Communication, BS/Communication, MA

Program Coordinator: Laura Prividera (102 Joyner East; 252-328-5304; privideral@ecu.edu)

The Communication, BS/Communication, MA accelerated program is initiated while undergraduates are completing the bachelor’s degree. For this program, graduate student coursework begins in the students’ fourth year of undergraduate study and can be completed with one academic year of study beyond the bachelor’s degree. Eligible students accepted into the program may count up to 12 semester hours of graduate coursework towards completion of both the bachelor of science (BS) and master of arts (MA) degrees. Students are formally admitted to the master’s program after all requirements for the undergraduate degree are completed.

Undergraduate communication students may apply for the accelerated program during the semester when they will be completing their 75th semester hour, at least 18 of which must be in communication. Eligible students must have a minimum undergraduate overall GPA of 3.5 at the time of application. Additionally, eligible students must have completed COMM 2030 - Communication Research ; and COMM 2010 - Communication Criticism  or COMM 2500 - Media Writing and Reporting  with a grade of B or higher in each. Students in the accelerated program will use their graduate credits to fulfill undergraduate elective hours and graduate courses will not replace required undergraduate courses. Before enrolling in graduate courses, eligible undergraduates seeking accelerated status must apply to and be accepted into the accelerated program.

Students accepted into the accelerated program must earn a grade of B or above in all graduate coursework to continue in the accelerated program. Students who earn a C in any graduate course will still be able to count that course toward the bachelor’s degree, but will not be eligible to take additional graduate courses in the accelerated program. Students will be able to reapply to the master’s program.

Undergraduate students accepted into the Communication, BS/Communication, MA accelerated program may count up to 12 semester hours from the following graduate courses towards completion of both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but are prohibited from taking graduate courses outside of communication.

• COMM 6000 - Communication Theory 
• COMM 6030 - Research Methods 
• COMM 6031 - Communication Pedagogy 
• COMM 6110 - Media Effects 
• COMM 6120 - Interpersonal Communication 
• COMM 6124 - Organizational Communication 
• COMM 6131 - Social Influence 
• COMM 6140 - Special Topics in Communication 
• COMM 6210 - Media and Health Communication 
• COMM 6211 - Health Communication Campaigns 
• COMM 6220 - Interpersonal Health Communication 
• COMM 6221 - Intercultural Communication in Health Contexts 
• COMM 6222 - Family Communication and Health 
• COMM 6224 - Communication and Health Organizations 
• COMM 6226 - Communication Approaches to Health Advocacy 
• COMM 6230 - Introduction to Health Communication 
• COMM 6240 - Special Topics in Health Communication 

To view course descriptions go to the ECU graduate catalog.