Are you a go-getter? Do you love learning?  Are you in a hurry to make the most of your future?

You may be 2+3 material!

The 2+3 program is a fast-track dual degree program that allows students to earn both a Bachelor’s AND a Master’s degree in Communication within five years! You will learn advanced knowledge and skills that will prepare you for a professional career or a Ph.D. program in communication and media.

By taking some classes that count towards both the BA and the MA, you will be able to complete both degrees with fewer total credit hours than would be required to complete each degree independently. This will help you save money on the overall cost for the two-degree program.

The 2+3 program is for people who take the reins. You will need to apply once you reach junior-level status. So the earlier you start considering it, the better.

The 2+3 program is for people who excel in the classroom. It requires a 3.0 GPA. You’ll be able to show your stuff in upper level Communication and Media classes with undergraduate and graduate students.

The 2+3 program is for people who want to leave UMSL after 5 years with two degrees, an excellent education, and a limitless future. If you are bound for great things and you know it, we’d love you to learn more about whether the 2+3 program is for you. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Alan Heisel, our Graduate Program Director, at heisela@umsl.edu or visit the Graduate School website.

The UMSL Department of Communication and Media is something special. Are you?
 

2+3 B.A./M.A. in Communication Program

Core Requirements for the Communication BA Major

  • COMM 1030: Interpersonal Communication
  • COMM 1050: Introduction to Mass Communication
  • COMM 2231: Organizational Communication
  • COMM 3330: Communication Research Methods
  • COMM 3332: Intercultural Communication
  • At least 3 credit hours of Practicum (COMM 1193) -or- Internship (COMM 3393)

Core Requirements for the Communication MA

  • COMM 6500: Seminar in Communication Theory
  • COMM 6510: Advanced Communication Research Methods I
  • COMM 6600: Seminar in Organizational Communication
  • COMM 6700: Seminar in Mass Communication
  • COMM 6800: Seminar in Health Communication

The maximum number of credit hours of graduate work that can be applied to the Bachelor’s degree is set by the undergraduate department. Currently, the number of graduate credit hours that can be counted toward the undergraduate degree varies from 12 to 15 hours. The Master’s degree will be earned based on the normal degree requirements. All of the Master’s coursework must be taken under graduate status.  No 4000-level courses taken as an undergraduate may be applied to the Master’s degree – this means all cross-listed classes need to be taken as graduate-courses in order to count for the graduate degree. With permission (Graduate School Form C1), students may take up to 6 hours of 5000/6000 level courses while still classified as an undergraduate. These 6 hours will be treated by the Graduate School as “under graduate status”.

Graduate Courses used in the Bachelor’s Degree - It is up to the undergraduate department to determine which of the courses taken for graduate credit will be counted towards the 120 credits required for the Bachelor’s degree. We anticipate that these courses will represent some combination of: a. 4000 level courses that could have been counted toward the Bachelor’s degree had they been taken as an undergraduate, and b. 5000/6000 level courses that will be used to replace some courses in the regular undergraduate curriculum.

YEAR

Semester

Course

Credit hours

Requirement Met

1

FALL

COMM 1030: Interpersonal Communication

 

 

3

 

 

 

COMM 1050: Introduction to Mass Communication

 

3

 

 

 

First-year writing Gen Ed Course

3

First-year Writing Gen Ed

 

 

Information Literacy Gen Ed Course

3

Information Literacy Gen Ed

 

 

Humanities & Fine Arts Gen End Course #1

3

 

 

SPRING

COMM 2231: Organizational Communication

3

Social Science Gen Ed Requirement

 

 

COMM 3332: Intercultural Communication

3

Cultural Diversity Requirement

 

 

Math Gen Ed course (or alternative Gen Ed)

3

Math Gen Ed

 

 

American History and Government Gen Ed

3

American History & Government Gen Ed

 

 

Math/Natural Sciences Gen Ed Course #1

3

 

 

 

 

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS YEAR 1

12 COMM/

30 TOTAL

 

2

FALL

COMM 3330: Communication Research Methods

3

CORE completed

 

3000-level requirement completed

 

 

COMM 2000-level course

3

2000-level requirement completed

 

 

Open Course

3

 

 

 

Humanities & Fine Arts Gen End Course #2

3

 

 

 

Math/Natural Sciences Gen Ed Course #2

3

 

 

SPRING

COMM 3000-level course

3

 

 

 

COMM 3000-level course

3

 

 

 

Humanities & Fine Arts Gen Ed Course #3

3

Humanities & Fine Arts Gen Ed Requirement

 

 

Math/Natural Sciences Gen Ed Course #3

3

Math/Natural Sciences Gen Ed Requirement

 

 

COMM elective course

3

 

 

 

 

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS YEAR 2

27 COMM/

60 TOTAL

 

 

YEAR

Semester

Course

Credit hours

Requirement Met

3

FALL

Open Course

3

 

 

 

ENGL- 3090/3100/3110/3120/3130/Honors 3100

3

Junior-level Writing Course

 

 

COMM elective course

3

 

 

 

COMM elective course

3

 

 

 

COMM 6500: Seminar in Communication Theory

 

3

 

 

SPRING

Open Course

3

Declare 2+3 status

 

 

Open Course

3

 

 

 

COMM 1193 OR COMM 3393

3

 

 

 

Open Course

3

Total hours for Major completed

 

 

COMM 6800: Seminar in Health Communication

3

 

 

 

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS YEAR 3

 36 COMM/

6 GRAD/

90 TOTAL

 

4

FALL

COMM 6510: Advanced Communication Research Methods I

3

 

 

 

Open Undergrad Course

3

 

 

 

Open Undergrad Course

3

 

 

 

Open Undergrad Course

3

 

 

SPRING

COMM 6700: Seminar in Mass Communication

3

MA Core completed

 

 

Any graduate-level COMM course or external graduate elective (Advanced methods for thesis students)

3

 

 

 

Open Undergrad Course

3

 

 

 

Open Undergrad Course

3

 

 

 

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS YEAR 4

15 GRAD/

105 TOTAL Undergrad

 

 

YEAR

Semester

Course

Credit hours

Requirement Met

5

FALL

Any graduate-level COMM elective or external graduate elective

 

3

 

 

 

Any graduate-level COMM course

 

3

 

 

 

COMM 6600: Seminar in Organizational Communication

 

3

 

 

SPRING

Any graduate-level COMM course or external graduate elective or thesis hours

 

3

 

 

 

All-coursework – 3 classes (One COMM & one external) OR Thesis Hours/Internship

3-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS YEAR 5

30-36 GRAD