Course Requirements (30 Hours)

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Research Electives

Admission Requirements

1. Undergraduate transcripts from an accredited university with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate study.
   • Applicants without an undergraduate degree in mass communication must present evidence of general knowledge of the field and basic skills in newswriting (including AP style) and design.
     • Such evidence may include courses taken post graduation and professional portfolios.
     • If applicants do not have sufficient evidence of a background in mass communication, they may be required to complete specified undergraduate courses concurrently or before entering the program. In most cases, these course include:
       • MCJ 102 — Media Writing
       • MCJ 203 — Reporting
       • MCJ 300 — Multimedia storytelling
2. Graduate Record Examination scores.
   • Scores in verbal and quantitative sections should be near or above the average of about 150 on the quantitative portion and 150 on the verbal portion.
   • Admission decisions are not solely based on test scores. Exceptional undergraduate work and/or professional experience are also taken into consideration and may offset low scores.
3. At least three letters of recommendation from professional or academic sources addressing academic preparation and readiness for graduate work.
4. A statement of purpose, indicating why the candidate wishes to pursue a master’s degree at USM.
5. A current resume.
6. A writing sample.
   • Writing samples may include academic research papers or professional communication materials such as news articles or background papers. It is not required, but students may submit more than one sample. When doing so, please combine all samples into one document for the application upload.
7. International students must submit scores of at least 79 on the TOEFL exam or 6.5 on the IELTS exam.

See Admission Requirements and Procedures for other requirements.