The College of Communication and Information's Graduate Student Handbook is designed to provide graduate students with helpful information about policies and procedures in the college. The book also answers frequently asked questions on topics ranging from admissions to dissertations.
2007-2009 Graduate Studies Handbook (pdf file)
Welcome to graduate study in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee. The college offers three graduate degrees:
All three degrees combine a solid grounding in theory and methods with an understanding of key professions served by the college. Graduates have gone on to successful careers in academe, government, industry, and other organizations.
The college came together in its current configuration in 2002. It is made up of four schools: Advertising and Public Relations, Communication Studies, Information Sciences, and Journalism and Electronic Media. Each of the disciplines housed within these schools has a distinguished history on the University of Tennessee campus. The beneficial synergy of bringing all of these programs together into a single college is most apparent at the graduate level where students are encouraged to explore the diverse traditions in the college.
Our Vision: The University of Tennessee's College of Communication and Information will become a world renowned center for innovative learning, scholarship, and societal engagement with particular emphasis on the following communication and information areas:
The primary aspiration of the College can be summarized in a single word: Excellence. Over the next five years, the College of Communication and Information will achieve a level of excellence that will be reflected in international, national, and regional rankings. Each unit in the College will become recognized as a program of excellence internationally, nationally, and regionally for the caliber of its research/creative activity, teaching and service.
Our Mission: The College of Communication and Information is a community of scholars and creators devoted to the study of communication and information and their related processes and technologies. This mission is achieved through excellence in research/creative activity, teaching and service. The College also shares the values of diversity, international and intercultural awareness, engagement and other core ideals of the University of Tennessee in the Land-Grant tradition.
Values. The college is committed to diversity and fosters a sense of collegiate and social community. The culture of the college includes an emphasis on the legal and ethical responsibilities of access to information and the exercise of expression in a democratic society. The college also promotes new knowledge creation through research and creative activities.
Teaching. The college serves the general education goals of increasing awareness of the importance of communication and information in the contemporary world and improving personal skills in communication, critical thinking, information analysis, and evaluation. It serves the professional goals of preparing graduate and undergraduate students for careers in the communication and information professions. It serves the academic goals of preparing students to become leaders and to pursue future academic study and research.
Research and Creative Activities. The college advances knowledge in the fields of communication and information sciences by the efforts of its faculty, staff, and students, often in collaboration with colleagues in other disciplines and at other institutions.
Service. The college provides its expertise to the campus, to professional disciplines, and to the public through regional, national, and international service.
This graduate student handbook is intended to provide information about the policies and procedures of the graduate programs in the College of Communication and Information. An effort has been made to anticipate the questions that commonly occur to students during their course of study.
Although the purpose of this handbook is to assist graduate students in planning their programs, it is the responsibility of students to be aware of the regulations governing their work. Those regulations are documented in the Graduate Catalog and Hilltopics. Also regularly monitor the University Graduate school Web site. Another useful document is the UT Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations. Nothing in this handbook supersedes the requirements stated in the Graduate Catalog or other official publications of the University of Tennessee. However, it is our hope that this document will be helpful during your graduate studies in the College of Communication and Information.
Information about the College of Communication and Information is available at http://cci.utk.edu/. The link to http://cci.utk.edu/gradstudies should be particularly useful to you. Among other things, this Web site will provide guidelines and forms that you need as you progress in your graduate program.
The PhD program and the MS in Communication and Information are both interdisciplinary programs that are coordinated out of the associate dean's office in Suite 302 of the Communications & University Extension Building. Dr. Sally McMillan is the Associate Dean for Academic Programs for the college and is responsible for these programs. Diana Hall, CPS is the Administrative Services Assistant to contact for general information about these college-wide programs. The telephone number is (865) 974-6651; the e-mail addresses are sjmcmill (at) utk.edu for Dr. McMillan and diking (at) utk.edu for Ms. Hall. Most of the remainder of this handbook applies specifically to these two college-wide degrees.
The MS in Information Sciences is coordinated out of the School of Information Sciences office in Suite 451 of the Communications & University Extension Building. Dr. Edwin Cortez is the Director of the School of Information Sciences and is responsible for this program. Tanya Arnold is the Student Services Coordinator and primary contact for information about the information sciences master's program. The telephone number is (865) 974-2858; the e-mail addresses are ecortez (at) utk.edu for Dr. Cortez and tnarnold (at) utk.edu for Ms. Arnold. A separate handbook has been prepared for students who are in this degree program and should be the primary guide for students studying information sciences at the master's level.
Graduate programs in the college are intentionally kept relatively small and focused so that faculty and students have the opportunity to get to know each other fairly well. Graduate students require more of a faculty member's time than do undergraduates, but faculty members usually enjoy mentoring and challenging advanced-level students.
The college faculty has important responsibilities to graduate students. First, faculty members as well as administrators review the applications of graduate students. After students are admitted into one of the graduate programs in the college, they will get to know the faculty because faculty members teach graduate courses, involve graduate students in research projects, and serve as advisers to help students plan their curriculum and their careers.
Faculty members also provide feedback on graduate student progress through the Graduate Studies Committee of the college. If students are not performing satisfactorily in graduate studies, they will be informed of that decision and the associate dean will work with those students to help them evaluate their goals and decide on an alternative study/career path.
Every graduate student is expected to meet all the requirements set forth in the current Graduate Catalog and all the other requirements specified by the college. These are subject to change; students will be notified of modifications in college rules and procedures. Copies of the modifications will also be available in the associate dean's office. Students are expected to keep informed about these changes.
