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2006-2007
Responsibilities of Graduate Students
Guidelines for Selecting Teaching Assistants
Procedures for Selecting Summer and Winter Session T.A.'s
Timelines for Completing Theses: Social Scientific Version
Timelines for Completing Theses: Humanistic/Rhetorical Version
Department of Communication Studies
University of Montana
Read this document carefully. It can save you confusion and difficulties in completing your graduate degree.
Students enrolled in the Master's program can select from one of two options. Students may choose to take fewer courses and write a thesis; or they may choose to take more coursework and write a professional paper. Regardless of the option chosen, all students must meet the requirements outlined below.
1. Students must complete four required courses:
2. Students must enroll in at least one of the following three courses:
3. Other course requirements include:
4. An undergraduate statistics course is required.
5. Students without undergraduate majors in communication may have additional requirements.
6. Co-curricular courses are available.
7. Students should keep in mind the Graduate School requirements, which are in addition to departmental requirements (for detailed information see the UM Graduate School):
8. Upon completion of 18 credits, students must choose a permanent advisor and select the thesis or no-thesis option.
To begin this process, students must prepare an Academic and Professional Identity Statement. This requirement is to aid you in examining your own interests as well as in making career plans. This one-to-three page statement will serve as the cover letter for your Program of Study and should contain the following elements:
- A statement of your primary scholarly interest (e.g., conflict), any secondary areas (e.g., feminist rhetoric, family communication), and an explanation of how the various areas cohere as a set;
- A brief description of your anticipated professional paper or thesis project, including theoretical and methodological approaches;
- An explanation of how your proposed program of study provides the best possible preparation for you to pursue your interests and your project/thesis, with special attention to any anomalies or unusual pursuits (e.g., why you are not taking a directly related course or why you did take a course that, at first glance, does not seem to fit).
- A statement of your career goals insofar as you know them, professional or personal experiences that have shaped those goals, and a discussion of how your scholarly interests and practical projects relate to your future plans.
Plan to make the best use of the summer: by doing a graduate internship or independent study (if relevant), supplementing your coursework here with classes at other institutions (if needed), doing bibliographic work on topics of interest, gathering preliminary data for a thesis prospectus or professional paper proposal (if called for), or drafting a prospectus/proposal.
There are two options for completing the degree, Thesis and Professional Paper. Each option has specific requirements.
Thesis Option=24 Course Credit Hours + 9 Credits of Thesis (COMM 599)
1. During your first semester of residence, you will be assigned a temporary faculty advisor. This relationship does not have to be maintained, but it is established to get you off to a good start. You will also be assigned a graduate student peer mentor, or "buddy."
2. Sometime before the end of the second semester, you should approach a faculty member and request that she/he become your permanent thesis advisor. If your chosen area of research is in a given faculty member's area of expertise, that faculty member should normally be your thesis advisor. You may change advisors at any time, but you should always have one.
3. Prepare three copies of the Departmental Program of Study in consultation with your advisor before the end of your second semester of course work. For example, if you began your graduate work during Fall Semester, 2006 complete your Program of Study and have it approved by the end of Spring Semester, 2007. Your advisor then will present your Program of Study to the Director of Graduate Studies and your other departmental committee member for approval.
4. You and your graduate advisor will determine your thesis examining committee, which is composed of your advisor, at least one other COMM faculty member, and at least one member from another department. You will then submit the names of your committee members to Jan who will forward them (electronically) to the Graduate school for appointment.
You must submit the "Application for Graduation: Graduate Degrees" form (from the Graduate School) at least one semester before you plan to graduate.
5. Preparing your Prospectus
6. Writing and Completing your Thesis
Each faculty member has a somewhat different approach to advising graduate students, so be sure to talk with your advisor about her or his expectations. However, the following procedures are applicable to all:
Professional Paper Option= 30 Course Credit Hours + 3 Credits of Professional Paper (COMM 593)
The Professional Paper is an in-depth applied project, and is described in detail under #5, below.
1. During your first semester of residence, you will be assigned a temporary faculty advisor-largely on the basis of common interests. This relationship does not have to be maintained, but it is established to get you off to a good start. You will also be assigned a graduate student peer mentor, or "buddy."
2. Sometime during your second semester you should approach a faculty member and request that she/he become your advisor. If your area of interest is in a given faculty member's area of expertise, that faculty member should normally be your advisor. You may change advisors at any time, but you should always have one.
3. Prepare three copies of the Departmental Program of Study in consultation with your advisor by the end of your second semester of course work. For example, if you began your graduate work during Fall Semester, 2005 you should complete your Program of Study and have it approved by the end of Spring Semester, 2006. Your advisor then will present your Program of Study to the Director of Graduate Studies and your other departmental committee member for approval.
