All graduate students are expected to develop a theoretical competency in at least two areas of emphasis. Students who fail to demonstrate adequate understanding of relevant theories and mastery of relevant research and scholarly literatures will usually be required to make up the deficit, prior to continuing with thesis research, through additional course work, additional reading, or both. All other 500-level courses in Speech Communication B. Students may take coursework in other departments to supplement their program in Speech Communication with prior approval of the program advisor or thesis director. The amount of coursework from outside the department that may be counted toward the required total of 45 credit hours will be determined by the program advisor or thesis director. This is designed to support and facilitate intensive student engagement with a theoretical or methodological question arising from the literature of the discipline utilizing the thesis format.
Students complete a written thesis and pass an oral examination based on the thesis.
A thesis represents the independent work of the student under the supervision and guidance of the Thesis Director. Although the thesis is not required to show original results, and will not necessarily explore entirely new topics or ideas, it must reveal independent investigation, including the understanding and application of accepted methods of scholarship and research. The graduate communication project may be undertaken as a team project or individual project. During the course of the project, students will apply theory and methods of the discipline to communication issues arising in a public or private organization in a community or neighborhood, or in any other context deemed suitable by the project committee. While the thesis and the project differ in important ways, they do not differ in the expected quality of the work, or the demonstrated mastery of an appropriate theoretical and conceptual base and application of suitable methods.