Graduate students are expected to attend their classes and to successfully meet all the requirements of their courses. Graduate students are also strongly encouraged to participate in college activities such as the research symposium that is held in the spring. Graduate students serve on some college committees. Graduate students should consider participation in professionally oriented groups. These include academic associations such as the American Society for Information Science, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the International Communication Association, the National Communication Association, and so on. There are also many opportunities for engagement with campus and local chapters of organizations such as the Ad Club, American Library Association, American Society for Information Science and Technology, Communication Studies Club, National Broadcasting Society, Public Relations Student Society of America, Society of Professional Journalists, Special Libraries Association, Tennessee Debate Society, and Tennessee Library Association.
Students with graduate teaching assistantships or associateships bear extra responsibilities because they are also part of the teaching faculty. The graduate teaching assistants are responsible for promptly contacting the faculty member with whom they will work during a semester so that they can be informed of their duties and responsibilities. Graduate teaching associates, who teach their own classes, are responsible for meeting their classes and conducting them as effectively as possible. Grading of quizzes and papers should be completed promptly, enabling students to learn from their mistakes and the teacher's suggestions and comments. If a teaching associate must miss a class for some reason, that person must find someone to teach the class and inform the appropriate school director of the absence. Both assistants and associates are expected to begin their duties on the first day of meetings specified for their group and to adhere to all university regulations about meeting times, exams, etc.
Admission for graduate study at the University of Tennessee is a two-step process. Students must apply to the graduate school using the procedures outlined at http://admissions.utk.edu/graduate/. Students must also apply for acceptance into a specific graduate program within the college.
Forms for application to the college-wide programs are available at http://cci.utk.edu/gradstudies.
Applicants to the college-wide graduate programs must meet admission requirements of the Graduate Council. In addition, they must complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), rating forms, and application materials as required by the College of Communication and Information. All application materials are screened by a faculty admissions committee of the College of Communication and Information.
New students begin classes in the fall semester.
The application deadline is February 1 for students seeking funding. Even those not seeking funding should submit application materials by February 1 to have the best chance of being considered for admission. A limited number of slots open each fall and preference is given to applicants whose materials are submitted by February 1.
A baccalaureate degree in communication or a related field is recommended. Admission is possible with other baccalaureate degrees. However, all applicants without the appropriate background may be required to take up to 18 semester hours of prerequisite and corequisite courses.
At the time of application, students indicate an intended concentration. The student's record is reviewed by representatives of the appropriate school and the associate dean's office to identify any prerequisite or corequisite courses needed for that concentration. If a student should later decide to switch to a different concentration, the student must resubmit an application form. The appropriate school director (or his/her designee) responsible for the new concentration area will review that form as well as the student's academic record and determine whether the student is qualified for the new concentration. If so, the director/designee may identify additional courses needed to ensure the student is prepared for a career in the concentration area.
Minimum requirements normally include a 3.0 (4.0 system) grade point average in undergraduate studies and scores at or above the 50th percentile in verbal, quantitative, and analytical aptitude on the Graduate Record Examination.
Please contact the School of Information Sciences for information about admissions into this degree program. Note, also, that a separate handbook is available that details program requirements, advising, and other relevant information for this master's degree.
The master's degree is required for entry into the doctoral program. Students lacking academic or professional experience in communication and information may be required to take prerequisite courses.
The following are normally minimal requirements for admission to full potential candidate status.
The College of Communication and Information supports graduate students with multiple funding sources. Unfortunately the funds available never meet the needs of all graduate students. Following is a summary of funding opportunities.
A limited number of assistantships and associateships are available to graduate students. These assistantships/associateships provide competitive stipends and tuition waivers (in-state and out-of-state). On some occasions, assistantship/associateship opportunities arise in other branches of the university. Students are advised of these opportunities whenever they arise.
Graduate assistantships/associateships are normally renewable for up to two years for master’s students and three years for doctoral students subject to the student maintaining a 3.3 grade point average or higher on graduate coursework and satisfactory performance in the requirements of the job.
The stipend is payable in 12 monthly installments. For most students who are on an assistantship in the fall and spring semesters, tuition fees are waived for each of those semesters as well as for summer term. Most assistants/associates are not expected to work in the summer – the exception is some graduate research assistants who do have summer assignments.
Applications for assistantship/associationship positions within the college must be received no later than February 1 for the following academic year. Requests for renewal of assistantship/associateship positions must also be submitted by February 1. All application materials are available from the associate dean’s office.
The college offers a small number of graduate assistantships that are typically filled by master’s students. These are usually 25 percent appointments meaning that students work about 10 hours per week. Tasks for a GA range from monitoring labs to management of equipment. Most graduate assistants work for a specific school within the college and will receive their assignments from the director of that school.
Graduate research assistants work on specific research projects under the supervision of a faculty member(s). Master’s or doctoral students may hold these positions that are often funded with grant money and supervised through the research center. However, some research assistantships are also funded by the college or by one of the schools. Students work 10-20 hours (25-50 percent time) on research projects. Most research assistantships require summer work.
Graduate teaching assistants (usually doctoral students, but occasionally these positions may be held by advanced master’s students) work with faculty members to help with grading, class preparation, and related class activities. They may also teach under the supervision of a faculty member. Most teaching assistants are on a 25 percent assignment meaning that they work about 10 hours per week. Most graduate teaching assistants work for a specific school within the college and receive their assignments from the director of that school.
