Thesis and Non-Thesis

The program offers two tracks toward the M.A. degree: thesis and non-thesis. (“Plan 1” and “Plan 2,” respectively). Each plan has unique advantages. The student, in consultation with his or her major professor and M.A. Committee, chooses which plan to follow. Both plans require two years of study.

Students who intend to pursue doctoral studies after their UC Davis training are strongly advised to select the thesis option. The nonthesis option is often – although certainly not always – the preferred option for students who anticipate a career in business or government. Students anticipating a research career in the private sector or government will be encouraged to select the thesis option.

Thesis Option (Plan 1)

Students selecting the thesis option complete 32 units of course work (usually 8 courses) and prepare a thesis, which is a written report of original scholarship that makes an important contribution to knowledge about communication.

The thesis is a written, bounded report of an empirical research project that addresses an important issue in communication. Theses within the program are generally expected to be data-based and theory driven. Data may be generated by the student using one or more of the traditional methods of the social sciences (survey research, experimental methods, content analysis, and so forth). Alternatively, students may opt with the permission of their Advisor and M.A. Committee to take advantage of an existing data source (“secondary data analysis”).

The thesis is often based on collaborative research between the student's Advisor and the student, with the student being primarily responsible for executing the study and writing the thesis report.

Thesis research begins with a thesis proposal, which is submitted to the M.A. Committee for approval before data collection is initiated. For most projects, the thesis proposal will include the following parts:

• Review of relevant research, including a
  theoretical rational for the proposed study.
• Hypotheses or research questions.
• A description of the methods and instruments
  to be employed.
• A description of the statistical methods to
  be used to test the hypotheses.

Plan 1 students are encouraged to think about the scope and topic of their thesis early in their program. Keep in mind as well that thesis research involving human subjects will require the submission of a human subjects
review application. Approval by the campus human subjects review committee can take several weeks to obtain.

There is no required length for a thesis, but it will generally be 50 or more pages long, exclusive of tables, figures and references. It must also conform to the University's formating requirements, a copy of which is available from the Graduate Coordinator.

The thesis will be defended by the student before the M.A. Committee in a thesis defense meeting. The best way to ensure a successful outcome is to interact often and in detail with all members of the committee throughout the thesis research endeavor. The committee has the option of accepting the thesis, accepting it with revision, or rejecting it.

Non-Thesis Option (Plan 2)

Students choosing the non-thesis option must complete 40 units of coursework (typically 10 courses) and pass a comprehensive examination which includes written and oral components.

Overview of the comprehensive exam.

Plan 2 students are required to pass a comprehensive examination. responsibility for preparing and evaluating a student's comprehensive examination is assumed by the student's M.A. Advisor and Committee. At the discretion of the Advisor, questions may be solicited and evaluated by other members of the Program Faculty. As students’ programs of study differ, so too will the scope and nature of their comprehensive examination.

The planning meeting.

Students on plan 2 should meet with their M.A. Committees in the Spring Quarter of their first year of study to negotiate the nature of their examination and develop a study plan for preparing for it. Students are reminded that they will be enrolled in directed study (CMN 299) throughout the duration of their studies to provide ample opportunity for preparation for the examination. Comprehensive examinations in the program consist of two components: a written examination (essay) and an oral examination. The format for the written examination can include a “sit down” essay examination, a “take home” essay assignment, or some combination of each format. The student's Advisor and Committee, in consultation with the student, will determine the most appropriate format.

The written examination.

At minimum, every student's written examination will cover the core theories and methodologies that define the subdisciplines of social interaction and mediated communication. These theories and methodologies are covered in the core classes and other coursework. It must be stressed, however, that the examinations will go beyond the scope of these courses to address topics that any “master” of communication should reasonably be expected to know. Students will surely be tested, for example, on current trends and controversies in the field. These examinations often ask the student to integrate issues covered across courses and apply theories and principles to new situations. Each examination will also address the student's primary interest area.

Evaluation of the written component of the examination will be the responsibility of the student's M.A. Advisor and M.A. Committee. All written components of the examination must be acceptable to the Committee. The student's M.A. Committee has the option of requiring a rewrite of unacceptable work. Only one revision of written work is permitted.

The oral examination.

The oral examination has the format of a cross-examination, in which students are asked to defend or expand upon their written examination answers. Students will also be asked questions about issues about which any “master” of communication should reasonably be expected to have knowledge. These examinations are open to all members of the Program's faculty and student body.

At the conclusion of the cross-examination, the student and others in attendance will be asked to leave the room. The Committee will then confer and make a determination of whether the student has passed or failed the oral examination. Once a decision has been made, the student will be called back into the room and told of the Committee's evaluation by the M.A. Advisor.

