Accelerated BA to MA Program
Undergraduate students working toward a Bachelor’s degree in the Departments of Communication, Media Production & Studies, or Journalism & Public Relations may also begin work on the Master’s degree offered by the School of Media & Communication; these students may enroll in the Accelerated Bachelor and Masters program if they meet all of the necessary application requirements. Those students who meet the requirements earn Pre-Master’s status as an undergraduate student, and can enroll in graduate courses in the School of Media & Communication. Once they graduate with the Bachelor’s degree, students will be granted full graduate student status. Students who choose this program will be eligible for the generalist option of the School’s MA degree program. Overall, the accelerated program allows for students to complete both degrees, normally within five years.
Students enrolled in the accelerated program should follow the course schedule for planning graduate work that begins while still enrolled as an undergraduate student, followed by the courses taken when fully enrolled as a graduate student in the School’s MA program. Overall, the program should include 4 years undergraduate + 1 year graduate. Students who choose the thesis option to complete their MA degree should expect their program to take an additional year.
Students who complete 12 credit hours (4 courses) during the Pre-Master’s status could complete the degree program with course work in the Fall and Spring semesters. Students who complete 9 credit hours (3 courses) during Pre-Master’s status could complete the program with course work in Fall and Spring, with one class in the Summer. For those who complete 6 credit hours (2 courses) during Pre-Master’s status, the program could be completed with courses in Fall and Spring, and two courses in the Summer.
Requirements for Applicants
- By the start of Pre-Master's status, either:
- 75 credit hours earned and an overall BGSU GPA of at least 3.2, OR
- 90 credit hours earned and an overall BGSU GPA of at least 3.0.
- A completed Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program Application; Official transcripts from all universities attended (BGSU paper transcripts are not needed. Records can be viewed online):
- At least one letter of recommendation from a full-time BGSU faculty member, preferably from graduate faculty within the student's major or targeted graduate program.
There are three primary advantages to pursuing an accelerated BA to MA program:
- While the student is still in Pre-Master’s status (i.e., still working on their undergraduate degree), all graduate courses will cost the same as undergraduate courses.
- Prospective students do not need to provide GRE scores in their application. This is not the case with the regular MA options.
- The accelerated program allows for students to complete two degrees within the span of five years.
It is important to note that the graduate courses do not count toward a BA. In order to properly pursue the accelerated program, students need to make sure that they have taken enough coursework that they can reach the required 122 credit hours necessary for graduation by only taking 6 or 7 classes in their fourth year. This means that prospective students should be taking summer courses through their first three years of undergraduate study. The amount of time required to complete the MA degree after they complete the BA will be dependent on how many graduate courses they are able to take in the fourth year.
During their fourth year of undergraduate study, they may take any 5000 level courses offered by the School of Media & Communication, as well as a limited group of 6000 level courses. Students may not take 7000 level courses while they are still undergraduate students, nor may they take any of the core 6000 level courses for the MA program until they have formally become graduate students.
Pre-Master’s status (limited to 12 credit hours maximum):
Undergraduate students should take up to four courses from the list below:
- MC 5040: Communication & Conflict
- MC 5050: Mediated Cultures & Identities
- MC 5080: Intercultural Communication
- MC 5090: International Communication
- MC 5610: Audience Research
- MC 5630: Media Programming
- MC 5640: Practicum in Interactive Online Media Production
- MC 5670: Gender, Media & Culture
- MC 5700 Electronic Surveillance & Privacy
- MC 5750: Global Journalism
- MC 6550: Organizational Communication
- MC 6551: Public Relations Research & Practice
- MC 6552: Social Media Seminar
- MC 6553: Advertising Research & Practice
There are three different ways to proceed with coursework during Master’s status. These depend on the number of credit hours taken during Pre-Master’s status.
Master’s Status Coursework A (if students have completed 12 hours during Pre-Master’s status):
Fall semester:
- MC 6000: Introduction to Media & Communication
- MC 6400: Humanistic Research Methods
- One elective MC course
Spring semester:
- MC 6300: Social Science Research Methods
- One elective MC course
- 3 credit hours of one of the following: comprehensive finals, project, thesis.
OR
Master’s Status Coursework B (if students have completed 9 hours during Pre-Master’s status):
Fall semester:
- MC 6000: Introduction to Media & Communication
- MC 6400: Humanistic Research Methods
- One elective MC course
Spring semester:
- MC 6300: Social Science Research Methods
- Two elective MC courses
Summer semester:
- One elective course
- 3 credit hours of one of the following: comprehensive finals, project, thesis.
OR
Master’s Status Coursework C (if students have completed 6 hours during Pre-Master’s status):
Fall semester:
- MC 6000: Introduction to Media & Communication
- MC 6400: Humanistic Research Methods
- One elective MC course
Spring semester:
- MC 6300: Social Science Research Methods
- Two elective MC courses
Summer semester:
- Two elective courses
- 3 credit hours of one of the following: comprehensive finals, project, thesis.
After coursework, students can complete the degree in one of three ways: comprehensive examination, research project, or thesis. Students who opt to write the MA thesis should anticipate the Master’s status lasting more than one year. Those who opt to complete using the exams or research project may complete the Master’s status within the one year time frame.
Updated: 08/20/2021 04:30PM