Graduate teaching associates are usually doctoral students and are responsible for teaching one or more classes. Most are assigned to work 10-20 hours per week (25-50 percent time) on activities such as class preparation, teaching, grading, meeting with students, etc. Graduate teaching associates are expected to work autonomously in teaching their classes, but they are provided with guidance, draft syllabi, and other related materials from the school for which they teach or from the associate dean if they are teaching college-wide classes.
The University of Tennessee funds several scholarships for graduate students. Some of these are designated for specific minority groups, others award academic excellence. For further information, go to http://gradstudies.utk.edu/gradfund.shtml or contact Dr. Kay Reed (kayreed (at)utk.edu), Assistant to the Dean, Office of Graduate Student Services, P105 Andy Holt Tower, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0165.
The College of Communication and Information also awards scholarships each year to outstanding graduate students. More detail on these scholarships is available from the associate dean’s office. Application for the college graduate scholarships is February 1. Names of scholarship and fellowship recipients are announced at the college’s annual convocation in April.
For information on loans and the work-study program, contact the Financial Aid Office, 115 Student Services Building, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0210.
Graduate students are eligible to apply for the student work-study program. Work-study is considered a form of financial aid, although it is not a loan and it is not subject to repayment. Full-time students should not attempt to work more than 20 hours per week. Part-time students should not attempt to take more than six hours of coursework per semester.
Knoxville has many organizations that hire communication and information professionals. Some graduate students find part-time employment in the local community. Those without professional experience are especially encouraged to gain experience through internships and/or part-time employment in communication and information-related organizations. Full-time students should not attempt to work more than 20 hours per week. Part-time students should not attempt to take more than six hours of coursework per semester.
Some doctoral students succeed in obtaining part-time teaching positions at nearby community colleges, private universities, and other higher-education institutions. This is a valuable source of teaching experience for doctoral students who do not have teaching assistant/associate positions.
The College of Communication and Information encourages all graduate students to submit research papers to conferences. Whenever possible, presentations of student research work will be supported. Students should first contact the appropriate school director or his/her designee to notify him/her of the acceptance of a conference paper. The director/designee will evaluate the relevance of the conference and, if appropriate, provide a letter of support for the student. This letter should then be submitted to the associate dean who will provide funding, as available, from the college. Additional funding my also be available from the university’s Graduate Student Travel Fund administered by the Graduate Student Senate.
Registration is required of all graduate students when they use university facilities and/or faculty time. The minimum number of hours for registration is three. Registration allows use of services such as library checkout, laboratories, and recreation facilities not open to the public. If students are working on a dissertation (course number 600), thesis (500), or project (590), they should be appropriately registered for that class. If students simply need to maintain registration, but are not actively working with a faculty member on a specific project, they should register for "use of facilities" using the 502 designation.
Information concerning registration is available in the Timetable of Classes which is available online. A registration period is scheduled during each semester for the subsequent semester. A late registration period normally is held two days prior to the beginning of classes. A late fee is assessed for any student in attendance at the university who fails to register early for the following semester. See the Timetable for a sliding scale of late fees.
Course registration may be changed from credit to audit, or audit to credit, only during the first 29 calendar days after the beginning of classes. The deadline for all other changes of registration is approximately 42 calendar days after the first day of classes.
For a student not on an assistantship, the minimum for full-time classification is 12 semester hours. The maximum hours that can be taken without special permission is 15. For students on assistantships, full-time study is defined as a minimum of 9 hours for those on a 25 percent assignment and 6 hours for those on a 50 percent assignment.
Every graduate student must have an adviser from his/her area of emphasis. This professor advises the student about courses and helps the student with research and professional development. At a minimum, students should meet with advisers once each semester.
While the college-wide master’s program is administered centrally, concentrations and advising are school based. Students in the master’s program report initially to the director of the appropriate school or his/her designee. General course work for the concentration is defined and the first semester or two of course work is fairly similar for all students within a concentration.
By the end of the second semester of full-time study, the student and director/designee identify an appropriate adviser to help the student prepare a program plan. The program plan should clearly show courses that a student will take to meet the degree requirement. The curriculum and planning procedures are sufficiently flexible to allow the student to plan a program of study suitable to his or her academic goals.
The master’s student and the adviser (program chair) identify two other faculty members to serve on the student’s committee, for a total of three members. This committee supervises the student’s thesis or project. Two members should be from the student’s school or area of emphasis, and all must hold the rank of assistant professor or higher. All committees and program plans must be approved by the associate dean for academics.
Program plans are due in the office of the associate dean by April 1, in the first year of the MS program.
Students in the doctoral program go through three stages of advising: first-year studies, comprehensive exams, and dissertation. They have a faculty adviser at each of these stages – this may be the same or a different faculty member at each stage.
Doctoral students are assigned a first-year adviser at the time that they are admitted to the program. This adviser is selected through consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee, school directors, and associate dean. The goal is to match the student’s stated research, teaching, and professional interests with the interests of a faculty member who can guide the student’s early coursework and research activities in the program. The core coursework that doctoral students take in the first year includes guidance in building a program plan. By the end of the first year, the doctoral student and first-year adviser develop a program plan that details coursework that the student will take to complete program requirements. The program plan is due in the office of the associate dean by April 1 in the first year of the PhD program. Each student’s program plan is reviewed by the associate dean for academics and is subject to final approval by the University Registrar’s Office.
