Communication and Media Administration (M.A.)

This interdisciplinary program, offered through the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences, provides understanding and skills relevant to the workings of contemporary communication and media environments. The program offers graduate training for professionals in communication and media careers, and will draw on diverse specializations from several disciplines across the University.

Objectives

It is expected that graduates of this program will gain: 

1. Understanding of the dynamics of contemporary professional communication environments
2. Practical skills for written and visual communication within professional environements
3. Administrative skills for leadership roles within contemporary organizational communication

To earn an M.A. in Communication and Media Administration, students must complete 33 credits of coursework, including

• four core courses (12 cr)
• three courses (9 cr) from communication environments
• two courses (6 cr) from digital media practices, and
• two courses (6 cr) from communication administration.

Application is open to anyone who has earned a minimum of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education without restriction to discipline. Admission is limited in number - individual admissions will be determined by the Program Coordinator and/or Dean of the College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences based upon admission criteria specified below:

Admission Requirements

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 3.00.

Application Procedures

1. A completed application for graduate admission (non-refundable application fee required).
2. Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
3. A current resumé.
4. A one-page statement of accomplishments and academic goals.
5. Three letters of professional reference.
6. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate competence in English. The College accepts a score of 540 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) written exam, 207 or better on the computer-based version, or 76 or better on the Internet-based version. For the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, applicants must achieve a score of 6.0 or better.
7. International students must submit Evidence of Financial Support.

Admissions Status

Full admission may be granted to applicants who have fully satisfied all the admissions requirements.

Probationary admission may be granted to applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below listed requirements. Transfer to full admission status may be achieved upon completion of 9 credits of graduate courses. Applicants whose undergraduate GPA is lower than 2.75 will not be considered for admission.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit may be granted for up to 15 credits of equivalent graduate course work at other institutions upon recommendation of the Program Coordinator and approval by the Dean of Arts & Behavioral Sciences. Transfer credits must reflect a minimum GPA of 3.00. Transfer credit will not be granted for CMA 675 .

Capstone Course

After the completion of 27 or more credits, degree candidates are required to take CMA 675 Capstone in Human Communication Theory , a core capstone class in human communication theory which will conclude in its final four weeks with 8 hours of written comprehensive examinations. The capstone course will be offered each year in the Winter semester, with other offerings as needed.

 

The exams will be administered by the capstone instructor, and designed and evaluated by a committee of fulltime faculty representing different areas of the program. The capstone course will review program concepts and help students prepare for the exams. Exams will take place in two-hour blocks over the final four weeks of class. In order to pass the course, the student must obtain a grade of “B” or better. In consultation with the faculty committee, the capstone instructor will provide a report evaluating the student’s work. A student who fails the capstone course twice is dismissed from the program.

Academic Regulations

A maximum of 15 graduate credits may be accepted by transfer upon admission; a minimum of 18 credits must be taken at SVSU.

Transfer credit will not be granted for CMA 675 .

A minimum grade point average of 3.00 (“B”) is required for graduation. No  “C”, “D” or “F” may be counted toward the degree. Students may repeat a course only once and the second grade will become official.

If the cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 at any time after accumulation of 12 credits at SVSU; if the student fails to demonstrate acceptable levels of expression in oral or written English; if the student has accumulated six credits of “D” or “F” grades the first time a course is taken; or if special conditions of admission are not met, the student may, based on the circumstances of the individual, be dismissed from the program.

The maximum load for a fulltime student is 12 credits during the fall or winter semesters and six credits during the spring or summer sessions (reduced by the sum of graduate credits with the grade of “I”). Under special circumstances the Program Coordinator may waive load restrictions for individual students for the semester or session in question.

The degree must be completed within six years of initial enrollment or credits will be lost.