At the sole discretion of the student's M.A. Committee, a second oral examination may be scheduled if a student fails on the first attempt. If the student's performance is unacceptable for a second time, the student will be dropped from the program.

Deadlines.

The written component of the comprehensive examination must be administered no later than the last weekday of the month of April of the student's second year of study. Oral examinations must be scheduled
no later than the last weekday of the month of May of the student's second year of study

Plan Comparisons

If the student's revised written work is judged to be unacceptable by the M.A. Committee, the student is dropped from the program. The student advances to the oral comprehensive examination only after all written work is judged by his or her M.A. Committee to be of acceptable quality.
The oral examination. The oral examination has the format of a cross-examination, in which students are asked to defend or expand upon their written examination answers. Students will also be asked questions about issues about which any “master” of communication should reasonably be expected to have knowledge.

These examinations are open to all members of the Program's faculty and student body. At the conclusion of the cross-examination, the student and others in attendance will be asked to leave the room. The Committee will then confer and make a determination of whether the student has passed or failed the oral examination. Once a decision has been made, the student will be called back into the room and told of the Committee's evaluation by the M.A. Advisor. At the sole discretion of the student's M.A. Committee, a second oral examination may be scheduled if a student fails on the first attempt.

If the student's performance is unacceptable for a second time, the student will be dropped from the program. Deadlines. The written component of the comprehensive examination must be administered no later than the last weekday of the month of April of the student's second year of study. Oral examinations must be scheduled no later than the last weekday of the month of May of the student's second year of study 250 (Mediated Communication Theory and Research) to ensure that they have a broad theoretical foundation for their studies. Plan 1 students will select an additional 4 units of electives (typically one course) from within or beyond the Department of Communication. Plan 2 students will elect 12 units of coursework (typically three courses) from within the Department or from an aligned discipline (such as political science, psychology, sociology, or public health).

Remedial Work

Applicants' transcripts will be reviewed by the Program's Graduate Committee to identify any deficiencies in training. If admitted, the student will be notified of any remedial coursework that must be taken during the course of his or her first year of study. Accomplished students who did not major in Communication as an undergraduate are strongly encouraged to apply, but may be required to take undergraduate courses at Davis prior to enrolling in our graduate courses.

All students are expected to have completed an undergraduate course in inferential statistics prior to enrolling in the program's required graduate-level methodology courses. Students who did not complete such a course as an undergraduate will be expected to correct this deficiency in the first quarter of residency.

Normative Time to Degree

Students are generally expected to complete the M.A. degree in two years (6 quarters). Students who anticipate completing the degree in the summer following their second year of study must obtain the written consent of both their M.A. Advisor and the Program Director. Students will be allowed to extend their studies into the third year only in the most exceptional of circumstances. Such an extension requires the written approval of the student’s M.A. Advisor and the Program Director.

If you are considering making a request for an exception to the normative time policy, please keep in mind that most members of the ladder faculty are not under contract with the University during the summer months and are often out of town or unavailable during the summer.

Full-Time Status
Success in graduate school is a full-time endeavor. We do not admit part-time students into the program. Full-time status requires continuous enrollment in no less than 12 units of coursework a quarter. In most quarters this requirement will be satisfied by taking two 4-unit seminars and 4 units of CMN 299R (Directed Research, in preparation of a thesis proposal and thesis [Plan 1 students]) or CMN 299 (Directed Reading in preparation for the comprehensive examination [Plan 2 students]). The additional 4 units may come from enrolling in CMN 396 during the Fall
Quarter of the first year of study (students holding a teaching assistantship).

Directed Reading and Research

Plan 1 students. Students on the thesis option (Plan 1) will be enrolled in four units of directed research as they prepare and carry out their thesis We take the Normative Time to Degree is research; these credits are requirement very seriously! 9 earned by enrolling in CMN 299R, but do not
satisfy the 32 unit plan 1 unit requirement.

Plan 2 students Students on the non-thesis option (Plan 2) will take four units of directed reading to prepare for the comprehensive examination. These credits are earned by enrolling in CMN 299, but do not satisfy 40 unit plan 2 credit requirements. Students should meet at the beginning of each quarter with their M.A. Advisor to devise a research agenda (Plan 1) or develop a reading list (Plan 2) for the quarter. CMN 299 and 299R coursework will typically be carried out under the direction of the M.A. Advisor, although other arrangements can be made when appropriate and with the approval of the Program Graduate Advisor.

Thesis and Non-Thesis

The program offers two tracks toward the M.A. degree: thesis and non-thesis. (“Plan 1” and “Plan 2,” respectively). Each plan has unique advantages. The student, in consultation with his or her major professor and M.A. Committee, chooses which plan to follow. Both plans require two years of study.