At the end of the first year, the student and faculty should all have a better sense of the directions the student wishes to take in his/her career. The student should then identify a faculty member who will serve as program chair and who can help guide his/her pursuit of knowledge acquisition and creation. The student may stay with the first-year adviser or switch to another adviser in the second year of coursework. During this second year, the focus should be on helping the student start to identify a dissertation topic and consider the kind of individualized readings and research that, in addition to course work, will prepare the student for comprehensive exams that synthesize the doctoral program and focus on the dissertation area.
A comprehensive exam committee will be formed by the student and program chair and will be approved by the associate dean. It is the responsibility of the program chair to assure that the committee includes the diversity and expertise to properly judge the student’s examination. The committee must include a minimum of four faculty members that hold the rank of assistant professor or higher. Three of those must be from within the College of Communication and Information and one must hold a faculty position in another college of the University of Tennessee. Three of the four (including the program chair) must be authorized by the university to direct dissertations.
After the comprehensive exams are completed, the student will form a dissertation committee. This may be the same or different from the committee that conducted the comprehensive exam. But the requirements for the overall composition of the two committees are the same (minimum of four members, three from within the college one from outside, three of the four – including the chair – authorized to direct dissertations). Students may select a different chair from the one(s) who advised them in previous years. The dissertation chair supervises the writing of the dissertation and the final oral defense of the dissertation work.
Following is a brief overview of requirements for Master of Science in Communication and Information. Requirements for the Master of Science in Information Sciences are provided in a separate document.
The Master of Science with a major in Communication and Information is intended for students who desire careers related to a variety of communication, information, or media fields, and those who seek a deeper understanding of the role of communication and information in organizations, media, and society. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available. Appendix A provides an overview of the steps in the process of earning the MS degree.
The MS program combines a cross-disciplinary core in theory and methods with a concentrated set of courses in a primary area and elective courses. Both the thesis and non-thesis options require a minimum of 34 hours of approved graduate work. A minimum of 23 hours must be at 500 or above. Up to nine hours of graduate credit may be accepted for transfer into the program, but these hours are subject to approval by the program adviser and the associate dean. Students may be required to take up to 18 hours of pre-requisite courses. Full-time students with minimal pre-requisite or transfer credits are typically able to finish the degree in three to four semesters. See Appendix B for Program Planning Guides for the Master of Science in Communication and Information.
Core (7 hours). To be taken during the first two semesters of the student’s program, except with the written approval of the associate dean of the college. All students take the following two classes:
In addition, all students must take a three-hour research course as advised for their concentration. Select one of the following research courses:
Concentration (15 hours). At least 6 hours of the concentration must be at the 500 level or above. Concentrations are typically housed within one of the academic units. Students may also construct their own coherent set of courses for a concentration with the approval of the associate dean. Following are the primary concentration areas:
Approved Electives (6-9 hours) Six hours of electives for students in the thesis option, or 9 hours of electives for students in the non-thesis option.
Thesis or Project (3-6 hours)
All students must take courses from at least two of the schools in the College of Communication and Information.
Up to 18 additional pre-requisite/co-requisite hours may be required for students who do not have academic prerequisites.
Students who plan to work in communication organizations and related career fields will find the master's program prepares them with both tactical skills and managerial training. These students are strongly encouraged to pursue a project option. Students who anticipate entering a doctoral program will find that the master's program is good preparation for additional graduate studies. These students are strongly encouraged to pursue a thesis option.
There is no full-time residency requirement for completion of the master’s degree.
Courses taken at another institution may be considered for transfer into the MS program as determined by the student’s committee and approved by the University Registrar’s Office. (See “Transfer Credits” in the Graduate Catalog for limitations on transfer credit.)
To be transferred into a master’s program at UT, a course must:
1. Be taken for graduate credit.
2. Carry a grade of B or better.
3. Be part of a graduate program in which the student had a B average.
4. Not have been used for a previous degree.
5. Be approved by the student’s committee and the University Registrar’s Office on the Admission to Candidacy form.
Courses transferred to any graduate program will not affect the minimum residence requirements for the program, nor will they be counted in determining the student’s grade point average. A maximum of 9 hours may be transferred. Transferred courses must have been completed within the 6-year period prior to completion of the MS degree.
Candidates for the MS degree have six calendar years from the time of enrollment to complete the degree. Students who change their academic unit during the 6-year period may be granted an extension after review and approval by the dean of the Graduate School. In any event, courses used toward a master’s degree must have been taken within six calendar years of graduation.
Following is a brief overview of requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Communication program. Requirements for the Master of Science in Information Sciences are provided in a separate document.
The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Communication and Information is intended to prepare scholars for research, teaching, administration, and service in the fields of communication and information. The goal of the PhD program is to prepare graduates for positions in research-intensive institutions. This preparation also enables them to work at other types of educational institutions and industry positions. Doctoral students develop publishable research in their coursework, and provide evidence of publishable research prior to taking comprehensive exams. Graduates are expected to be competent in using at least one research method and should be literate in statistics. The program includes training in the foundational origins and contemporary literature of communication and information theories and professions. The program offers the opportunity for students to learn to be good teachers and to participate in service and outreach activities.
The program is interdisciplinary, consisting of a core curriculum, primary concentration, and cognate area of study. Core courses begin in the fall semester. The first fall and spring semesters must be spent in residence (i.e., enrolled as a full-time student). CCI 610 and 615 must be taken in the first year of the program and completed before students can move on to additional college coursework. Attendance at a fall orientation session is required. Appendix C provides an overview of the steps in the process of earning the Ph.D. degree.
