Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Communication/Master of Arts in Communication

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

The accelerated bachelor of science in communication/master of arts in communication program is initiated while undergraduates are completing the bachelor’s degree. For this program, graduate student course work 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’s and master’s 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 where they will be completing their 75th credit 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 bachelor of science in communication/master of arts in communication.

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 BS degree, but will not be eligible to take additional graduate courses in the accelerated program. Students will be able to reapply to the MA program.

Undergraduate students accepted into the 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.

Admission Process

Students applying to the accelerated bachelor of science in communication/master of arts in communication program will go through the regular graduate application process with the following exceptions:

• On the online graduate application form students will indicate that they are applying to an “Accelerated program”.

• A supplemental form will be completed with a faculty advisor listing the graduate courses to be counted towards both degrees, the intended date of completion of the undergraduate degree requirements, and the intended semester of assistantship eligibility.

• Personal statement should address applicant’s specific interest in communication graduate education and the accelerated program.