4. You and your graduate advisor will determine your professional paper committee, composed of your advisor, at least one other member from our faculty, and at least one member from another department. You will then submit the names of your committee members to Jan who will forward them (electronically) to the Graduate School for appointment.
You must submit the "Application for Graduation: Graduate Degrees" form (from the Graduate School) at least one semester before you plan to graduate.
5. Your Professional Paper
The Professional Paper is normally shorter than a thesis, less focused on theory and research (while still drawing upon both), and is often directed at non-academic audiences. For example, an "annotated" training manual can be an acceptable professional paper. A thesis can still be applied in nature, as opposed to emphasizing basic and at least somewhat original research. However, a thesis is normally written with the academy in mind as at least one target audience. Another way to think about the outcomes of these two options is to distinguish between the possible publishable products (or by-products) of the projects: a thesis could result in an article in a scholarly journal, while a professional paper might lead to an article in a more professional or popular outlet (such as a magazine).
Said differently, the Professional Paper is an application of communication knowledge and research methods to a professional setting. Normally, it will take the form of applied research or training/consulting which has a direct intended benefit for some group or agency. For example, the project could involve organizational consulting or training, design of a communication curriculum in education, assessment of persuasive strategies in fund raising or lobbying efforts, assessment of implementation of a public information campaign, evaluation of organizational practices and communication culture, assessment of the informational needs and opinions of specialized audiences, a survey of clientele for a particular agency or organization, or a case study of a major communication event.
The Professional Paper also may be an extensive "state of the art" literature review or a literature review coupled with creative application of the content area (e.g., the development of a training program). However, Professional Papers that are primarily literature reviews, critiques, or novel theoretical extensions of an area should be extremely thorough and demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the area. Normally, when the primary focus of the paper is the development of a training program or other specialized application of communication literature, the project should involve applied research during the development of the application (e.g. through surveys or interviews) and/or implementation of the application.
Unlike an M. A. Thesis, the Professional Paper should be feasible to complete (under normal circumstances) within one semester of concentrated work. However, you are strongly encouraged to do advance work on the project (e.g., establishing contact with an appropriate agency, developing the initial proposal) early in your second year of graduate study. In some cases, you can help to set up a Professional Paper project by first establishing an internship (under COMM 596--Independent Study) with an appropriate group or agency in order to later carry out the Professional Paper project with this organization.
- Your advisor will be the first reader of your Professional Paper.
- The other two committee members will also read and approve the final document, though there does not need to be a formal oral defense.
6. Preparing your Proposal
- Under the guidance of your advisor, you will prepare a proposal for the professional paper. This is usually completed by the beginning of your third semester of course work.
- You will present and defend your proposal before your examining committee. Your proposal meeting usually lasts two hours. In preparation for this meeting you must:
- Determine a date and time suitable for all members of your committee.
- Schedule LA 339B or another room for the meeting.
- Submit a copy of your proposal to each member of your committee at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.
- Submit a copy of your proposal to the Departmental Main Office (301) at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.
- Send a short e-mail memo to all COMM faculty and graduate students inviting them to attend the meeting, mentioning: (1) the title of the proposed project; (2) the professional paper advisor and committee; (3) the date, time, and place of the meeting; and (4) that a copy of your proposal is on file in the office for their perusal.
- Finally, you should consult with your advisor about how to prepare for the actual presentation and defense of your proposal.
- After your defense and extended discussion, you will be excused from the meeting and the committee will vote on the acceptability of the proposal. The vote must be unanimous. If important changes are recommended by the committee, you may be required to submit a revised proposal to the committee. Another meeting may be desirable, but not mandatory.
- When the committee has accepted your proposal, it is your insurance policy that you have begun a worthwhile project. Should members of your committee leave the University or otherwise not be available, a new committee member will not require you to redo the entire project.
- If you use human subjects (participants), your proposal must also be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). This must be done before you begin collecting data. A full set of guidelines and procedures is available on the IRB website.
- FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE; IT IS ORDINARILY NOT APPROPRIATE TO BEGIN COLLECTING DATA FOR YOURPROFESSIONAL PAPER UNTIL YOUR PROPOSAL IS APPROVED BY YOUR COMMITTEE!!
7. Completing Your Professional Paper
- Near the completion of your professional paper you will give an oral presentation during our departmental Proseminar. This is a fairly thorough public presentation of about 30 minutes. Be sure to invite your committee members to your presentation. You also should extend a formal invitation to all COMM department faculty and graduate students.
- After your committee has approved the final document, your advisor will complete the appropriate section of the Application for Graduation: Graduate Degree Form and forward it to the Graduate School . Note: The original of this form (marked: Department) should be kept on file in LA 301.
