Academic Planing
- Obtain and review the current AU Bulletin and Class Schedule
- Develop your proposed Plan of Study
See your Graduate Advisor before registering for classes - Establish your Supervisory Committee
- Develop a portfolio
- Check your student status
- Obtain and review the current AU Bulletin and AU Class Schedule
Students are expected to know the rules that govern academic matters.
The AU Bulletin provides information on the requirements for the degree program. The Bulletin in force when one first registers is the binding document between the student and the university. The specific requirements about the MA: Communication Interdisciplinary Studies program can be found in the Bulletin under Communication - Graduate Program.
The AU Class Schedule is published yearly and includes course numbers, titles, times and locations of courses. The department also publishes a list of courses for Fall and Spring semesters.
These are the tools that you need to plan your program of study. - Develop your proposed Plan of Study
Your Statement of Purpose guides you in the process of choosing the specific courses you need in order to accomplish your career goals. It is basic to the development of your Plan of Study. Your Plan of Study form is a representation of your customized, individualized degree program. The completed Plan of Study and revised Statement of Purpose must be presented to your supervisory committee for approval before you begin your second semester. Remember to consult the AU Bulletin and AU Class Schedule. - See your Graduate Advisor before registering for classes
Check with your Graduate Advisor whether you have made the best selection of courses before you register. The Graduate Advisor will check your proposed Plan of Study and supply you with your registration pin. - Establish your Supervisory Committee
By the end of your first semester, you should have consulted with your Graduate Advisor about the best candidates for membership of your Supervisory Committee. It typically comprises two graduate faculty members from the Department of Communication and one additional member who should represent either your secondary area or emphasis.
The members of your Supervisory Committee:
* Serve as mentors throughout your program
* Discuss with you how the committee will function
* Evaluate and approve your Plan of Study and Statement of Purpose
* Recommend you for Graduation and Advancement to Candidacy
* Accept your Project Proposal and/or Internship/Practicum Agreement
* Evaluate and grade your projects/thesis and oral defense
* Compile and grade your comprehensive examination
Contact the chosen candidates to informally request that he/she serve on your Supervisory Committee and obtain a tentative agreement. The Graduate Advisor will send an official invitation for that respective faculty member to serve on your Supervisory Committee. The Supervisory Committee Agreement must be signed by each committee member and filed with the Administrative Assistant. You keep a copy. A copy is sent to the records office. This should be done by the end of the first semester in which you complete graduate courses. Use the Supervisory Committee Meeting Schedule to find a suitable time for your first two meetings.
Change of Supervisory Committee membership."Only rarely may a student's committee be changed while study or research is still in progress. This may be done only in consultation with the appropriate dean or graduate program coordinator." (AU Bulletin, 2006/2007 p.54)
If a problem arises, students are advised to use the communication skills they are acquiring to negotiate a resolution to the problem they are experiencing.
Any persistent problem or issue related to the membership of the supervisory committee must follow the following procedure:
1. The student must present a formal request for change accompanied by the reasons for this change to the Graduate Sub-committee through the chair of this committee, namely the Coordinator of the Graduate Program.
2. The Graduate sub-committee will respond with an option or options to resolve the issue.This is the procedure to be followed in any one of the following situations:
* Change of a committee member
* Change of the membership of the committee
* Change of the chair of the committee.When a change is required by the Graduate sub-committee this change will be communicated to the student who will select a replacement on the advice of the advisor of the program.
A new form (Supervisory Committee Agreement form) must be completed to replace the original one.
- Develop a portfolio
A portfolio is a self-reflection journey of a student's learning process. It is also a valuable personal marketing tool as it is customized for a particular job position. It is an organized collection of evidence/artifacts that showcases one's knowledge, skills and accomplishments. It also includes a table of contents, recommendations, and feedback from significant people in order to achieve one's career goals. You will defend the portfolio to your Supervisory Committee who will assess it in terms of your Statement of Purpose. - Check your student status
A student must achieve regular status before applying for graduation and advancement to candidacy. In order to move from provisional to regular status, a student must meet the following requirements as detailed in the current AU Bulletin:
* Completed an undergraduate degree with a minimum of 12 credits in communication/journalism/public relations. If prerequisites are required, the student may register for graduate course work after completing at least 6 undergraduate communication credits.
* Maintained a GPA of at least 2.75.
* Taken the GRE within the first semester of being enrolled in the program. The nearest test center is Prometric Testing Center in Mishawaka, IN, phone number (574) 254-1055. The most current GRE information is available at http://www.gre.org
* Submitted a revised Statement of Purpose, Plan of Study and Portfolio in process to his/her supervisory committee.
Make sure that the Administrative Assistant knows of the development of your program. Your Program Check Sheet must be kept current. Refer to the Important University Dates for Graduate Students (based on the Academic Calendar) and Student Timeline/Deadline Check Sheet for all important deadlines that you must meet.