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).