- Submit a final, electronic version of your professional paper to your committee chair, who will then foward it on to the graduate school.
- Submit one unbound hard-copy of your professional paper in FINAL form, with the Certificate of Approval form signed by your advisor, to the Graduate School before the deadline for graduation. The deadline for submitting your paper to the Graduate School varies by semester and year. See the Graduate School website for necessary forms and deadlines.
- Please note that your professional paper must be prepared in accordance with graduate school rules. See up-to-date guidelines posted on the Graduate School website.
- It is a professional courtesy to present a bound copy of the paper to your advisor.
In summary: In order to graduate you MUST do the following:
1. Meet all deadlines and other graduate school requirements. Each semester the Graduate School publishes a list of the specific deadlines summarized above publishes it on its website. Please check this regularly.
2. Satisfy advisors and committees regarding the competence of your work.
3. Have your Program of Study approved by the Department.
4. Submit your Application for Graduation: Graduate Degrees to the Graduate School approximately at least one semester before you plan to graduate (see graduate school deadlines).
5. Complete your degree within 5 years from beginning it. Those students who exceed the statute of limitations and wish to finish their degrees must reapply for admittance. Re admittance decisions will be based on a number of criteria, including but not limited to 1) the length of time that has elapsed since the student last took courses; 2) the progress made toward completion of the thesis or professional paper; and 3) the level of achievement displayed while in the program. Applications for re admittance will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Upon re admittance students may be required to retake courses or pass an examination that demonstrates currency in course content.
6. Be on Full Status (not Provisional Status) with the Graduate School.
7. Complete one-half of your credits, exclusive of Thesis and research credits, at the 500 level or above.
8. You must be registered each Fall and Spring semester you are working toward your degree (at least 2 credits per semester). If you do not complete your degree during your semesters in residence, you must enroll for two hours of thesis or professional paper credit for each semester (including summer) that you pursue your degree off campus.
- If for some reason you do not plan to register any semester prior to graduation, you must fill out a Leave of Absence form. Students who take an unauthorized leave may, on the recommendation of the Graduate School and based on discussions within the department, be required to register for 4 terminal credits for not meeting the continuous registration requirement.
- Students who step out of their programs without an approved Leave of Absence for more than 2 consecutive semesters will be dropped from the Communication Studies program roster and will need to petition the department and the Graduate School for readmission.
- The petition for readmission will require an evaluation of the student's progress and a plan with a timetable for completing the degree. Most petitions are not approved by the Graduate School.
Responsibilities of a Graduate Student
Working toward a graduate degree in communication is an exciting and intellectually challenging endeavor. Being a graduate student is also quite different from being an undergraduate. As a graduate student, you will learn to become an independent researcher. Emphasis is placed less on the memorization of other people's ideas and more on the critique of other's ideas as well as the generation of your own. As you engage in this process you will work closely with faculty and your graduate student peers.
To this end, feel free to approach faculty with your ideas and insights. Faculty enjoy this kind of intellectual bantering--in fact, this is why most of us are in the field. However, also recognize that your faculty have other professional obligations. Please respect our need to work unimpeded by numerous interruptions. Expect to talk to your faculty, but be sensitive to our schedules, too.
Finally, check out copies of previous COMM theses and professional papers from the Library (or Department office) to assist you in getting a notion of the requirements. And, above all else, remember that "things take more time than you think they do." Recommended and relevant reading is "How to Complete and Survive the Doctoral Dissertation" by Sternberg (St. Martins Press). The UC Bookstore has copies.
Guidelines for Selecting Teaching Assistants
First-year students who presently hold a T.A. and have taught only one year have priority. Selections are determined based on progress made toward the degree and student evaluations of teaching effectiveness. If progress is made and student evaluations are good, first-year students who hold a T.A. will likely get a second year of support.
First-year students who do not hold a T.A., full-time students who matriculated mid-year who do not currently hold a T.A. and new applicants are second in line, and are put in a pool together. Selections are determined based on application and, for first- and mid-year students, progress made toward the degree. First- year students applying for a T.A. in their second year (and students who matriculated mid-year and are applying for T.A.'s) may or may not get T.A.'s-- depending upon the strength of the applicant pool.
Second-year students who presently hold a T.A. and have taught only one year are third in line. Selections are determined based on progress made toward the degree and student evaluations of teaching effectiveness. As we strongly discourage three-year programs, chances of receiving a T.A. in your third year in residence are low.
Students who presently hold a T.A. and have taught for two years are fourth in line. This is a rare appointment. Selections are determined based on progress made toward the degree and student evaluations of teaching effectiveness. As we strongly discourage three-year programs, chances of receiving a T.A. in your third year are very unlikely.
