Journalism and Mass Communications

Director:

Angela Powers

Director of graduate studies:

Hyun-Seung Jin

Graduate faculty:

William Adams, Ph.D., Indiana University.
Soontae An, Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Bonnie Bressers, B.A., University of Wisconsin.
Joye C. Gordon, Ph.D., Purdue University.
Thomas Gould, Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Hyun-Seung Jin, Ph.D., University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
David MacFarland, Emeritus, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin.
Nancy Muturi, Ph.D., University of Iowa.
Sam Mwangi, Ph.D., University of South Carolina.
R. Charles Pearce, Ph.D., University of Tennessee.
Angela Powers, Ph.D., Michigan State University.
Todd F. Simon, LL.M., The George Washington University.
J. Steven Smethers, Ph.D., University of Missouri.
Seong-Hun Yun, Ph.D., University of Maryland.

Ancillary graduate faculty:

Marcus Ashlock, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University.
Kristina Boone, Ph.D., Ohio State University.

The program

The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers a master of science in mass communication. The degree program requires a core of mass communication research and theory classes. Students work with a faculty advisor to develop an emphasis beyond the core. The school offers a full range of academic and professional classes. The courses in each emphasis encourage students to apply the core concepts and to prepare for careers in the mass media or teaching and research professions. Opportunities for developing skills and for research include the student-run Collegian newspaper and Wildcat 91.9-FM as well as the university’s television production center, MediaCats video production, and the Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media.

Financial support

The school has a limited number of paid teaching assistantships, renewable nine-month appointments, 20 hours per week during the regular semester. Stipends vary but are usually $7,500 for nine months. Tuition is waived during the academic year for a student holding a .5 GTA appointment. GTAs work as assistants to professors in classes and on projects. Some teach course sections on their own. Preference is given to applicants with academic and/or professional media experience. Application for assistantships is by letter, with resume and samples of professional work, addressed to Hyun-Seung Jin, Director of Graduate Studies, A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Kansas State University, 105 Kedzie Hall, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-1501.

Career opportunities

Students seek a master’s degree for various reasons. Some students are in mid-career and seek advancement or to change career direction. Other students, upon completing the undergraduate degrees, seek additional skills and insights into specializations so as to be better prepared for the start of their careers. Others enroll as a step toward the Ph.D. and an academic career.

Requirements

30 graduate semester hours, distributed as follows:

MC 765 Communication Theory
MC 780 Research Methods
MC 850 Applied Research
Two 700-level electives in MC
Thesis or Report
Graduate Electives in the area of specialization to complete 30 semester hours
Note: courses in MC must be 600-level or above; courses outside MC can be 500-level or above to count for graduate credit

All master’s degree candidates must pass a written comprehensive exam coving research and theory in their area of specialization. All candidates deliver a final oral defense of their theses or reports.

Admission to the master’s degree program requires a bachelor degree from a four-year college or university, with basic undergraduate work in one or more areas of mass communications. Provisional admission may be granted to applicants entering the degree program with no previous course work in Mass Communications, with the requirement to take basic undergraduate courses along with the graduate work. Also required are satisfactory scores on the GRE (and average in the 50 percentile) and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above on the final 60 hours of course work. Official transcripts of undergraduate degree work and three letters of reference form instructors and/or professional colleagues must be sent directly to the School.

Consideration for admission is given to international applicants who have a TOEFL score of 600 or above (or 250 or above on the computer version), in addition to a satisfactory score on the GRE. Application forms will not be sent to international students until notice of GRE and TOEFL scores is received. Also required is certification that applicants have adequate financial resources to complete the degree.

For more information

For additional information and application materials please contact:
Professor Hyun-Seung Jin, Associate Director for Graduate Studies and Research
A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Kansas State University
105 Kedzie Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-1501
785-532-3959
E-mail: kmc6644@ksu.edu
Home Page: http://jmc.ksu.edu/