2021-2022 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

Combined Degree Programs in Communication

Qualified undergraduate students majoring in advertising/public relations, communication studies, health communication, or multi-media journalism who are pursuing either a B.A. or B.S. degree may be admitted to a combined degree program (CDP) to obtain both their undergraduate degree and master's degree in communication (MSCom) within an accelerated time frame.

Overview

Students with a GPA of 3.3 (B+), or greater, may apply to the CDP in their junior year.
A minimum of 85 semester credits must be completed or in progress in order to apply to the CDP.
Students must have completed, or are registered for, their major's undergraduate capstone.
Students accepted into the CDP are eligible to take up to 12 credits of graduate-level communication (COM) courses in their senior year. These graduate credits will count toward the fulfillment of requirements for both their baccalaureate and graduate degrees.
Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA to remain in good standing in the CDP. Each graduate course taken during this time must receive a grade of B or better (not B-) in order to continue in the MSCom graduate program beyond the initial 12 credits.
In the second year of the program, students will be defined as graduate students for purposes of tuition and fees as well as financial aid and other matters pertaining to graduate students. Please see gvsu.edu/financialaid/tuition-fees-68.htm for more information.
The specific 12 credits of graduate coursework to be taken and applied toward the fulfillment of the undergraduate/graduate programs are COM 600, COM 620, COM 634, and COM 642. If a student decides to pursue only the undergraduate portion of the CDP, the graduate credits completed will satisfy requirements for the undergraduate major. In this situation, these graduate credits from the undergraduate degree may not be used toward a graduate degree at a later time.

Application

Apply at gvsu.edu/admissions/graduate-application-24.htm. You are required to submit an online application, GVSU transcript, current resume, two letters of recommendation, and a 500-word essay that addresses your career goals and how the MSCom graduate program is relevant to these goals. Deadline for application is April 1. Applicants are encouraged to meet with the graduate program director in advance of the deadline to discuss the CDP.

Alex Nesterenko, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Director
School of Communications
Email: [email protected]

Sample Schedule for the Accelerated MSCom Program: Advertising/Public Relations

Year One

Fall

Winter

CAP 115 - Research Basics for Advertising and Public Relations (3 credits)
COM 201 - Speech (3 credits)
General Education
General Education

Year Two

Fall

CAP 210 - Fundamentals of Advertising (3 credits)
CAP 220 - Fundamentals of Public Relations (3 credits)
COM 295 - Communication Theory (3 credits)
B.A./B.S. cognate course
General Education

Winter

CAP 310 - Advertising Management and Cases (3 credits)/CAP 320 - Public Relations Management and Cases (3 credits)
CMJ 256 - News Reporting (3 credits)/WRT 219 - Introduction to Creative Writing (3 credits)
B.A./B.S. cognate course
General Education
General Education

Year Three

Fall

CAP 315 - Advertising Copywriting (3 credits)/CAP 321 - Media Relations Writing (3 credits)
B.A./B.S. cognate course
General Education
General Education

Winter

CAP 325 - Advertising and Public Relations Ethics and Law (3 credits)/PHI 325 - Ethics in Professional Life (3 credits)
CAP 413 - Media Planning (3 credits)/CAP 423 - Writing Corporate Communications (3 credits)
CAP elective
CAP elective
Free elective

Year Four

Fall

Winter

COM 634 - Ethics in Professional Communication (3 credits)
COM 642 - Communication Law (3 credits)
Free elective
Free elective
Free elective

Year Five

Fall

COM 610 - Secondary Information and Analysis (3 credits)
COM 660 - Communication Management and Cases (3 credits)
Graduate elective
Graduate elective

Winter

The number of credits taken each semester will vary depending on the particular courses taken. A minimum of 120 credits is required to complete the undergraduate degree. In the sample above, at least one required course, such as a lab science course, would bring the total number of credits to 120.