Total Hours

A total of 36 credit hours are required for the Master of Science in Organizational Communication. The minimum number of semester credit hours in Communication is 27. Up to 9 hours may be taken outside the Department with approval of the graduate advisor.

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Course Number Requirements

All Department course work must be at the 500 or 600 levels. Six hours of 400-level course work may be taken outside the department with approval of the graduate advisor.

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Grade Requirements

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain in the program at the end of each academic year. No student will be allowed to continue in the program after earning two grades of "C."

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Transfer Credit

No more than 9 semester credit hours may be accepted for transfer.

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Time Limitations

Students will be expected to complete the program in two years if enrolled full time. Students not completing their degree after seven years from the date of first enrollment will be dropped from the program.

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Other Requirements

Students will be required to complete 12 hours in Communication Theory, 6 hours in Communication Research Methods, and 9 hours in Applied Communication courses.  Students will also be required to complete 9 hours as electives. These may be chosen from among the previous three groups of courses or, with approval of the graduate advisor, up to 9 of the elective hours may be taken outside the Department.

There is no language or research tool requirement, although 6 hours of research methods courses are required of all students.

In order to provide an opportunity to review and synthesize their learning, students during the final semester will be required to complete a written comprehensive exam covering all their course work, with an oral exam following the written.  Students must complete each exam with a passing grade as determined by the student's advisory committee.  A student may retake the written and the oral comprehensives once.

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Basic Course Outline

Following is the basic outline of course requirements and sequencing:

THEORY (9 hours required):

Communication Theory
Organizational Communication
Communication and Social Change

RESEARCH (6 hours required):

Quantitative Research Methods
Qualitative Research Methods

APPLICATION (12 total hours required--see below**):

Directed Project
Communication and Information Technology
Advanced Public Relations Techniques
Communication and Organizational Culture
Communication and Diversity
Decision-Making and Group Processes
Conflict Management
Crisis Communication
Organizations and Globalization
Interpersonal Systems
Cross-Cultural Communication
Special Topics in Communication

**Students must take at least 12 hours from this area within the department.  Other elective courses, to complete 36 hours, may include up to 9 hours of course work in departments outside Communication, including the following:

ENG 512, Theory and Research in Professional Writing
ENG 515, Rhetoric of Science and Technology
ENG 519, Online Information Design and Evaluation
ENG 520, Science Writing for the Media
BUS 531, Managerial Processes and Effectiveness
BUS 532, Strategic Human Resource Management
BUS 533, Leadership in Management
PA 511, Public Policy Analysis
PA 513, Public Organization Behavior
PA 514, Management Systems
PA 525, Organization Design
SOC 752, Work and Industry
SOC 753, Formal Organizations

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