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Frequently Asked Questions
- When does the Department accept applications and what are the deadlines?
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The COMN program accepts students on a rolling basis for Fall, Winter and Spring quarters,
with the majority of students starting in Fall quarter. Please Allow sufficient time
for processing and review by the faculty prior to your desired entry quarter.
Please adhere to the following application deadlines:
Fall & Spring: January 15*
Winter: November 1
*Applicants who submit complete applications by January 15, for a Fall quarter start,
will receive priority consideration for financial aid awards.
- What do program alumni do after they graduate?
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Many of our graduates go on to teach in secondary learning institutions. Because we
offer a methods-heavy curriculum, students graduate with a solid qualitative/quantitative
foundation which can serve them well in many fields -- education, medical, business,
etc.
Some of our alumni are employed as counselors, police officers, and community activists.
- When do I need to start looking for an advisor?
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Upon entering the program, all students are assigned temporary advisors who serve
primarily as curriculum advisors during their first year. We ask students to choose
a permanent advisor during their second year of course work: This advisor will direct
the student through comprehensive examinations and/or the thesis/dissertation project
(which includes advising the student in preparing questions, reading lists, committee-formation,
topic choice, writing, etc.). Typically, graduate students choose permanent advisors
with whom they have taken courses, and whose expertise relates to their own areas
of interest.
- How long does it take to finish the program?
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A candidate for the Masters degree is expected to complete the requirements for the
degree within five years from the time he/she begins his or her program of study,
as measured from initial enrollment in work credited toward the degree. Most full-time
Masters students complete the program in two to three years.
A student who holds a Masters degree upon entering the doctoral program is expected
to complete all requirements for the degree no later than seven years after beginning
the program. Most full-time PhD students entering with an MA complete the program
in four years. For the candidate who holds a bachelor's degree upon entering the program,
all requirements for the degree should be met no later than eight years after doctoral
studies commence. Most full-time PhD students entering with a Bachelors degree complete
the program in seven years.
- What is the average class size?
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Graduate seminars typically range from 4-10, and required courses (such as the four-course
methods sequence) typically range from 8-16.
- May I contact other graduate students who are current students?
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Absolutely. Please contact the Department's Graduate Student Services Assistant to
arrange a conversation: gradcomn@du.edu or 303-871-4313. We also encourage potential
applicants to visit faculty and graduate students at DU's Graduate Open House, the
Graduate School Open House at the National Communication Association (NCA) and Western
States Communication Association (WSCA) conventions.
- How does the comprehensive examination process work?
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For Masters students: Comprehensive examinations may be taken throughout the year
with the exception of summer quarter. Exams taken during breaks will be reviewed the
next quarter following completion of the examination. Comprehensive exam questions
are developed by a minimum of three faculty members from whom the student has taken
classes. The committee is selected in consultation with the advisor. The overall exam
consists of three questions, one of which must address methodology. The time period
for answering the questions as well as the question format is to be determined by
the faculty committee. The format, faculty readers, and schedule must be specified
and approved by the advisor and Director of Graduate Studies.
For Ph.D. students: The examination preparation and administration is under the supervision
of an examination committee chosen by the student in conjunction with his/her advisor.
The committee consists of a minimum of 2 tenure-track faculty in the COMN Department.
The advisor serves as the examining committee chair, who in consultation with the
student, convenes the committee to prepare the examination and offers the student
guidance in preparation for the meeting.
The examination consists of two mandatory parts:
Part one (1) involves three questions generated by the examining committee designed
to test the student's understanding of concepts, theories, and methodologies relevant
to his/her program of study. One of the questions must pertain to methods. These
questions are answered in a three 3-day answer period for each question.
Part two (2) requires the student to answer one question selected by the examining
committee from three to five questions generated by the student for consideration.
These questions are created in cooperation with the student's advisor prior to the
initial comprehensive examination meeting. The selected question should have the
potential of becoming an original scholarly essay that contributes to the body of
knowledge in the discipline and is a way of establishing a scholarly identity. With
advisor approval, it is acceptable to approach this question by writing a dissertation
proposal. This question is taken over a two-week period usually starting one to two
days after the last of the three-day questions.
Part three (3) is optional. In cases in which the written answers require clarification,
the examining committee may conduct an oral examination following the written portion.
Since the oral examination is optional, the content to be covered will be determined
by the examination committee.
- Does the COMN department offer academic workshops for students? If, so when and on
what topics?
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Our faculty are committed to bringing leading scholars to the campus for lectures
and informal conversations with faculty and graduate students. Over the last year,
we have organized campus visits with Drs. Kent Ono, Sally Planalp, George Cheney,
and Tom Nakayama. In addition, the faculty present professional development sessions
concerning teaching and job application preparation, often in conversation with GSAC
(see above)
- Do you offer a dual degree program?
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Graduate Students at DU are also encouraged to explore diverse interests by combining
any two graduate programs into a "flexible dual degree" program. This allows students
to structure creative curriculum programs in the pursuit of specialized career objectives.
Dual degree programs allow a limited number of credits from each degree to count towards
the other degree.
Students may propose any dual degree program that seems reasonable to them and their
advisors for academic and career objectives, so long as the program results in two
master's degrees or a master's degree and a JD degree. The student's program proposal
will also preserve the core courses in each program (so course reductions are only
allowed in elective courses, and no program will ever allow more than a 15 credit-hour
reduction in each program). In the past, Communication Studies graduate students have
completed dual degrees in: MA in Human Communication / Masters in Social Work.
Applicants interested in pursuing a dual degree are required to submit applications
to both programs of study through the Office of Graduate Studies.
- Does the department offer graduate teaching assistantships?
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The department has approximately 15 graduate assistantships to award each year for
doctoral students (for all returning and incoming graduate students). These are highly
competitive, merit-based positions. GTIs (Graduate Teaching Instructors) normally
teach four courses over the course of three quarters, to be assigned by the Director
of Graduate Teaching Instructors (Dr. Christina Foust, cfoust@du.edu) by summer of the forthcoming academic year. Compensation includes a full-time tuition
waiver, a nine-month living stipend and health benefits.
- How does the quarter system differ from the semester system?
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All University of Denver students, except for College of Law students, are on a quarter
system for the school year. The quarter system breaks the school year down into four
terms, but students generally attend fall, winter, and spring term. Quarters run for
ten week sessions. Credits transferred from a semester-system institution are calculated
at a 1.5 equivalency. For example, a student with 30 semester credits from a Masters
degree would transfer in 45 quarter hours to a PhD program. Students within the COMN
program normally take two five-credit courses per quarter, for a total of 30 quarter
hours per year.
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