The Masters of Arts program in Communication Studies at SF State prepares students for communication-related careers that require an advanced degree. We invite students into a life of engaged scholarly inquiry in communication with a focus on social justice.

Across diverse contexts, graduates of the program are able to critically read, produce, and apply communication research in order to practice collaborative dialogue, to understand differences, and to honor unheard voices. Students and faculty work in community where curriculum and scholarship span the breadth of human interaction and performance.

We practice humane approaches to complex human problems in both local and global communities and attempt to discern ethical choices.

1. Program deadlines, application forms and instructions, and related information are available from SF State’s Graduate Studies Division at The Division of Graduate Studies: www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy.
2. In addition to filing the online application for admission to SF State, applicants must send the following items in hard copy to the Graduate Coordinator in the Communication Studies Department:
   1. A statement of purpose which identifies the applicant’s undergraduate major and the applicant’s objectives for pursuing a master’s degree in Communication Studies.
   2. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended;
   3. Two letters of recommendation from former professors who can evaluate the applicant’s potential to complete successfully a master’s degree program. Most helpful is an assessment of the applicant’s capacity for conducting independent research as well as oral and written communication skills, and percentile ranking among others recommended for graduate study;
   4. Scores on the General Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which includes Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing components.

   These items should be mailed to:

   Graduate Program Coordinator
   c/o Communication Studies Department
   San Francisco State University
   1600 Holloway Avenue ,
   San Francisco , CA 94132

*Note: If there is any discrepancy between this document and the SFSU Bulletin, the SFSU Bulletin wording will take precedence.

Admission Criteria

The minimum requirements for admission with classified standing include an undergraduate major in Communication Studies, an upper-division grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and scores on the General Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Applicants who do not meet these minimum criteria may be considered for conditional admission.

Conditional admission means that various conditions will have to be met before an individual could achieve “classified standing.” For example, applicants who did not major in Communication Studies as undergraduates usually are required to complete eight to sixteen specified units of upper-division courses in Communication Studies as prerequisites and earn “B” or better grades in these courses.

Units completed as prerequisites for advancement to classified standing are not applicable to an individual’s Graduate Approved Program (GAP).

Admission Deadlines

Applicants for the fall semester must have all application material submitted to the Graduate Division of the University and the Department by March 1st of the preceding spring semester.

Late applications cannot be processed online without a waiver signed by the Graduate Coordinator. Completed applications from international students received before March 1 may be reviewed for early admission.

All applicants will be competitively selected on the basis of the admission criteria. Some spring semester admissions may be accepted depending on available space.

Applicants will be notified about their status following the Graduate Studies Committee evaluation of their applications, usually four to six weeks after the deadline.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: Applicants must take the GRE and receive at least a 4.0 on the Analytical Writing section. In order to satisfy this requirement, applicants who receive a score lower than 4.0 must take the Graduate Essay Test (GET) administered through the University Testing Office prior to enrolling in the first semester of graduate school; a passing score on GET will satisfy the Level One requirement. Students who fail the GET are required to take a department approved writing skills course. Completion of the course and/or retaking and passing GET will satisfy the Level One requirement.

Level Two: Students satisfy this level by the satisfactory completion of the culminating experience.

Program Requirements for the M.A. Degree in Communication Studies

.

Field Research Methods or

Directed Readings in Communication and Written Comprehensive Examination

Note: No more than eight units may be from upper division courses regardless of the department; no more than eight units, graduate or undergraduate, may be from allied departments. No more than eight units in any combination of COMM 850, 851, 852, 855, 885 or 899 may be included in the 35-unit minimum. A maximum of four units in 851, 852, 885 is allowed as part of the 35-unit minimum. Students may take additional units over the minimum. (See Bulletin: http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/current/programs/communi.htm)

Faculty in Communication Studies

Ph.D. University of Texas, Austin

Rhetorical Theory/Criticism, Communication Theory, Public Address

Ed.D. Boston University

Language Behavior, Children’s Communication, Speech Perception & Production

Interpersonal, Family, Communication & Aging, Communication Theory, Nonverbal Communication

Ph.D. University of Illinois

Field Research, Gender, Sexualities & Communication, Performance Studies

Ph.D. University of Hawaii

Ph.D. Indiana University

Public Address, Rhetorical Criticism, Argumentation, Social Movements

Ph.D. Northwestern University

Gender, Conversational Analysis, Performance of Children’s Literature, Public Address

J.D. University of California, Berkeley

Forensics, Argumentation & Debate, Rhetorical Theory & Criticism, Cultural Studies

Intercultural Communication, Gender, Sexualities & Communication, Health Communication

Scheduling of Classes

To accommodate the large number of working students and the many members of the greater community who are an integral part of our graduate population, the Department schedules 700 and 800 level classes no earlier than 4:00 p.m. No graduate courses meet on Fridays. No graduate classes are offered during the summer.

