University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) offers an online Master of Arts in Communication that prepares students for professional work in non-profit and public organizations, as well as for further studies in communication at the doctoral level. This program is housed in UT Tyler’s Department of Communication, and also allows students to take interdisciplinary courses in other departments (pending advisor approval) to shape a customized course of study.
The curriculum for the MA in Communication is quite flexible, with only two core courses (6 credit hours) that cover communication theories and research methods, after which students can select 24-30 credits of electives, depending on the culminating experience option they select. Elective courses cover topics in rhetorical criticism, public opinion and propaganda, organizational communication, popular culture and mass media, student development and communication, intercultural communication, media ecology, new media theory and its applications, and the processes of group leadership.
The culminating experience in the program is either a thesis, a professional or creative project, or a comprehensive examination. Students who choose the thesis option must complete a work of original research under the guidance of a faculty committee, and defend their research and findings before this committee at the end of the program. Students who select the project option must complete a master’s-level graduate project that is relevant to their professional goals, with a faculty committee guiding and evaluating their work. The project option also requires students to defend their work before their committee of advisors. The comprehensive examination is a written exam that tests students on their understanding of and ability to apply the coursework content. This option requires students to take two additional courses, as both the thesis and the project take six credits to complete.
UT Tyler is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Online Master of Arts in Communication
Overview
Department: Department of Communication
Specializations/Concentrations: Areas of Focus in Journalism; Speech Communication
Websites: Department
and Program
Program Format
Structure: Online program with no required campus visits
Instruction Methods: Program uses asynchronous instruction
Campus Visits Required: No
Program Length: Program can be completed in 2 years
Start Dates: Fall and Spring admission
Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
Credits Required: 36 credits (12 courses)
Thesis Required: No
Capstone Options: Thesis, project, or comprehensive exam
Example Courses: Communication Research Methods; The Literature of Journalism; Public Opinion and Propaganda; Mass Media and Popular Culture; Leadership and the Group Process; Gender and Communication; New Media Theories and Applications; Nonverbal Communication
Admission Requirements
Application Requirements: Bachelor's degree; writing sample; two letters of recommendation
GPA Requirements: Minimum GPA 3.0
Testing Requirements: GRE not required
Tuition Costs
Estimated Tuition*: ~$15,660 + fees (in-state) - contact school for tuition rates for out-of-state students
Cost per Credit Hour: Inquire with school
State Authorizations: Program accepts students from all 50 states