Students who intend to pursue doctoral studies after their UC Davis training are strongly advised to select the thesis option. The nonthesis option is often – although certainly not always – the preferred option for students who anticipate a career in business or government. Students anticipating a research career in the private sector or government will be encouraged to select the thesis option.

Thesis Option (Plan 1)

Students selecting the thesis option complete 32 units of course work (usually 8 courses) and prepare a thesis, which is a written report of original scholarship that makes an important contribution to knowledge about communication.

The thesis is a written, bounded report of an empirical research project that addresses an important issue in communication. Theses within the program are generally expected to be data-based and theory driven. Data may be generated by the student using one or more of the traditional methods of the social sciences (survey research, experimental methods, content analysis, and so forth). Alternatively, students may opt with the permission of their Advisor and M.A. Committee to take advantage of an existing data source (“secondary data analysis”).

The thesis is often based on collaborative research between the student's Advisor and the student, with the student being primarily responsible for executing the study and writing the thesis report.

Thesis research begins with a thesis proposal, which is submitted to the M.A. Committee for approval before data collection is initiated. For most projects, the thesis proposal will include the following parts:

• Review of relevant research, including a
  theoretical rational for the proposed study.
• Hypotheses or research questions.
• A description of the methods and instruments
  to be employed.
• A description of the statistical methods to
  be used to test the hypotheses.

Plan 1 students are encouraged to think about the scope and topic of their thesis early in their program. Keep in mind as well that thesis research involving human subjects will require the submission of a human subjects
review application. Approval by the campus human subjects review committee can take several weeks to obtain.

There is no required length for a thesis, but it will generally be 50 or more pages long, exclusive of tables, figures and references. It must also conform to the University's formating requirements, a copy of which is available from the Graduate Coordinator.

The thesis will be defended by the student before the M.A. Committee in a thesis defense meeting. The best way to ensure a successful outcome is to interact often and in detail with all members of the committee throughout the thesis research endeavor. The committee has the option of accepting the thesis, accepting it with revision, or rejecting it.

Non-Thesis Option (Plan 2)

Students choosing the non-thesis option must complete 40 units of coursework (typically 10 courses) and pass a comprehensive examination which includes written and oral components.

Overview of the comprehensive exam.

Plan 2 students are required to pass a comprehensive examination. responsibility for preparing and evaluating a student's comprehensive examination is assumed by the student's M.A. Advisor and Committee. At the discretion of the Advisor, questions may be solicited and evaluated by other members of the Program Faculty. As students’ programs of study differ, so too will the scope and nature of their comprehensive examination.

The planning meeting.

Students on plan 2 should meet with their M.A. Committees in the Spring Quarter of their first year of study to negotiate the nature of their examination and develop a study plan for preparing for it. Students are reminded that they will be enrolled in directed study (CMN 299) throughout the duration of their studies to provide ample opportunity for preparation for the examination. Comprehensive examinations in the program consist of two components: a written examination (essay) and an oral examination. The format for the written examination can include a “sit down” essay examination, a “take home” essay assignment, or some combination of each format. The student's Advisor and Committee, in consultation with the student, will determine the most appropriate format.

The written examination.

At minimum, every student's written examination will cover the core theories and methodologies that define the subdisciplines of social interaction and mediated communication. These theories and methodologies are covered in the core classes and other coursework. It must be stressed, however, that the examinations will go beyond the scope of these courses to address topics that any “master” of communication should reasonably be expected to know. Students will surely be tested, for example, on current trends and controversies in the field. These examinations often ask the student to integrate issues covered across courses and apply theories and principles to new situations. Each examination will also address the student's primary interest area.

Evaluation of the written component of the examination will be the responsibility of the student's M.A. Advisor and M.A. Committee. All written components of the examination must be acceptable to the Committee. The student's M.A. Committee has the option of requiring a rewrite of unacceptable work. Only one revision of written work is permitted.

The oral examination.

The oral examination has the format of a cross-examination, in which students are asked to defend or expand upon their written examination answers. Students will also be asked questions about issues about which any “master” of communication should reasonably be expected to have knowledge. These examinations are open to all members of the Program's faculty and student body.

At the conclusion of the cross-examination, the student and others in attendance will be asked to leave the room. The Committee will then confer and make a determination of whether the student has passed or failed the oral examination. Once a decision has been made, the student will be called back into the room and told of the Committee's evaluation by the M.A. Advisor.

At the sole discretion of the student's M.A. Committee, a second oral examination may be scheduled if a student fails on the first attempt. If the student's performance is unacceptable for a second time, the student will be dropped from the program.

