TO ALL GRADUATE STUDENTS:
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO APPLY FOR
GRADUATION BY THE DEADLINE LISTED FOR EACH
SEMESTER IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL ACADEMIC
CALENDAR WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN THE
GRADUATE CATALOG OUR ON THE WEB AT
http://www.villanova.edu/enroll/registrar/calendar
IF ELIGIBLE, YOU CAN APPLY FOR EITHER A
DECEMBER OR MAY GRADUATION.
THE “APPLICATION FOR GRANTING OF MASTER’S
DEGREE” IS AVAILABLE FROM ANY SECRETARY IN
THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT OR ON-LINE
AT:
WWW.COMMUNICATION.VILLANOVA.EDU/GRAD
THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
APPLICATION FOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
THIS FORM IS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT AND RETURNED TO
THE GRADUATE DIRECTOR IN COMMUNICATION AT LEAST ONE MONTH
PRIOR TO THE EXAMINATION. SEE THE GRADUATE SCHOOL ACADEMIC
CALENDAR FOR THE DATE BY WHICH STUDENTS MUST APPLY FOR THE
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION WITH THE GRADUATE SCHOOL (be sure to
fill out the form required by the graduate school). ALSO CONSULT THE CALENDAR
FOR THE EXAMINATION DATE AT:
http://www.villanova.edu/enroll/registrar/calendar/
I wish to be registered for the Comprehensive Examination in
Communication which is scheduled for ____________________________.
NAME_______________________________________________________
First
Middle
Last
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________
Street
___________________________________________________
City
State
Zip Code
TELEPHONE NUMBER ________________________________________
___________Quality Point Average
_____________Semester hours completed (including present registration)
___________Please check if this is re-examination
GRADUATE DIRECTOR’S APPROVAL __________________________
DATE __________________________
Please list three courses for which you request an examination question:
Strategic Comm. Theory
__________________
__________________
Course
8/05
_____________
_____________
_____________
Semester taken
______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Professor
MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION
NATURE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
Students may choose to take a comprehensive examination after
having completed 21 credits of graduate work with a 3.00 quality-point
average and having completed the 2 required courses. Students attending
part time should consider taking the exam during their final semester of
coursework. Students should apply to take the examination by completing
an application form available on-line at. The application form should be
completed and submitted to the Graduate Director at least one month prior
to the date of the examination (as announced in the Villanova University
Graduate School Bulletin). The department will compute the student’s
quality-point average, and, if it is satisfactory and the student has completed
21 credits of graduate work and the 2 required courses, the Graduate
Director will recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School and will
inform students by mail that they have been approved for the examination.
In the event of failure to pass the examination, one re-examination is
permitted, but not within the same semester. The Graduate Director may
also require the student to complete an oral examination.
The comprehensive examination is offered in the Fall Semester, in the
Spring Semester, and during the Summer Session.
Students who do not elect to write a thesis in lieu of six credit hours of
coursework are required to take the comprehensive examination.
The comprehensive examination is a three-hour written examination
that includes one question from each of the following areas:
1. Qualitative or Quantitative Research in Communication
(depending on which course the student took)
2. Strategic Communication Theory
3. Course(s) from the student’s area of concentration
The questions from each of the above-mentioned areas may include
more than one part. Students should consult with their Academic Advisor
regarding the course or courses from their specialization upon which the
material for their third question will be based.
The student is given a total of three hours to divide among the three
examination questions. The student is advised to give adequate time to each
examination question. All three examination questions must be answered
satisfactorily for a student to pass the examination.
Guidelines for Comprehensive Exam Preparation
After submitting the form for comprehensive examination, you should contact the
professors for each of the three courses in which you will be examined. Let them know
the course and semester in which you took their course and request a meeting. At this
first meeting it is important that you discuss with the professor the material that s/he
expects that you to be familiar with for the exam. Although the professor will not give
you the exact exam question they will provide good guidance on how and what to study
for the exam. The professor may decide to set a common review session meeting for all
students taking the exam from the same class in any given semester. If the professor does
this you are certainly welcome to request a follow up session with the professor to answer
any questions that may come up in your individual preparation for the exam.
It is important to realize that your professor’s time is valuable and although it is expected
that you will most likely meet once or twice with your professor in order to prepare for
the exam (i.e. possibly once as a group session and once individually), it is neither
expected nor desirable that you have regular meetings with him or her to prepare for the
exam. Preparation is your job, not the professor’s.
You will not be allowed to take notes with you into the exam unless your professor
explicitly requests this of the graduate director. You will be taking your exam at a
computer terminal where you can print out the exam for submission to the proctor at the
end of the three hour period. You will be notified by the graduate secretary regarding the
location of the exam.
STUDENTS SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR ADVISORS AND/OR THE
GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
REGARDING THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION.