Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s (ABM) Program
The Department of Communication & Journalism offers an accelerated pathway to the Master’s degree, which allows students from each of our seven undergraduate degrees (BA-COMM, BS-COMM, BA-TCMS, BS-TCMS, BA-USLA-JRN, BA-JOUR, and BS-JOUR) to graduate simultaneously* with their Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Communication within five years. Students accepted into this program have the opportunity to take advanced coursework in Communication to develop content expertise and will work to curate portfolio pieces to demonstrate their skills for the job market. With small seminar-style graduate classes, ABM students will build deeper relationships with faculty and benefit from close mentorship from their professors and advanced graduate students.
Please note: The Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees are conferred simultaneously. According to University policy, students enrolled in combined degree programs will not be able to walk for their undergraduate degree. They will walk once at graduation at the receipt of the MA degree.
ABM Curriculum
The ABM consists of one “hybrid” year, during which students complete their undergraduate coursework and transition into the graduate program, and one year focused exclusively on graduate coursework. During the fall semester of their hybrid year, ABM students take a zero-credit hour professionalization course (COMM 681: Transitioning to Graduate School), and a three-credit hour foundations course (COMM 601: Foundations of Communication Inquiry), which will introduce them to all of the graduate faculty in the department and help students to orient to the full range of graduate offerings in this program.
In total, the Master of Arts in Communication degree requires 36 credit hours of coursework. The curriculum consists of 3 credit hours of foundations courses and 12 credit hours of required core courses that teach students analytical and methodological skills that they can apply to practical problems as communication professionals. The remaining 21 credit hours consist of electives, including 6 credits of 400-level COMM courses which receive dual credit towards your graduate degree. The structure of this curriculum is meant to maximize flexibility so students can build a program that is uniquely their own: helping them to build the knowledge base they need to achieve their personal and professional goals.
REQUIRED 36 CREDIT HOURS
Students will pursue one of two tracks:
Track 1: Communication & Media Sciences
CMJR Foundations (3 hours):
COMM 601: Foundations of Communication Inquiry
COMM 681: Professionalization Seminar (0 credit hours)
Track Core (12 hours selected from the following):
COMM 601: Foundations of Communication Inquiry
COMM 610: Social Science Methods in Communication Research
COMM 611: Advanced Quantitative Methods in Communication Research
COMM 615: Interpretive Methods in Communication Research
COMM 616: Topics in Communication Methods
COMM 620: Communication Theory
COMM 662: Survey in Media Studies
COMM 664: Media Processes & Effects
Electives (21 hours)
COMM class 400 or above (6 hours)
COMM class 600 or above (9-12 hours)
Outside of COMM class 600 or above (3-6 hours)
Track 2: Humanities & Critical/Cultural Studies
CMJR Foundations (3 hours):
COMM 601: Foundations of Communication Inquiry
COMM 681: Professionalization Seminar (0 credit hours)
Track Core (12 hours selected from the following):
COMM 601: Foundations of Communication Inquiry
COMM 615: Interpretive Methods in Communication Research
COMM 616: Topics in Communication Methods
COMM 640: Rhetorical Theory
COMM 645: Rhetorical & Textual Methods
COMM 658: Communication & Culture
COMM 661: Media & Identity
COMM 662: Survey in Media Studies
Electives (21 hours)
COMM class 400 or above (6 hours)
COMM class 600 or above (9-12 hours)
Outside of COMM class 600 or above (3-6 hours)
Note 1: A student may take up to 6 credit hours of Directed Research (COMM 685) as part of their coursework.
Note 2: Exceptions to these requirements require approval by committee chair and a majority of the Departmental Graduate Instructional Committee.
Funding
Students beginning their fourth year at Texas A&M (first semester in the ABM) may still be classified as a U4 (Undergraduate Student registrant) and charged undergraduate tuition rates. However, once students begin taking a full semester of graduate level courses (usually second semester in the ABM) they are now classified as a G7 (Graduate Student registrant). Graduate aid is packaged differently from undergraduate aid, and students receiving undergraduate scholarships or Pell grants typically lose eligibility for their funding. Students encountering this problem should consult with an academic advisor and consider entering the Master’s program after earning their Bachelor’s degree.
Please Note: We do not provide direct funding to ABM students, so students are advised to seek external scholarships, loans, or employment as needed.
How to Apply
Important Notice: The Department of Communication & Journalism is taking a short pause in graduate admissions. As a result, the department is not accepting applications and will not be admitting MA or PhD students for the next academic year (2024-2025).
If you are interested in learning more about our graduate program for a future admission cycle, please contact Dr. Nathan Crick, Master’s Program Coordinator.