A minimum of 61 hours of approved graduate work is required for the PhD. Students are typically able to complete coursework in about two full years of study and should expect to spend about a year writing the dissertation. No transfer credits are accepted for the doctoral program. See Appendix D for Program Planning Guides for the Doctor of Philosophy in Communication and Information.
Two concurrent semesters are required to meet the university’s residency requirement. Except in rare cases, students will meet this requirement in the first year of graduate study. Students are expected to have successfully completed CCI 610 and CCI 615 as well as at least one statistics class before they begin the second year of coursework.
Within primary and cognate areas, a total of 6 credit hours must be from theory-intensive courses and a total of 6 hours must be from methods-intensive classes. Courses both inside and outside the college (including graduate-level courses in the schools) may be identified as theory- and/or method-intensive. A list of eligible courses appears in Appendix E. Students may also submit courses to their program committee for consideration as theory- and/or method-intensive.
Students develop the first draft of their program plan with the assistance of their first-year adviser. This preliminary program plan must be submitted by April 1 in the first year of study. The full program committee is assembled in the second year of a student's studies. The full program committee must approve the final program plan before a student may take comprehensive exams. The associate dean for academic programs also reviews the program plan to assure that all degree requirements have been met.
Admission to candidacy must be attained at least two semesters prior to graduation and requires successful completion of a written comprehensive examination.
Candidates for the PhD degree must take comprehensive examinations within five years of enrollment, and all requirements must be completed within eight years from the time of the student's first enrollment in a doctoral degree program.
Planned course offerings in the College of Communication and Information for a full calendar year are available the preceding November. This information is available from the associate dean's office.
The primary purpose of comprehensive exams is to help students synthesize what they have learned in their coursework and make application of that material to the project or dissertation that they prepare as the capstone of their graduate program. The exam is not intended as a "mega-exam" in which students rehash all the material from specific classes, but rather it should be an opportunity for the student to "make sense" of what he/she has learned over the course of graduate studies at the University of Tennessee.
All master’s students will prepare a proposal of the project/thesis and will orally defend that proposal to their full committee. This is an opportunity for the student and faculty members to clearly define the project/thesis and come to agreement about expectations.
The final project/thesis serves as the capstone for master’s students. In addition to the written materials prepared for this capstone experience , all master’s students will also conduct an oral defense of the completed project/thesis. They should submit a copy of the thesis/project to their committee members no less than two weeks prior to the defense.
Doctoral students take comprehensive exams at the end of coursework. In total, the exam will include at least four questions. One question will be common and address material delivered in the first-year core classes. That question is:
“During your doctoral studies you have been exposed to various paradigmatic research traditions. It is important that you be able to demonstrate how paradigmatic assumptions impact research decisions. Using your dissertation phenomenon (or a phenomenon of interest), please construct two brief research proposals (one should use a positivistic perspective and one should use a humanistic perspective). Explain how and why the paradigmatic assumptions of each tradition specifically:
a. frame the research question(s),
b. dictate the role of theory,
c. suggest appropriate methods/data analysis procedures, and
d. establish criteria for quality research.”
The three remaining question areas will be determined by the program committee, which oversees the comprehensive exams, based on the student’s program of study – including concentration and cognate areas. Within these three areas, at least one question should incorporate a focus on theory and at least one should incorporate a focus on research methods. At the committee’s discretion, additional question(s) may be added to include professional issues or other items tailored to the student.
Students will have four hours to complete each question area. They will be allowed to bring in a non-annotated bibliography for each question area. The college will provide a computer on which students may write answers, but students are not to bring in any computer storage medium nor are they to connect to any external sources during the same. All exams will be completed within two weeks.
Committee members write questions in consultation with committee chair and other committee members and have questions delivered to the committee chair so that she/he can send questions two weeks in advance of the exam to the associate dean who will review the questions for overall consistency with program guidelines. Committee members will provide general guidance at their discretion to the student about how to prepare for the comprehensive exam. At a minimum, a committee member should meet with the student to discuss the general framework of the question(s) the member will ask. Committee members should not ask a student questions covering material that was not presented in the student’s program of study. All members of the committee will evaluate all comp questions.
After the comprehensive exams have been distributed to committee members for review, a meeting will be held with the committee and the student, which serves as an oral defense (or review) of comps and also facilitates the transition to work on the dissertation. Faculty members should have a minimum of two weeks to read written responses before the oral exam is scheduled. At this meeting the student should present a short (about three pages) overview of the dissertation to guide this discussion. If the membership of the dissertation committee will be different from the membership of the exam committee all faculty members from both committees should be present at this meeting.
As an external quality control measure, the associate dean will examine the level of consistency and rigor of student answers on the comprehensive exams. If the associate dean has concerns, these concerns must be presented to the chair of the student’s program committee prior to the post-comp student/committee meeting described above.
Students who do not successfully complete the written or oral exams may be asked to repeat one or more sections of the exam. Such a retake may be scheduled no sooner than six months and no longer than one year after notification of the failure. If students are not successful writing and/or defending the exam after a second attempt they will be dismissed from the program.
A checklist of procedures and timelines for comprehensive exams appears as Appendix F.
Throughout your career as a graduate student, you may be conducting research projects – when you write your project, thesis, or dissertation it is likely that you may be conducting original research. If any of your research work involves human subjects, it must undergo a review and approval process to ensure that appropriate protections are in place.
