each student is provided no more than two (2) opportunities to pass the comprehensive exams. If you fail the exams twice, you will not be permitted to retake the exams.
Thesis option. If you elect to complete a thesis, you do not have to complete the written comprehensive exam. However, you must pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis. This thesis defense also may include questions from the 24 hours of course work you completed for the degree. In the case of exemplary performance, a student will be awarded the honor of “Pass with Distinction.”
Every year, the Department of Communication awards a limited number of graduate assistantships. When applying for an assistantship, you concurrently must apply to the Graduate School for graduate admission. These assistantships carry stipends for a nine-month appointment, waivers of tuition (both resident and out-of-state), and some assistance with health insurance. Appointments generally require a working assignment of 20 hours per week; the workload equals a half-time (50%) appointment.
A graduate assistant usually will teach two sections of the basic speech communication skills course (COMM 1313: Fundamentals of Communication). A limited number of other appointments may be offered to support faculty teaching large sections (e.g., COMM 1003—Basic Course in the Fine Arts: Film Lecture) or to assist in teaching, research, or service.
The Department of Communication expects graduate assistants to meet high standards for satisfactory academic progress. You must complete a minimum of six graduate credit hours (but no more than 12) during each semester and 15 hours by the end of the second semester on appointment. You also must maintain a 3.25 GPA and receive a positive recommendation from the Graduate Committee to be continued on appointment. If you receive a summer appointment, you must enroll for at least three semester hours, although you may teach during one summer session and attend class in another. The assistantship can be extended over four semesters (not including Summer School).
If interested in an assistantship, you should contact the Department of Communication office and request the appropriate application materials. You will need to return a completed assistantship application form, official transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to the department’s Graduate Coordinators. The assistantship application form and TA recommendation form are available online.
To insure full consideration of your application for a teaching assistantship, we encourage applicants file their paperwork as early as possible. For departmental deadlines, applicants should contact the graduate program director Dr. Myria Allen at myria@uark.edu.
International students (and resident aliens) whose native language is not English must demonstrate competency in spoken English by submitting a test score of at least 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) in order to be eligible for a graduate assistantship with teaching responsibilities. This test cannot be waived.
Research is an integral part of the graduate program in communication, and to help in this important work, the Department provides access to a variety of resources, including the University libraries, Computing Services, and the Arkansas Archives of Public Communication. Multimedia equipment and funding support also may be secured within the department.
Our faculty place special emphasis on graduate students’ professional development. As a master’s student you should plan to work closely with the faculty on research projects. Many faculty members have achieved national recognition and stature for their professional work as researchers, teachers, and consultants. They will help guide you through the challenges, opportunities, commitments, and obligations associated with graduate study in communication.
As a graduate student, you will be given many opportunities to become actively involved in research with faculty and students alike. You may work as an integral member of a research team or conduct independent research. Required papers in graduate courses may generate creative ideas for theses and conference papers.
For many graduate students, research opportunities like these have led to significant professional accomplishments including published journal articles and papers presented at regional and national conventions. Past students have published articles in the Journal of Communication Studies, the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, the Journal of Family Communication, the Quarterly Journal of Speech, the Western Journal of Speech Communication, and presented numerous papers at the conventions of the Southern States Communication Association, the National Communication Association, and the International Communication Association.
If you present a discipline-related research paper at a convention, the Department of Communication can help with travel funds. Since 1985, we have offered students the Fulbright Student Research Prize in Communication in the amount of $100 to help fund graduate student travel to conventions. From monies available from the Walton Charitable Gift, the Graduate School has been able to provide substantial travel support for department-approved requests. The Graduate School’s guidelines for applying for the “Professional Meeting Travel Grants” are located at: Travel Grant. You should apply for these funds as early as possible in the semester you are attending the meeting. The number and amount of travel fund grants is limited.
Our faculty strongly encourages you to take an active role in the professional associations of the discipline. By joining these professional groups, you are initiating a path toward meeting departmental expectations of professional involvement. Free or discounted subscriptions to many excellent publications and reduced membership fees are available to students. These organizations include:
National Communication Association
International Communication Association
Public Relations Society of America
Southern States Communication Association
Rhetoric Society of America
International Association of Business Communicators
American Academy of Advertising
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Broadcast Education Association
Organization for Research on the Study of Women and Communication
American Communication Association
Graduate Students and Research
Research is an integral part of the graduate program in communication, and to help in this important work, the Department provides access to a variety of resources, including the University libraries, Computing Services, and the Arkansas Archives of Public Communication. Multimedia equipment and funding support also may be secured within the department.
Our faculty place special emphasis on graduate students’ professional development, and as a master’s student you should plan to work closely with the faculty. Many faculty members have achieved national recognition and stature for their professional work as researchers, teachers, and consultants. They will help guide you through the challenges, opportunities, commitments, and obligations associated with graduate study in communication.
As a graduate student, you will be given many opportunities to become actively involved in research with faculty and students alike. You may work as an integral member of a research team or conduct independent research. Required papers in graduate courses may generate creative ideas for theses and conference papers.
For many graduate students, research opportunities like these have led to significant professional accomplishments including published journal articles and papers presented at regional and national conventions. Past students have published articles in the Western Journal of Speech Communication, the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, the Journal of Communication Studies, the Quarterly Journal of Speech, and the Communication Law Review and presented numerous papers at the Southern States Communication Association Convention, the National Communication Association Convention, and the International Communication Association Convention.
The Department of Communication can help with travel funds if you present a discipline-related research paper at a convention. Since 1985, we have offered students the Fulbright Student Research Prize in Communication in the amount of $100 to help fund graduate student travel to conventions. The Fulbright College and Graduate School often have been able to provide partial travel support as well.
Our Faculty strongly encourages you to take an active role in the professional communication associations. By joining these professional groups, you are initiating a path toward meeting departmental expectations of professional involvement. Free or discounted subscriptions to many excellent publications and reduced membership fees are available to students