M.A. in English, with Emphasis in Speech Communication

The M.A. in English, with Emphasis in Speech Communication, is a 30-hour degree program designed to augment an undergraduate speech major or to prepare for study at the doctoral level.

• Admission
• Advisement
• Curriculum
• Comprehensive Exam
• Thesis
• Fellowships
• Assistantships
• Professional Opportunities
  -- At USC
  -- After USC

Admission

Applicants for admission to the M.A. program must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours of upper-division undergraduate courses in speech, English, or related communication fields with grades indicating ability for successful graduate work.

Applicants should submit directly to The Graduate School

• online application forms,
• at least two letters of recommendation from teachers familiar with your academic achievement,
• transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions, and
• satisfactory scores on the GRE general test.
  
  Successful applicants to the M.A. program typically have GRE verbal scores at or above the 70th percentile and an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or better.

You should send directly to the Department of English, attention Graduate Studies (address at left)

• a sample of academic writing (approximately 8-10 pages) and
• a statement of purpose.

Your application is not complete until all materials are received by The Graduate School and the Department. Admission decisions are based on all parts of an application, with especially close attention given to writing samples.

Application deadlines are January 30 for those wishing to be considered for fellowships or assistantships and April 15 for all others.

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Advisement

Prior to registering for classes each semester, you should make an appointment to talk with your advisor. New M.A. students may rely on Noreen Doughty, graduate student coordinator, or Graduate Director Holly Crocker, director of graduate studies, for advisement. Within the first two semesters, students are asked to identify an advisor among faculty members in their area of concentration. This advisor will help you plan and file a program of study.

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Curriculum

• SPCH 700: Issues and Methods in Speech Communication
• SPCH 701: Teaching Speech Communication
• 12 hours additional courses in Speech Communication at the 700 or 800 level
• 6 hours of electives at the 700 or 800 level reflecting the student's particular professional or academic objectives*
• 3 hours of SPCH 799 (thesis writing) #

*Must be approved by the student's advisor
#Students may enroll in additional hours but only 3 count toward the degree.

See also Course Descriptions, Residency, Time Limits for Degrees, and Frequently Asked Questions.

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Comprehensive Exam

In your penultimate semester (or prior to beginning work on your thesis), you must take a written comprehensive exam based on a reading list compiled by the speech communication faculty. At the beginning of the semester in which you plan to take the exam, notify the Director of Graduate Studies in writing of your intention to do so. The exam consists of six questions, from which you will choose two and respond to each in 90 minutes (a total of 3 hours). Two of three graders must pass your responses. You have two opportunities to pass this exam.

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Thesis

The M.A. thesis is an essay of approximately 50-80 pages that makes a defensible contribution to scholarship on a figure, text, movement, problem, or current questions in Speech Communication. It must conform to standards set by The Graduate School. Your thesis director will supervise your SPCH 799 (thesis) hours, and your essay will be read by one other faculty member in your area.

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Fellowships

A limited number of fellowships are available from The Graduate Schooland the College of Liberal Arts. Applicants to this M.A. program are eligible for these fellowships if nominated by the Department of English. The selection process for nominees begins January 30 with awards announced mid-March.

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Assistantships

The Department of English offers several types of assistantships:

• teaching assistantships,
• editorial assistantships,
• instructional assistantships, and
• research assistantships.

Based on information provided in applications completed by January 30, prospective students will automatically be considered for an appropriate assistantship. (For example, teaching assistantships are available only to students who have successfully completed 18 hours of graduate work in English.)

All assistantships confer in-state tuition status, as well as a stipend and tuition supplement whose amounts vary with the type of assistantship. Students awarded an assistantship by the Department of English are expected to

• carry no incompletes;
• earn no more than one grade below B during their academic career;
• perform assigned duties in a satisfactory manner;
• maintain a GPA of 3.5; and
• make steady progress toward the degree.
  

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Professional Opportunities

At USC

• Opportunities to gain specialized teaching experience in introductory undergraduate speech classes and in courses in business communication. See Speech Communication.
  
• Opportunities to work with the coach of the nation's #1 intercollegiate debate team.
  
• Opportunities to present papers at conferences sponsored by regional and national communication associations.
  
• Modest financial support for travel to conferences at which you are a presenter.
  
• Eligibility for recognition and awards from The Graduate School(especially for presentations at Graduate Student Day).

After USC

Graduates with this M.A. degree have found satisfying careers as teachers of speech communication in community colleges and as speech writers or communication specialists in business, industry, and government. For help with career options you should use the resources on campus like

• University Career Center
• College of Arts and Scinces career Development Program

Some graduates pursue advanced degrees in law, political science, or education or apply for admission to Ph.D. programs in speech communication at other major research universities.

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