Characteristics of Graduate Study

Graduate study consists of advanced learning activities that build upon an undergraduate foundation and, in some cases, a foundation of professional experience. Graduate students are expected to possess the following characteristics:

1. A specified minimum of study and training in communication,
2. A command of basic concepts, techniques and skills requisite to advanced study in the field,
3. An ability to write standard American English correctly and effectively.

Graduate courses in the Department vary in character and scope; typically students will be required to:

1. Locate and read primary sources, i.e., original research studies and theoretical essays,
2. Select, organize, and evaluate materials that reflect both the discipline’s historical and cutting edge scholarship,
3. Identify, analyze, and synthesize principles, concepts and theories,
4. Formulate a problem in independent inquiry, gather, record, analyze and report data, and conclusions both orally and in writing.

Much of the coursework in the graduate program will be in seminars. The Graduate Studies Committee has described seminars in the following way:

A graduate seminar is not primarily a lecture course. It involves student-faculty interaction in a cooperative search for knowledge, relying principally on findings contributed by students. The faculty member cts as a synthesizer and moderator. As far as possible, the research of students should be based on primary sources.

Teaching Opportunities

The opportunity exists for qualified graduate students to be hired to teach our required basic course: COMM 150, Fundamentals of Oral Communication. Qualifications include: passing the Level One Written English Proficiency Requirement; successful completion of COMM 850-Seminar in Teaching Communication Studies;

COMM 851-Internship in Teaching Communication Studies; and active enrollment in a minimum of 4 units during the teaching appointment.

Applications for teaching are made to the Department’s Hiring Committee who screen qualifications and make recommendations to the Department Chair. Those selected to teach as Teaching Associates must enroll in COMM 852, Supervised Teaching. The salary for teaching one three-unit section is approximately $2,436.00 per semester. TAs are eligible to teach for four semesters during their graduate program. Transfer students with prior teaching experience may apply to teach COMM 150 during their first semester.

Financial Aid Programs

For complete information on financial aid programs, including student loans, Work Study programs, and scholarships, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid (http://www.sfsu.edu/~finaid/) or call (415) 338-7000 or write directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132.

Scholarships and Fellowships for Graduate Students

Department of Communication Studies Scholarships:

Eva Lokey Scholarship for graduate students in the Department. Application not required. Awarded in April. Amount varies but is typically $350.

College of Humanities Scholarships:

Applications for these scholarships are available in HUM 484. Deadlines for submission are generally in early November and awards are given in the spring. For more information and specific deadlines, go to
College of Humanities - College Scholarships (http://www.sfsu.edu/~collhum/scholarships.html)

• Carolyn Irene Howard Memorial Scholarship
  For undergraduate and graduate students
  Award Amount: $500.00
• Edward B. Kaufmann Scholarship
  For undergraduate and graduate students
  Award Amount: typically $1,500
• Judith Anne Ott Scholarship
  For graduate students
  Award Amount: typically $500

University Scholarships:

• San Francisco State University 's Graduate Equity Fellowship
  Open to students admitted to an SFSU master’s degree program. http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/grad-equity-fellowship.htm

• Selected scholarships and deadlines:
  http://www.sfsu.edu/~finaid/scholarships/scholarshipgrid.htm

• Graduate Studies at SFSU
  http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/
  Go to scholarships/fellowships link

Other Scholarship Opportunities:

• American Association of University Women Fellowships and Grants
  Open to all applicants in all fields, except engineering. http://www.aauw.org/education/fga//index.cfm

• California Pre-doctoral Program
  Applicants must be junior, senior or graduate students that are enrolled in a degree- seeking program at any of the CSU campuses. Application must be submitted through the Pre-doctoral Program Coordinator for SFSU, who is currently Mr. William Christmas ( xmas@sfsu.edu), Department of English. Deadline is early April.
  www.calstate.edu/PreDoc

• HSF/McNamara Family Creative Arts Project Grant
  Financial resources ($5,000 to $20,000) for undergraduate and graduate Hispanic students enrolled full-time in a creative arts related field -media, film, performing arts, communications, writing, and others- to assist them in beginning and completing an art project.
  http://www.hsf.net/scholarships.aspx

• National Speakers Association
  Applicants must be full-time junior or senior or graduate student in speech or communication with emphasis on public speaking to improve the lives of others. Four scholarships of $5000 each are awarded annually.
  http://www.nsaspeaker.org

• Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
  Grants for up to two years of graduate study in the United States for resident aliens, naturalized U.S. citizens, or the children of two parents who are both naturalized citizens.
  http://www.pdsoros.org

• Money for Graduate Students in the Arts & Humanities, 2007-2009
  By Gail A. Schlachter and R. David Weber. 320 pages, comb binding, $42.50,
  ISBN 1588411702

For Juniors

• The Beinecke Scholarship Program
  http://www.beineckescholarship.org/HowtoApply.htm

• The Harry S Truman Scholarships
  http://www.truman.gov/

Additional Resources:

Applicants and especially students accepted for admission to the program are urged to purchase a current SFSU Bulletin and Class Schedule and carefully review the section on Graduate Studies Requirements and Procedures. Printed versions also may be obtained from the University Bookstore located in the Student Union on campus or received by mail by writing:

SF State Bookstore
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue,
San Francisco, CA 94132.

A current version of the Bulletin can be viewed online at: http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/current/programs/communi.htm and a current Class Schedule can be viewed online at: http://www.sfsu.edu/online/clssch.htm.

If you need further information about graduate study go to the Graduate Division Homepage: sfsu.edu/~gadmit/ or send email to gadmit@sfsu.edu or phone (415) 338-2234.

If you are on campus, the Graduate Division is located in the Administration Building, Room 254. The Student Grad Guide is a helpful resource, which provides information about admission status, registration, academic standing, a summary of steps to the M.A. degree, time tables, checklists and other practical resources (http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/forms/student-gradguide.pdf).

Also be sure to check MySFSU (www.sfsu.edu/online/login.htm) for your personal records. A university-wide graduate student orientation is offered before the fall semester begins.

If you need further information about the Communication Studies Department, contact the Graduate Coordinator:

Dr. Mercilee Jenkins, Graduate Coordinator
Communication Studies Department,
San Francisco State University,
1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco,
CA 94132.
Phone: (415) 338-1433,
email: leej@sfsu.edu

The Graduate Approved Program (GAP) describes a particular student’s courses and planned culminating experience; it must be approved and signed by the Department Graduate Coordinator and the designated College Representative before being filed. Guidelines for completing and filing the GAP are available on the Graduate Division website or in The Grad Guide. GAP forms must be filed the semester prior to the semester when one plans to graduate. For example, the GAP must be filed in September, if Graduation is planned for the following Spring.

While GAP forms may be filed after nine units of study, students are advised to wait and file the GAP at the same time they file their Culminating Experience form, usually in their third semester. This is recommended because any changes in your program plan require submission of a GAP Substitution form. You must submit your GAP form prior to the last 6 units of your program. Students admitted to the program conditionally must have satisfied those conditions at the time of filing the GAP and it will be so noted on the GAP form. A separate form is not required to indicate these conditions have been met.

Consult the University Bulletin’s Calendar for specific filing dates listed for each semester. ALL UNIVERSITY FORMS MUST BE TYPED.

http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/main-gradform.htm

After the Graduate Division approves a GAP, a student is advanced to candidacy. In order to complete a master’s degree every candidate must complete a culminating experience and the corresponding course. In the Communication Studies Department there are three culminating experience options:

1. Written Comprehensive Examination and COMM 896
2. A Creative Work Project and COMM 894.
3. A Master’s Thesis and COMM 898

There are five steps to take, regardless of which option is chosen.

By April 1 of the second semester of graduate work, students must submit to the Graduate Coordinator a Preliminary Proposed Culminating Experience Form. The purpose of this form is to allow the candidates to begin planning for their culminating experience and to get help from faculty as needed. Forms are available from the Department Office or the Graduate Coordinator. No signatures are necessary on this form.

The candidate completes the University’s Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement, which is filed with the Graduate Division Office. If the proposed research involves human subjects, the Protocol for Human Subjects Approval form also must be submitted. The Protocol Form for Human Subjects must be submitted for approval, usually within the first two weeks of the semester prior to beginning the research.

Consult your thesis or creative project Committee Chair concerning questions regarding human subjects policies, procedure and deadlines. The Department Graduate Coordinator and the College Graduate Coordinator (Dr. Susan Shimanoff) are also available to help you. Allow 2 to 4 weeks for training and approval of drafts prior to submission to the Graduate Division, which may also take a few weeks. You should consult the Graduate Division website for University guidelines and requirements.

