Master of Arts in Communication

Requirements To Enroll

A Bachelor's degree in Communication or related discipline (e.g., English, Psychology, Sociology, and other social sciences) from an accredited institution or proof of equivalent education at a foreign institution.

Twelve semester hours of advanced course work in communication or related discipline as determined by the graduate advisor.

Demonstration of academic achievement and potential as indicated by GPA and/or the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants are generally expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher in upper-level course work. The GRE is typically required for students who did not complete their undergraduate degrees at UTEP. 

A letter of application to the graduate admission committee addressing the rationale for advanced study in communication, along with two letters of recommendation that comment about the student's ability to do graduate course work.

TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper) or 213 (Computer based) for international students whose first language is not English or who have not completed a university degree in the United States or other English-speaking countries.

Departmental Acceptance

Selection of qualified students for admission into the program is made by the graduate admission committee based on the demonstration of academic achievement reflected in the above criteria. Students can be given provisional/conditional admission when the graduate faculty determines that additional leveling course work may be needed. In all cases, the final recommendation for pursuing the degree rests with the graduate faculty.

Department Academic Standards

In addition to the graduate school requirements of maintaining a 3.0 GPA in all courses counting towards a degree, the department requires students to earn a grade of B or better in all core research methods courses (5300, 5310, 5311). Students receiving a C or lower may be required to retake the course for a second time. After repeating a core research methods course a second time, if a grade of B or better is not achieved, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Mandatory Advising Policy

The department has a mandatory advising policy that requires students to be advised before each semester's registration period. The graduate advisor posts office hours to accommodate meeting with students. Contact the graduate advisor, Dr. Yannick Atouba at yatouba@utep.edu (preferred) or at 915-747-8046. 

Leveling Courses

Students whose BA degree is in another academic area other than Communication may be required to take up to 12 hours of undergraduate courses in the department. These students are required to meet with the graduate advisor to review their undergraduate courses and the graduate advisor will determine the courses needed for leveling. Students must maintain a 3.00 GPA in the courses selected.

Application Deadlines

For Fall Admission the deadline is April 1st

For Spring Admission the deadline is October 1st. The spring admission term is generally not recommended for international students who have to get visas to come to the United States, as visa processing times tend to be very long. 

For more information

Contact Graduate Advisor, Dr. Yannick Atouba at yatouba@utep.edu (preferred) or at (915) 747-8046. 

Office: Quinn Hall, 205