Deadlines.

The written component of the comprehensive examination must be administered no later than the last weekday of the month of April of the student's second year of study. Oral examinations must be scheduled no later than the last weekday of the month of May of the student's second year of study

Plan Comparisons

If the student's revised written work is judged to be unacceptable by the M.A. Committee, the student is dropped from the program. The student advances to the oral comprehensive examination only after all written work is judged by his or her M.A. Committee to be of acceptable quality.
The oral examination. The oral examination has the format of a cross-examination, in which students are asked to defend or expand upon their written examination answers. Students will also be asked questions about issues about which any “master” of communication should reasonably be expected to have knowledge.

These examinations are open to all members of the Program's faculty and student body. At the conclusion of the cross-examination, the student and others in attendance will be asked to leave the room. The Committee will then confer and make a determination of whether the student has passed or failed the oral examination. Once a decision has been made, the student will be called back into the room and told of the Committee's evaluation by the M.A. Advisor. At the sole discretion of the student's M.A. Committee, a second oral examination may be scheduled if a student fails on the first attempt.

If the student's performance is unacceptable for a second time, the student will be dropped from the program. Deadlines. The written component of the comprehensive examination must be administered no later than the last weekday of the month of April of the student's second year of study. Oral examinations must be scheduled no later than the last weekday of the month of May of the student's second year of study 250 (Mediated Communication Theory and Research) to ensure that they have a broad theoretical foundation for their studies. Plan 1 students will select an additional 4 units of electives (typically one course) from within or beyond the Department of Communication. Plan 2 students will elect 12 units of coursework (typically three courses) from within the Department or from an aligned discipline (such as political science, psychology, sociology, or public health).

Remedial Work

Applicants' transcripts will be reviewed by the Program's Graduate Committee to identify any deficiencies in training. If admitted, the student will be notified of any remedial coursework that must be taken during the course of his or her first year of study. Accomplished students who did not major in Communication as an undergraduate are strongly encouraged to apply, but may be required to take undergraduate courses at Davis prior to enrolling in our graduate courses.

All students are expected to have completed an undergraduate course in inferential statistics prior to enrolling in the program's required graduate-level methodology courses. Students who did not complete such a course as an undergraduate will be expected to correct this deficiency in the first quarter of residency.

Normative Time to Degree

Students are generally expected to complete the M.A. degree in two years (6 quarters). Students who anticipate completing the degree in the summer following their second year of study must obtain the written consent of both their M.A. Advisor and the Program Director. Students will be allowed to extend their studies into the third year only in the most exceptional of circumstances. Such an extension requires the written approval of the student’s M.A. Advisor and the Program Director.

If you are considering making a request for an exception to the normative time policy, please keep in mind that most members of the ladder faculty are not under contract with the University during the summer months and are often out of town or unavailable during the summer.

Full-Time Status

Success in graduate school is a full-time endeavor. We do not admit part-time students into the program. Full-time status requires continuous enrollment in no less than 12 units of coursework a quarter. In most quarters this requirement will be satisfied by taking two 4-unit seminars and 4 units of CMN 299R (Directed Research, in preparation of a thesis proposal and thesis [Plan 1 students]) or CMN 299 (Directed Reading in preparation for the comprehensive examination [Plan 2 students]). The additional 4 units may come from enrolling in CMN 396 during the Fall
Quarter of the first year of study (students holding a teaching assistantship).

Directed Reading and Research

Plan 1 students. Students on the thesis option (Plan 1) will be enrolled in four units of directed research as they prepare and carry out their thesis We take the Normative Time to Degree is research; these credits are requirement very seriously! 9 earned by enrolling in CMN 299R, but do not
satisfy the 32 unit plan 1 unit requirement.

Plan 2 students Students on the non-thesis option (Plan 2) will take four units of directed reading to prepare for the comprehensive examination. These credits are earned by enrolling in CMN 299, but do not satisfy 40 unit plan 2 credit requirements. Students should meet at the beginning of each quarter with their M.A. Advisor to devise a research agenda (Plan 1) or develop a reading list (Plan 2) for the quarter. CMN 299 and 299R coursework will typically be carried out under the direction of the M.A. Advisor, although other arrangements can be made when appropriate and with the approval of the Program Graduate Advisor.

Independent Studies

The CMN 299 is also used for advisor-approved independent studies
on a topic not covered by the program's regular curriculum. Up to four units of independent study may be counted toward satisfaction of degree course work requirements.

Independent Studies

The CMN 299 is also used for advisor-approved independent studies
on a topic not covered by the program's regular curriculum. Up to four units of independent study may be counted toward satisfaction of degree course work requirements.