Proposed research involving human subjects must be examined by a committee known as the Institutional Review Board. A set of best practices for CCI researchers is available on the college Web site. The university provides instructions and forms at http://www.utk.edu/research/. Look for the compliance forms in the section of the Web site that is for the Knoxville office of research. Instructions and best practices for working with the review committee in the college of communication and information can be found at: http://www.cci.utk.edu/irb.
The general grading policy in the college follows that of the Office of Graduate Student Services of the University of Tennessee. See the Graduate School Catalog.
To maintain good standing in the M.S. program, or the doctoral program a student must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average (scale of 4.0). However, for good progress, doctoral students are normally expected to maintain at least a 3.5 average.
In addition, the Graduate Studies Committee of the college will not approve substitutes for required courses in the graduate program. Therefore, the student who earns less than a grade of C in a required course will have his or her program terminated unless the committee approves a student petition to waive the requirement of the required course and to accept a substitute course to earn the lost graduate credit. If the petition is approved, the student’s adviser will select the additional course. The student must earn a B or better in that course.
Graduate students in the college whose GPA falls below 3.0 are placed in probationary status for the following semester. A student on probation is terminated from the program unless his or her cumulative graduate grade-point average is 3.0 or higher at the end of the probationary period. In practice, termination occurs when the semester GPA is less than 3.0 for two semesters. Exceptions to this policy may be made only with the approval of the associate dean for academic programs on the recommendation of the student’s faculty committee.
Students holding graduate assistantships (GA) and graduate research assistantships (GRA) must maintain a 3.0 average to maintain eligibility. Those holding graduate teaching assistantships/associateships (GTA) must maintain a 3.3 grade-point average.
For any graduate student enrolled in the college, a grade of I (incomplete), which may be assigned when a student has been unable to complete all requirements, must be removed within one semester, excluding summer term. If a supplementary grade report has not been received by the Office of the University Registrar at the end of the semester, the I will be changed to F. The course will not be counted in the cumulative grade-point average until a final grade has been assigned. No student may graduate with an I on his or her record.
Academic honesty is a responsibility of all members of the academic community. An honor statement is included on the university's application for admission or readmission. The applicant's signature acknowledges that adherence is confirmed.
The applicant pledges to neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate assistance, including plagiarism, in his or her academic work. Violations are investigated when suspected, and violators are prosecuted if academic dishonesty is established.
The student handbook, Hilltopics, which covers problems of misconduct, contains statements of the expected standards of conduct and of all disciplinary regulations for students at UT.* For further information on the appeals procedure, see the Graduate Catalog.
*The Graduate Council hears problems of academic policy and procedures. Grade appeals are the domain of the College. As explained in the Graduate Catalog, grievances, including grade appeals, in the College of Communication and Information, should be handled at the school level by the student's adviser or school director. Further appeal may be filed with the Graduate Studies Committee by presenting a letter to the associate dean for academic programs. Additional appeals may be made to the dean of the respective College, the dean of the Office of Graduate Student Services, the Graduate Council, the chancellor, and ultimately to the president of the university. Appeals that involve matters concerning GA/GTA administration and assignments are detailed in the Graduate Catalog under "Policy for the Administration of Graduate Assistantships."
A diagnostic review of the academic progress of each doctoral student, by the Graduate Studies Committee, is held at or near the end of the student’s first year. A diagnostic report is then sent to the student with a copy to the first-year adviser. The purpose of the review is for diagnostic purposes. It is intended to provide an early indication of the student’s progress in the program, to identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses, and to help the student begin to prepare for the comprehensive examination. A student whose performance is not satisfactory may be advised to drop out of the program.
Doctoral students will complete an annual report each year and will be evaluated by appropriate faculty members on progress in coursework and research. Those who have work assignments in the college will also be evaluated on the quality of their work. There are two key benefits to this process. First, it allows for a comprehensive review of a student's progress and enables systematic identification of problems as well as successes of doctoral students. Second, it prepares students for the kind of annual report/review that they will undergo as faculty members. A copy of the annual review form is included as Appendix G.
Below is a list of names and addresses of campus and college administrators who may be of service to a graduate students in the College of Communication and Information:
Provost
Dr. Susan Martin (Interim)
525 Andy Holt Tower
sdmartin (at) utk.edu
Dean of the Graduate School
Dr. Caroline Hodges
111k Student Services Building
gradschool(at)utk.edu
Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies
Dr. Kay Reed
Suite P105 Andy Holt Tower
kayreed (at) utk.edu
Thesis/Dissertation Consultant
Ms. Jennifer Spirko
Suite P105 Andy Holt Tower
thesis (at) utk.edu
Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations
Dean, College of Communication and Information
Dr. Michael Wirth
302 Communications Building
mwirth (at) utk.edu
Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Dr. Sally McMillan
College of Communication and Information
302 Communications Building
sjmcmill (at) utk.edu
Director, School of Advertising and Public Relations
Dr. Ronald E. Taylor
476 Communications Building
retaylor (at) utk.edu
Director, School of Communication Studies
Dr. John W. Haas
293 Communications Building
jhaas1 (at) utk.edu
Director, School of Information Sciences
Dr. Edwin Cortez
451 Communications Building
ecortez (at) utk.edu
Director, School of Journalism and Electronic Media
Dr. Peter Gross
333 Communications Building
pgross (at) utk.edu
The following list summarizes the primary steps in the process of earning a Master of Science in Communication and Information in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee. It does not substitute for the full details provided in this guide or other official university publications.
1) Identify appropriate entry adviser - typically this will be the director of the school where the concentration is located or his/her designee.