After the above forms have been filed the candidate enrolls in the appropriate course: COMM 896 if Written Comprehensive Examination, COMM 894 if Creative Work Project or COMM 898 if Master’s Thesis,. Students usually will complete the proposal process in one semester, enroll in the appropriate course for the following semester, and in that term work toward the completion of the culminating experience.

Candidates must file for graduation by the appropriate deadlines as specified each semester.

 

Following the completion of the Culminating Experience, the candidate must obtain the signatures of the supervising committee on the Report of Completion of Specified Graduate Program Requirements and see that it is filed in the Graduate Division by the appropriate deadline to ensure graduation. (See the current University Bulletin or Class Schedule for dates.)

*Deadlines for submitting the Protocol Forms and the University’s Proposal for Culminating Experience are the same as the GAP deadlines. See the Calendar in the University Bulletin for exact dates.

Candidates must initiate contact with faculty members of their choosing to determine if particular instructors would serve on a three-member supervising committee. One faculty member must agree to accept the role of committee chair. Each member of the committee and the candidate should agree on a topic area for one question and determine an appropriate reading list for the candidate to review in preparation for the exam. One question is required to be in the area of Research Methodology. The committee in consultation with the candidate must determine a second reader for each question and also the order in which the three questions will be answered.

Normally, the first examination period occurs about the fourth week of the semester, the second period about the eighth week, and the third period about the twelfth week. Specific dates are determined each semester.

Signatures on the University’s Proposal for Culminating Experience Forms must be obtained and filed in the Graduate Division. After the form is filed the candidate should enroll in COMM 896.

The Proposal for a Creative Work Project

This option for a culminating experience is designed for research interests of substance and disciplinary relevance that can most appropriately be expressed in a creative form.

The process again begins with the candidate completing a written proposal ofapproximately fifteen pages and establishing a committee and chair. A minimum of two faculty is required for a creative project committee and a maximum of five is allowed

The proposal typically would include some variation of the following sections:

1. Statement of the topic or purpose of the project,
2. Rationale for the creative work project option,
3. Review of related literature,
4. Design for the project, procedures, and time-table,
5. Bibliography of references
6. Protocol Approval Form for Human Subjects and IRB packet if applicable

After the supervising committee has evaluated the written proposal, a meeting of the committee and candidate will be held to determine a plan for completing the project and to sign the respective forms that must then be filed. The candidate also must enroll in COMM 894.

The Proposal for a Master’s Thesis

The candidate initiates contact with selected faculty who might agree to chair or serve as a member of the candidate’s supervising committee. A minimum of two faculty is required for a thesis committee and a maximum of five is allowed. Working with faculty or independently, the candidate prepares a written thesis proposal.

Typically, a thesis proposal is approximately fifteen pages in length and includes some variation of the following sections:

1. Statement of the problem or rationale for the study, questions to be investigated, or hypotheses,
2. Review of related literature,
3. Methods and procedures,
4. Projected outline and time-table,
5. Bibliography of references,
6. Protocol Approval Form for Human Subjects and IRB packet (if applicable).

 After the supervising committee has evaluated the written proposal, a meeting of the committee and candidate will be held to determine a plan for completing the thesis and to sign the respective forms that must then be filed. The candidate also must enroll in COMM 898.

To successfully complete a culminating experience, candidates must plan carefully their respective timetables. By fully completing the proposal process during one semester, then enrolling in the appropriate class (COMM 896, COMM 894, or COMM 898) the following semester and devoting one’s full attention to the completion of the culminating experience during that term, candidates typically may expect to complete their work in one or two regular semesters. Summer completion of COMM 894 or COMM 898 is possible only through special arrangements with the supervising committee. COMM 896 is not offered during the summer.

Completing Written Comprehensive Examinations

Three four-hour test periods will be announced each semester. They usually are held in the computer laboratory in HUM 290. Supervising committee members are responsible for delivering examination questions in the appropriate order to the Graduate Coordinator at least 48 hours before the exam. If the committee has approved any additional materials for the candidate to use during the exam period, for example: a Bibliography, Thesaurus, Dictionary, journal article, etc., a list of these materials must accompany the delivery of the questions.

Candidates are responsible for bringing to the examination a blank formatted computer disk or jump drive and a student ID card with at least $10 for printing/copying their answers. At the conclusion of the writing period, answers will be printed and collected. The Graduate Coordinator is responsible for collecting the exams and distributing the answers to the designated committee readers, and retaining a copy for the candidate’s files.

Faculty readers are expected to report their evaluations of exams to the Graduate Coordinator within one week after having received the candidates’ answers. Exams will be evaluated using the following scale:

Pass = 2 points

Marginal Pass = 1.5 point

Marginal Fail = 1 point

Fail = 0 points.