Typically T.A. appointments will not be made mid-year, as the expectation is that if you receive a T.A. that you will teach for an entire academic year. If you accept a T.A. appointment, you must commit to a full year (e.g., two semesters) of teaching unless other arrangements are made in advance and with faculty approval.
We reserve the right to make exceptions to the above in order to meet instructional needs and in accord with practical contingencies that may arise.
Procedures for Selecting Summer and Winter Session T.A.'s and Making Other Special/Occasional Teaching Assignments
While there are no guarantees of either supplemental or special teaching opportunities and there has not been consistency in funding from year to year, the Department is granted occasional non-regular teaching positions-some of which become available to graduate students. These include teaching slots during summer and (January) Winter Session breaks and teaching at the College of Technology (COT). As these opportunities become known-sometimes with very little notice-the Department attempts to make teaching assignments in the fairest manner possible, considering these factors:
- The progress and "good standing" of graduate students who seek such positions;
- The prior classroom or other relevant teaching experiences of graduate students under consideration for the positions;
- The equitable distribution of teaching opportunities across the graduate student body;
- Instructional needs; and
- Scheduling and other practical contingencies.
Suggested Timeline for Completing
M.A. Theses:
(Social Scientific Version)
Beginning of second semester, first year (February): Choose your advisor, draft an Academic and Professional Identity statement, fill out the form for your program of study, have it approved by the faculty, and begin narrowing down a thesis topic.
April: In consultation with your advisor, continue narrowing your thesis topic.
Summer: Review the literature for your thesis topic and write tentative rationale and literature review sections of your thesis.
Early Fall Semester: Choose other committee members, have your thesis proposal meeting, and (when approved) submit materials to the Institutional Review Board.
Later Fall Semester: When IRB approval is received, begin gathering data or doing analyses, and continue writing up analyses as you go along.
Early Spring Semester: Continue writing analyses, conclusions, and pulling complete thesis together. Check in with advisor frequently to see if you are on track.
April (before planning to graduate): Get final draft to committee members, schedule a date for the defense, schedule colloquium, have defense, do final revisions.
May: Finish your course work. Enjoy Graduation!
Suggested Timeline for Completing
M.A. Theses:
(Humanistic/Rhetorical Version)
Beginning of second semester, first year (February): Choose your advisor, draft an Academic and Professional Identity statement, fill out the form for your program of study, have it approved by the faculty, and begin narrowing down a thesis topic.
April:
In consultation with your advisor, continue narrowing your thesis topic. This includes: choosing the artifact(s) for analysis; choosing the theoretical lens through which the artifact(s) will be studied; determining theoretical questions to be explored.
Summer:
Begin writing your prospectus. Your prospectus will include: an overview of the artifact(s) to be studied; a rationale for studying this/these artifact(s); a review of relevant literature (theoretical and contextual); an outline of your methodology; and a preview of the theoretical and practical contributions your study will make.
Early Fall, Second Year:
Choose other committee members, have your thesis prospectus meeting. Once your prospectus has been approved, you will begin writing the body of your thesis.
Winter Break:
Continue writing analyses.
Early Spring Semester:
Continue writing analyses, conclusions, and pulling complete thesis together. Check with advisor frequently to see if you are on track.
April (before planning to graduate):
Get final draft to committee members, schedule a date for the defense, schedule colloquium, have defense, do final revisions.
May:
Finish your coursework, enjoy graduation!
Suggested Timeline for Completing
Professional Papers
April, first year:
Choose your advisor, draft an Academic and Professional Identity Statement, fill out the form for your program of study, have it approved by the faculty, and choose a professional paper topic (in consultation with your advisor). If you have a rhetorical emphasis for your paper you will need to choose both the artifact(s) for analysis and the theoretical lens through which the artifact(s) will be studied.
Summer:
Review the literature for your professional paper topic and begin writing the first chapter. This will include: an overview of the artifact(s) to be studied; a rationale for studying this/these artifact(s); a review of the relevant literature (theoretical and contextual). For a non-rhetorical thesis, you should include an overview, a rationale, and review of the relevant literature.
Beginning of Fall Semester, Second Year:
Give advisor a copy of first chapter, discuss timeline for finishing project, and begin conducting internal or descriptive analysis of artifact. Together with your advisor, choose other committee members.
Winter Break:
Continue conducting/writing up analyses for professional paper.
Early Spring Semester:
Continue work on professional paper, including writing up analyses and conclusions. Check with advisor frequently to see if you are on track.
April (before planning to graduate):
Get final draft to advisor and other committee members, schedule colloquium, do final revisions.
May:
Finish your coursework, enjoy graduation!
Appendix A
Program of Study Form (Word Document)
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