2) Take required first-year courses:
a) CCI 501 Orientation to Graduate studies (fall)
b) CCI 540 Communication Theory (fall)
c) Research class designated for your concentration - some are in the fall, some in spring
3) The following steps should be taken by April 1 of the first year:
a) Finalize your program chairperson (may be the same or different from your entry adviser, but must be a faculty member at the level of assistant professor or higher and the person must agree to serve as your program chair)
b) Complete the program planning form
4) The full program committee does not need to sign the program planning form, but you should begin identifying two additional faculty members for your committee as soon as reasonably possible. They will need to be familiar with your program and your thesis/project topic.
5) File Admission to Candidacy form with the University Registrar's Office one semester prior to expected graduation (also file a copy in the associate dean's office).
6) Thesis plan students:
a) Prepare a preliminary thesis proposal and distribute to all committee members two weeks prior to a proposal meeting.
b) Hold thesis proposal meeting and get committee agreement on your proposal.
c) Conduct thesis study.
d) Apply for diploma, pay graduation fees, and schedule orals.
e) Deliver final draft of thesis to committee members at least two weeks before the examination plus a review copy to the associate dean's office.
f) File the "Recommended Arrangements for Final Examination," form with the associate dean's office at least one week before the examination.
g) Oral defense of thesis; make corrections as required by committee.
h) Check final draft with thesis consultant in the Office of Graduate Student Services.
i) Get committee signatures on approval sheets.
j) Deliver two copies of thesis to the Office of Graduate Student Services for final approval.
k) Deliver one copy of thesis to your chair and one to the associate dean's office for college archives.
7) Non-thesis plan students:
a) Enroll in the 590 (Project) course in appropriate area of concentrated study. Project proposal is typically part of the requirements for the 590 course, but you should be sure that your project adviser and members of your committee are fully aware of what your project entails and approve of the approach you are taking for your project.
b) Conduct project study.
c) Apply for diploma, pay graduation fees, and schedule oral defense of project.
d) Deliver final draft of project to committee members at least two weeks before the examination plus a review copy to associate dean's office.
e) File the "Recommended Arrangements for Final Examination" form with the associate dean's office at least one week before the examination.
f) Oral defense of project; make corrections as required by committee.
g) Deliver one copy of final project to your chairperson and one to the associate dean's office for college archives.
The College of Communication and Information offers a single Master of Science in Communication and Information with multiple concentrations available to meet the needs of specific disciplines represented by the college. Application to the program and management of progress through the program are coordinated in the office of the associate dean. However, students are advised and concentrations are primarily located in one of the schools in the college. At this time, there are five concentrations and these are managed through three of the schools. While it is possible for master’s student to pursue a program plan that differs from one of these concentrations, students are not encouraged to pursue such a course. Each program has enough flexibility that it should enable a student to take the required courses in a concentration and still be able to select courses that meet individual needs.
The following forms offer guidelines for program planning in each of the five concentrations.
The following list summarizes the primary steps in the process of earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Communication and Information in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee. It does not substitute for the full details provided in this guide or other official university publications.
1) August of the first year - Orientation session including introduction to first-year adviser.
2) Take required first-year courses:
a) Fall - CCI 610 Perspectives on Communication and Information Knowledge and Research I and a statistics class (Stat 531 or a more advanced class as recommended by your first-year adviser).
b) Spring - CCI 615 Perspectives on Communication and Information Knowledge and Research II.
3) Submit research work for presentation at a conference and/or publication in a journal. This should be an ongoing process throughout your program - think of every class paper as a potential conference paper.
4) April 1 of first year - complete draft program plan and get approvals from first-year adviser and associate dean.
5) Spring of first year - Graduate Studies Committee performs first-year review.
6) Start of second year - identify a program chair (may be same or different from first-year adviser).
7) By the end of the second year you should have presented/published at least one research paper.
8) Typically by the end of the second year assemble a full program committee and complete the final program plan.
9) As you near the end of coursework, work with your program chair and other members of your program committee to define the areas of your comprehensive exams and begin preparing for the exams.
10) As you near the end of coursework you should also begin to define your dissertation topic.
11) After completion of coursework, take comprehensive exams (must be done within five years of enrollment)
12) Write a brief overview of your planned dissertation topic.
13) Two weeks after written exams are distributed to the program committee, meet with the committee for an oral defense of the comprehensive exams and a discussion of your dissertation topic.
14) File Admission to Candidacy form with the Office of the University Registrar immediately after successful completion of comprehensive examination - no later than a semester prior to intended graduation. A copy must be filed with the associate dean's office.
15) Assemble dissertation committee (may be the same as or different from the program committee).
16) Work with your dissertation chair to prepare a formal dissertation proposal and distribute to your committee for review.
17) Two weeks or more following distribution of proposal, meet with your dissertation committee for a formal defense of the proposal.
18) Conduct your dissertation research and write the full dissertation with direction as needed from your chair and committee.
19) Establish meeting for oral defense of dissertation (after chair determines you are ready for defense) and submit your dissertation to all members of your committee at least two weeks prior to that date.
20) File the "Recommended Arrangements for Final Examination" form with The Office of the University Registrar at least one week before the examination. Obtain this form from the Office of the University Registrar, 201-C Student Services Building.
21) Orally defend your dissertation research.
22) Each member of the Dissertation Committee must sign approval page of the final draft of the dissertation.
23) File approval form (passage of oral defense) with the Office of the University Registrar (must be completed within eight years of first enrollment in the program).