If the combined score of the two readers equals 3 points or above, the candidate will have satisfactorily passed that section of the exam. If the combined score is 2-2.5 points, an oral defense with the committee or a partial rewrite of the answer will be required after which a determination of pass or fail will be made for that section of the exam. If the combined score is less than 2 points, the combined score is unsatisfactory and that section of the exam must be retaken. Oral defense meetings and/or the retaking of one exam question occurs in the final weeks of the semester. Candidates who have not satisfactorily passed all three exams by the end of the semester in which they are enrolled in COMM 896 may receive an RP grade for one semester and then complete the exams the following semester. After that semester they will receive a no credit grade in the course and must reenroll. Candidates may enroll in COMM 896 no more than twice.

Candidates who satisfactorily pass all three exams will receive credit in COMM 896. Final meetings with the candidate and committee members are encouraged, even if no oral defense is required, for the signing of the Report of Completion of Specified Requirements form, which must then be filed in the Graduate Division by the specified date.

Completing the Creative Work Project

Working arrangements between thesis writers and their committees vary and must be arranged by the respective parties. Typically the completion of a creative work project has two parts. One may be a public presentation, for example a workshop, performance, or DVD presentation. The other part is a comprehensive written documentation of the project that builds upon the proposal and includes discussion of the process and evaluation.

When the final draft of the written portion is ready for approval, a last meeting between the candidate and the committee should be convened to review the documentation and suggest any final revisions or editing. If approved, committee members will sign the appropriate completion report, which must be filed in the Graduate Division by the appropriate date. Candidates should provide copies of the Creative Work in manuscript and digital form to the Graduate Coordinator for the Department’s permanent collection as well as to the chair of your committee.

Completing the Master’s Thesis

As described in the creative work process, the working arrangements between candidates and committee members must be clearly established. Candidates should obtain from the Graduate Division a copy of the Preparation and Submission Guidelines, and follow those guidelines throughout the preparation of the document. Some candidates work almost exclusively with their chairs until a final draft of the thesis is completed which is then given to other committee members for review. Other candidates work with the entire committee throughout the process. After all committee members have reviewed a draft of the thesis and most revisions have been incorporated, a final meeting should be convened.

The purpose of this meeting is to review the thesis, its findings and suggest any final revising or editing. At this time the approval page of the thesis may be signed and the Report of Completion of Specified Requirements form signed, or in the event of extensive revisions that need to be done these signings may be withheld until a later time. After everything is completed the candidate must ensure that the Report, and the “master copy” as described in the Guideline, of the thesis is filed in the Graduate Division Office and subsequently in the Library at the Rapid Copy Center. The candidate must also provide the Graduate Coordinator with a bound copy of the thesis for the Department’s permanent collection as well as the chair of your committee.

Be aware that the deadline for applying for graduation comes within the first two weeks of the semester in which the candidate plans to graduate. As with all University policies, deadlines are specified each term in the University Calendar (http://oi.sfsu.edu/cgi-bin/student/webcalendar.htm). The application form, available at the Graduate Division, requires payment of a graduation fee at the Cashier’s Office, after which the Department Chair and College of Humanities Graduate Coordinator must sign this form. A copy of the GAP form and an unofficial transcript must accompany the application. Eligibility for graduation at this point includes verification that the student is properly classified and has a Graduate Approved Program (GAP) on file. The Graduate Division will not approve applications for graduation for a specific semester until all graduation requirements have been met including completion of all coursework and filing of the Report of Completion of Specified Graduate Requirements form that documents the completion of the culminating experience. If a candidate does not graduate in the semester as planned, she or he must reapply and be reconsidered in a subsequent semester. “No more than 7 years can elapse between the start of the term of the earliest dated course on the GAP and the date the last course is completed and the application for graduation has been submitted.”

In order to be eligible for graduation, several forms must be filled out and submitted throughout your course of study to both the Communication Studies Department AND the University. Most of the University forms can be found on line at http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/current-form.htm.

Departmental forms are available on the Departmental website or from the Department office or the Graduate Studies Coordinator.

Here is a list of required forms:

Communication Studies Department Forms

1. Preliminary Request for Culminating Project in Communication Studies:
   1. Thesis/Creative Work Project Option
      or
   2. Comprehensive Exam Option
2. Exit Survey For Graduating M.A. Students

University Forms for Graduate Study

1. Graduate Approved Program (GAP) form for Communication Studies
2. Proposal for Culminating Experience
3. Protocol Approval Form –Human Subjects (PAF)
4. Report of Completion of Specified Graduate Program Requirements……………………………………
5. Application for Graduation