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Writing Proposals | Final Projects | Deadlines | AlumniStudents seeking leadership positions in communications industries or who are planning for academic careers can find opportunities to extend their knowledge and develop research capability through the M.S. program in Mass Communications . In addition, individuals who do not have an undergraduate degree in the field have opportunities to develop professional skills. Seminars are offered at night to meet the needs of working professionals, and programs can be tailored to meet individuals needs and interests.
The M.S. Program in Mass Communications provides an overview of mass communications as it relates to society, develops and strengthens the candidate's professional skills in a specialized mass communications field and prepares the candidate to assume leadership positions in a media-related field.
Students are admitted in the Fall and Spring semesters. Two applications are required, one for the University and another for the School. Applicants must meet requirements for admission to the Graduate Division; however, no particular undergraduate specialization is required. Grade point averages and Graduate Record Examination scores are given considerable weight in evaluating applications, but are not the sole criteria. An applicant should have a GPA of 3.0 or better (3.3 for international students) in the last two years of undergraduate study and in the undergraduate major. Applicants should also have a minimum score of 1,00 on the GRE, with at least a 550 verbal score, and a 3.5 minimum writing score. Exceptions may be made for applicants with significant professional mass media experience, strong letters of recommendation, or other success indicators.Students are admitted to the M.S. program as either Classified or Conditionally Classified. Many students are admitted as Conditionally Classified because they have preparatory courses and/or prerequisites that must be completed before they are admitted to Classified standing. Applicants who meet Graduate Division admission requirements, but whose undergraduate preparation was in a non-journalism or non-communications field, or who do not have equivalent professional experience, may be required to complete nine units with a 3.0 GPA or better. These preparatory courses must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator.
Students may also be required to complete prerequisites. Also, one to three writing courses in the School may be completed in lieu of minimum GRE scores. In addition, specified preparatory courses may be required as prerequisites. Prerequisites do not count toward the 30-unit program. Although prerequisites may be taken concurrently with courses in the M.S. program, they need to be completed by the end of the first year for full-time students and by the end of the second year for part-time students. All prerequisites must be completed before a student can advance to Classified status and to file a Program Plan to be admitted to candidacy for the M.S. degree. The Program Plan must be filed the semester before the student intends to graduate.
The culmination of the M.S. Program is the completion of one of the three options: thesis, professional project, or comprehensive papers.
San Jose State University
School of Journalism & Mass Communications
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0055
USA
408/924-3240
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