24) Submit dissertation (two copies) to the Graduate School and one copy of dissertation to the associate dean's office for archiving in the college. It is also customary to provide a copy of the dissertation to the committee chair.
The College of Communication offers a single Doctor of Philosophy in Communication and Information. Application to the program and management of progress through the program are coordinated in the office of the associate dean. Concentrations are not tightly defined because students are encouraged to think in interdisciplinary ways about the broad fields of communication and information. However, the interests of doctoral students are usually most closely aligned with one of the four schools in the college and students are encouraged to seek advice from faculty members in that school about how best to define a primary area of study that prepares them for the academic and professional areas they will pursue upon completion of the degree.
The program planning form outlines the basic structure of the program. The student and first-year adviser should complete this form by the end of the first year. As the student continues to take coursework, the plan may need to be amended – particularly as the student more clearly defines a secondary area. At least one semester before students take comprehensive exams, they should finalize the course plan and have it approved by all members of the comprehensive exam committee.
The following lists provide guidance to doctoral students planning primary and cognate concentration area coursework. As noted in the Degree Requirements Section, within primary and cognate areas, a total of 6 credit hours must be from theory-intensive courses and 6 hours must be from methods-intensive classes. Courses both inside and outside the college (including graduate-level courses in the schools) may be identified as theory- and/or method-intensive. Additional courses may be added to these lists as they are identified by students and faculty. To be considered theory intensive, the course should include a significant volume of theory-based readings and should require students to do assignments that draw strongly on that theory base. To be considered method intensive, the course should provide instruction in use of one or more research methods and require students to employ that method in an original research project.
For students “on schedule,” preparing for comprehensive exams should start in the spring of second year. Time frames below are based on that schedule but should be adjusted for students who are operating on a different time frame. The university requires that candidates for the Ph.D. degree must take comprehensive examinations within five years of enrollment; all requirements must be completed within eight years from the time of the student’s first enrollment in a doctoral degree program.
_____ Finalize program committee (minimum of three faculty members from the College of Communication and Information and one from a unit that is outside of CCI but at the University of Tennessee).
_____ Obtain signatures from all members of the program committee on the finalized program plan form. This indicates their approval of coursework.
_____ Submit the program plan to the associate dean’s office for final approval.
_____ Program committee chair works with other committee members to identify what areas will be covered by each member during examination.
_____ Student meets with all committee members to discuss examination areas and get tips for how to study/prepare for exams.
_____ Student assembles dissertation committee (if different from program committee).
_____ Student studies for exams.
_____ Student prepares a brief (about 3 pages) overview of the dissertation topic.
_____ Student schedules exams through the associate dean’s office.
_____ Committee chair submits questions to associate dean two weeks before exams begin.
_____ Student takes comprehensive exams (typically at end of summer or start of fall).
_____ An oral exam is scheduled. All members of program committee and dissertation committee attend. Both exams and overview of dissertation topic are discussed. Faculty members should have a minimum of two weeks to read written responses before the oral exam is scheduled. Students who take exams in the summer may need to wait until fall when faculty have returned to campus to hold the oral exam. Final pass/fail decisions will occur only after the completion of both the written and oral portions of exams.
_____ After successful completion of exams, file Admission to Candidacy form with Office of the University Registrar. Must be done at least one semester before intended graduation (e.g., for a spring graduation, the form must be filed no later than the previous fall).
_____ Students who successfully complete written and oral exams write a formal dissertation proposal. Meet with dissertation committee to defend dissertation proposal and ideally start data collection by end of fall semester.
Doctoral students will complete an annual report (pdf file) each year and will be evaluated by appropriate faculty members on progress in coursework and research. Those who have work assignments in the college will also be evaluated on the quality of their work. There are two key benefits to this process. First, it allows for a comprehensive review of a student's progress and enables systematic identification of problems as well as successes of doctoral students. Second, it prepares students for the kind of annual report/review that they will undergo as faculty members.
All students complete Section I of the report, which focuses on self-assessment of coursework and research. First-year students are also expected to complete program plans by April 1 of their first year - that plan requires much more attention to coursework. All students who are funded by the college for research and/or teaching, will complete Section II - an assessment of research/teaching activities. It is also due February 1. Students will submit their annual report forms electronically to the associate dean who will route them as appropriate to others who can assess the quality of the work reported by the student.
First year students will receive feedback on Section I of the report from the graduate committee after program plans are reviewed in April. For students in their second year or later, the student's adviser will be asked to provide a brief (one paragraph) summary and evaluation of the student's progress in coursework and research in response to Section I of the annual report.
For students who have research as part of their assistantship assignment, the associate dean will provide a copy of Section II of the annual report to the director of research and/or the faculty member who has been supervising the research portion of the student’s assignment. The research supervisor will provide a brief (one paragraph) summary of the student’s progress in research.
For students who have teaching as part of their assistantship assignment, the associate dean will provide a copy of Section II of the annual report to the director of the program for whom the student teaches and request directors to provide a brief (one paragraph) summary of the student's progress in teaching. Also, it will be important for the director to provide copies of the SAIS forms to the students each semester so that they can report those scores on the annual report.
Summary statements (from adviser, school director, and/or research director) will be due March 1 of each year. They will be submitted electronically to the associate dean who will compile these responses and share them with the doctoral students. If all feedback is relatively positive, the review may be simply given to the student with a copy in his/her folder. If improvements are needed, the associate dean may meet with the student to discuss an action plan for achieving those improvements. If serious problems arise that result in the need to relieve a student of an assistantship, this will be done early enough to open that line to another student.