Introduction

Overview

The College of Communication offers the Master of Arts and a Master of Science in three degree plans. Degree plans include Advertising and Public Relations, Journalism, and Communication Studies. The student who is interested either in continuing into a doctoral program or into professional development will find programs that prepare them for the future. Research and development are balanced with applied experiences in the Communication field. Located in the seventh largest media market in the United States, the graduate programs in the College of Communication at Texas Christian University offer diverse opportunities in a supporting and stimulating environment.

Admission Requirements

General Admission

An applicant must posses a bachelors degree from an institution regarded as standard by the university and a regional accrediting agency.
For unconditional admission, the student must have satisfactory undergraduate preparation for the particular degree sought. This is determined by the chair of the department and the Associate Dean, College of Communication and includes a "B" average in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work or in all undergraduate work: a "B" average in the major field of study: and satisfactory scores on the appropriate test required by the college.
An application that is otherwise satisfactory may still be rejected if the intended major area has already accepted as many new students as its facilities can accommodate, or if it is felt that the program TCU provides is not suitable to the applicant's vocational goals.

Application Procedure

1. Complete Application
2. Two Certified Transcripts mailed directly from the applicant's university to Director of Graduate Studies. This includes all undergraduate and graduate work from all colleges or universities attended.
3. An application fee of $50.00 is required before the application can be processed.
4. A statement of experience and vocational goals is required. This allows the department chair to adequately determine the suitability of the applicant with the graduate program.
5. Three letters of recommendation. These provide the opportunity for additional attributes the applicant might possess to be considered in the admission process.

International Applicants:
TOEFL scores 550 or better paper based, 213 computer based. Proof of financial support.

Please see individual programs for other requirements.

Policy on Probational Status and Conditional Admission:
Probation: Any graduate student who falls below a 3.0 grade point will be placed on probation the following semester. Special permission to continue probation past one semester must be made through the Associate Dean's Office. It a continuation is not accepted, the student will be suspended from the program in the next semester.
Conditional Admission: A conditional admission may be granted to a student who may be weak in one of the admission criteria if they show strength in all other criteria. If a student has a conditional admission, they must complete graduate work at a B or better in all of their classes in their first nine hours. Special permission to extend this conditional admission must be made through the Associate Dean's office in writing. Students who have not removed the conditions by the stated deadline will not be permitted to register for classes in the subsequent semester.

Financial Aid

Stipend/Tuition Waver

This type of financial aid is not need based. Media Arts and Communication Studies use a system of student demand. When a student issues a written statement requesting this type of assistance the department chair will assign the student to a faculty member providing the existence of available funding. Journalism, due to a lack of stipends and tuition waver hours, can only give these financial awards to international students. The student will perform duties under the assigned faculty member generally consisting of TA teaching, test prompting and research.

Expectations of Stipend Awards
These are departmental driven. The most common expectation is in undergraduate labs. In all departments the graduate student on a stipend are assigned a faculty member to work with. These students are assigned a lab to work in as they mentor students and oversee lab setup and breakdown. The number of hours assigned are directly related to the stipend.

Satisfactory Progress

Candidacy: this status is awarded when the student has fulfilled certain requirements. A student must have a minimum of 9 completed graduate hours, a graduate GPA of at least a 3.0, and must be approved by the department chair.

Timesheets
Each coordinator for the separate departments is liable for keeping track of the graduate student's time and job as an assistant. The faculty who oversees the student will report to the coordinator.

Texas Christian University