PROGRAM ADVISING

The Department of Communication Studies uses a form of contract advising.  Graduate students are required to plan contractual programs of study with their academic advisors during the first semester of coursework.   Refer to Requirements.  Graduate students in Communication Studies are responsible for knowing all policies and procedures pertinent to the successful completion of their degree.  However, they will be assigned their own academic advisors to help them in their programs of study, beginning with the initial development of their individual plans of study.  Academic advisors will use the General Advisory Form to supervise the development of the plan.   When approved, these contractual programs must be filed with the Graduate Program Director.

Thereafter, the academic advisor serves as the person responsible for approving changes in a student's contractual plan, for authorizing course registration, and for supervising the formation of the thesis committee or the comprehensive examination committee.

GUIDELINES FOR NORMAL PROGRESS

First Semester

• Attend all sessions of COM 500 and all department colloquia.
  
• Submit request for academic advisor to the Graduate Program Director, as soon as possible.  Submit individual Plan of Study Proposal for academic advisor's approval and file with the Graduate Program Director, no later than the end of the semester.

Second Semester

• For those pursuing Plan II/Practicum -- At the start of the semester, have your practicum proposal submitted to your academic advisor for approval.
  
• Submit any requests for financial assistance for the next academic year to the Graduate Program Director, by 15 February.
  
• Complete the Departmental Application for Master's Degree Candidacy (PDF) approval, by 15 April.
  
• Pending approval by the Departmental faculty and the successful completion of minimally 12 hours of course work, fill out the Graduate School Application for Admission to Candidacy Form for submission to the Graduate School.

Third Semester

• Review the approved electives on your plan of study with your academic advisor, and secure approval for any necessary amendments. Be sure to file an Amendment to the Plan of Study Form with the Graduate Program Director.
  
• For those pursuing Plan I -- At the start of the semester, identify with your advisor potential faculty members for your thesis committee. A minimum of 3 faculty members, one of which must be from outside the department, is required. The committee must be submitted to the department chair for approval (submit Approved Thesis Committee Form).   Then, you will need to meet with the committee to approve your thesis prospectus.
  
• For those pursuing Plan II/Comps -- Consult with your academic advisor about setting up a comprehensive examination committee, by 1 December.
  
• If you plan to graduate in the next semester, you should be planning for your department colloquium based on your scholarship.  Submit the Colloquium Request Form to the Department Colloquia Coordinator to secure your presentation date.

Final Semester

• At the beginning of your final semester, submit an Application for Degree form to the Graduate School. This form, along with the Admission to Candidacy Form, must be on file in the Graduate School Office in order to graduate. It is the student's responsibility to complete the application for degree form with the Graduate School.  Failure to do so will result in your name not being placed on the graduation list.

• For those pursuing Plan II/Comps, arrange with the Graduate Program Director to take your comprehensive examination, no later than late March or early April.
  
  1. The written portion (five hours) must be successfully completed first.
  2. The oral component of the comprehensive examination is scheduled by the student's advisor in consultation with the committee.
  3. You will need the committee members' signatures on the Graduate School Comprehensive Examination Form after successfully completing the examination process to submit to the Graduate School NO LATER than the deadline for the results of the comprehensive examination in order to graduate.

• For those pursuing Plan II/Practicum -- After completing course work and the practicum experience, you must submit a final written report on the whole practicum to your advisor for approval at least 4 weeks prior to graduate date.

• For those pursuing Plan I -- Consult the Graduate School Deadlines carefully.
  1. You will need to submit an approved thesis title card with the exact title of your thesis.
     
  2. You will need to submit 2 copies of the thesis, receipt for thesis binding fee, and 2 copies of an abstract.
     
  3. You will need to complete successfully an oral defense of your thesis.  The date for this defense must be submitted to the Graduate Program Director at least 2 weeks in advance to notify the Graduate School and to give public notice (see Graduate School Form).   After completing the defense, your committee members must sign the Final Thesis Defense Form for the Graduate School.  Then, the committee may sign the Acceptance Page for submission with your thesis.