Pathway Program | Communication Studies
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Pathway Program

Grad Track Pathway - Bachelor's/Master's Program

We offer a graduate Pathway program for high-achieving undergraduate students majoring in Communication Studies. This Pathway program offers the opportunity for outstanding students to advance their careers by pursuing the Bachelor's and Master's degrees in a parallel and coordinated program.

Students accepted into the Pathway program can enroll in up to 12 hours of graduate-level coursework to count toward their Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies. As a pathway toward the Master's degree, students in this program will first earn their Bachelor's degree and then count these same graduate courses toward their Master's degree in Communication Studies. The Pathway program enables strong and motivated students to move more efficiently through their academic career, accelerating the timeline for earning their Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

Eligibility

Students are eligible for acceptance into the program upon completion of 75 undergraduate hours, including COMM 3010 and enrollment in a theory course in Communication Studies.

  • Minimum GPA - 3.5 in Major / 3.5 Overall
  • Completed COMM 3010 with grade of A or B
  • Completed Undergraduate Theory Course in Communication Studies (COMM 4020, COMM 4040, COMM 4060, or COMM 4540) with grade of A or B

Required Application Materials

Students interested in the Pathway program should apply to this program during the semester they're enrolled in an undergraduate theory course in Communication Studies (COMM 4020, COMM 4040, COMM 4060, or COMM 4540). Admission into the Pathway program will be contingent upon earning an A or B in the theory course.

  • Letter of Application (address your purpose in pursuing graduate study in the Department of Communication Studies, including your professional plans, career goals, and areas of research interest).
  • Resume or Curriculum Vita.
  • 2 Letters of Recommendation from full faculty/professors in the Department of Communication Studies.
  • Scholarly writing sample from a junior or senior level undergraduate course that demonstrates your proficiency at conducting, reporting, and citing scholarly research.
  • UNT Degree Audit/Transcript.

Course Substitutions

The maximum number of graduate hours a Pathway student could earn is 12 hours (4 graduate courses). These 12 hours can be comprised of a mixture of course substitutions for a combination of Group A-B-C course requirements and/or upper-division Communication elective courses. All courses will be selected in close consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor (Dr. Erin O'Connor) and Director of Graduate Studies (Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed).

Any student enrolling in graduate coursework will be required to enroll in the Introduction to Graduate Study & Research in Communication Studies (COMM 5080) during their first SPRING semester. COMM 5080 could count as a substitute for a Pathway student's upper-level COMM elective. In addition, students accepted into the Grad Pathway program can substitute the following graduate-level COMM courses for each corresponding COMM GROUP undergraduate requirement:

GROUP A (Interpersonal, Digital, & Organizational Studies)

  • COMM 5180 (Qualitative Research Methods)
  • COMM 5185 (Quantitative Research Methods)
  • COMM 5220 (Organizational Communication)
  • COMM 5225 (Interpersonal Communication)
  • COMM 5325 (Communication Theory)
  • COMM 5820 (Seminar in Group Processes)

GROUP B (Rhetorical Studies)

  • COMM 5240 (Rhetoric and Mediated Culture)
  • COMM 5340 (Rhetorical Methods)
  • COMM 5345 (Rhetorical Theory)
  • COMM 5440 (Public Address Studies)
  • COMM 5640 (Classical Rhetoric)

GROUP C (Performance Studies)

  • COMM 5260 (Adaptation & Staging)
  • COMM 5265 (Performance Methods)
  • COMM 5365 (Performance Theory)
  • COMM 5560 (20th Century Theory and Practice in Performance Studies)

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed, Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication Studies Iftekhar.Ahmed@unt.edu (GAB 315).