Terminal Degree Students:  Residency Experience and Portfolio

Students choosing the pre-professional degree option will complete a residency during their second year.  A residency is a full- or part-time work experience (minimum 20 hours per week) that lasts one full academic quarter during the student’s second year (Fall, Winter, or Spring).  The work experience can take place either off-campus or on-campus, can be paid or unpaid, and must be related to communication.  Students are responsible for obtaining their residency placement. Students will be assisted in finding placements by the department’s Pre-Professional Advisor . Students will also ask an additional faculty member to serve as a consultant on the experience and as a second reader on their final project.

The exit project required for completing the pre-professional degree option is called the residency portfolio.  The portfolio will consist of the following sections:

• a summary review of key research literature pertaining to communication theories and concepts relevant to the residency experience
• a summary of activities (roll-up of bi-weekly reports)
• evaluation or organization’s communication practices and recommendations for change
• exhibits (including all work products and a current resumé)

The portfolio will be evaluated by the Pre-Professional Advisor and a second faculty member serving as reader and consultant on the residency experience.

Pre-Doctoral Students:  Thesis

The coursework and related elements of the program provide students with the necessary background to undertake the research required to complete a M.A. Thesis. Completion of the thesis requires three formal committee meetings: 1) thesis proposal, 2) thesis prospectus, and 3) the oral defense of the thesis. The proposal includes reasons for undertaking the research topic, the student's qualifications for pursuing the research question, a statement on the literature to be searched, and the proposal method. After the committee approves the proposal, the student will write the thesis prospectus, encompassing the first few chapters of the thesis (conceptualization of the problems, literature review, and research procedures/method).

The oral defense of the thesis will be conducted at the completion of the research with all committee members present. The defense is a public meeting which means that other members of the department and university communities are welcome to attend. The student will defend the thesis and answer questions for committee members during the meeting.