http://www.eiu.edu/~eiucgs

Program Mission: The graduate program in Speech Communication provides students with an opportunity to engage in a multifaceted course of study which is grounded in a strong theoretical base but also recognizes the marketplace. A high level of interaction between students and faculty provides students with the opportunity to construct individualized programs of advanced study. The program prepares students to be more competitive in the work place or to continue studies in a Ph.D. program.

Admission Requirements: A limited number of students are accepted each year; admission to the program is competitive. To be eligible for degree candidacy, applicants must meet all of the requirements for admission to the Graduate School ("See Requirements for Degree-Seeking Students"). A minimum of 18 hours in Speech Communication with a grade of C or better is required in order to be admitted to the program. An applicant must complete a written statement of goals; submit a writing sample and three letters of recommendation attesting to the potential for successful completion of graduate work; if an international student whose native language is not English, the student must obtain a score of 600 or higher on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of 250 or higher on the computer-based TOEFL. While students may be admitted to the Graduate School with fewer than 18 hours in Speech Communication, any deficiency in undergraduate speech communication hours must be made up before the student will be admitted to degree candidacy in Speech Communication.

Study Plan Approval: The Study Plan shall be filed with the departmental graduate coordinator prior to the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate credit which count toward the graduate degree A study plan is developed in consultation with an assigned advisor and must be approved by the Departmental Graduate Committee.

Requirements for Degrees: The approved Study Plan is the guiding document for each student's course of study. A student, in consultation with an advisor, develops a course of study with a minimum of 34 semester hours reflecting individual interests and career objectives while recognizing the diverse nature of the discipline in both content and method. The Study Plan should reflect the following guidelines.

Capstone Experience: Each student must successfully complete a thesis, or creative project, or must pass a comprehensive examination.

Financial Assistance: The Departments primary source of financial assistance for its graduate students is teaching assistantships in such courses as introductory public speaking. Teaching such classes requires a deep familiarity with American culture and with the norms and patterns of communication embedded in that culture. Consequently, teaching assistantships are not offered to applicants who are not native speakers of English before they have spend sufficient time in this country to become well acquainted with American culture.