M.A. Committees

Thesis Program

Master's students in a thesis program, in consultation with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, must select a committee to assist and evaluate the student's research and thesis production. The committee must include a thesis director and at least one additional committee member all of whom must be members of the graduate faculty in the College of Media & Communication. At the discretion of the student, one additional member of the committee may be selected from the faculty of Texas Tech University.

The thesis director and student are responsible for establishing deadlines and component tasks for the creation of the thesis. Students are advised to submit, and committees are advised to collectively evaluate, a thesis prospectus that describes the research question or hypothesis, literature and methodology for the thesis. This prospectus evaluation should occur during, or prior to, the semester before the semester in which the student plans to defend the thesis.

Students cannot hold a formal prospectus defense until after passing all sections of the M.A. qualifying exams.

Professional Program

Master's students in professional programs are required to create a graduate committee to guide their final project.

Master's students who enroll in COMC 6050 (master's report) must identify at least two members of the graduate faculty who will direct their final project. This committee will be responsible for evaluating and grading the student's performance in that project. The committee chair will set the standards and requirements for the project in consultation with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

Ph.D. Advisory Committees

The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, in consultation with the student, will appoint an advisory committee for each doctoral student. This committee will include a chair and two or three other members. The members of each committee must be selected from the graduate faculty in the College of Media & Communication. One additional member from the student's cognate area must be added before the student's qualifying examination.

Members of the advisory committee may or may not continue as members of the student's dissertation committee. However, the student may request changes in the membership of his or her committee at any time, including curriculum milestones such as the beginning of preparation for the qualifying examination or the dissertation.

The dissertation committee will be selected after completion of the qualifying examination. This committee must include a chair selected from the graduate faculty in the College of Media & Communication and three other members of the graduate faculty at Texas Tech University. At least one member of the committee must be selected from the graduate faculty in the student's cognate area.

The student is expected to present this committee with a dissertation proposal that includes a review of relevant literature, research hypotheses or questions and a description of appropriate research methods. The committee will evaluate the proposal and, in consultation with the student, establish a schedule for completion of the dissertation. This committee will also conduct the dissertation defense and determine acceptability of the final dissertation.

For a list of graduate faculty in the College of Media & Communication, see the College of Media & Communication website.

www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/graduate/faculty/

Under exceptional circumstances, a committee member may be chosen from the graduate faculty at another university. Such individuals must be approved by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, must be admitted to the Graduate Faculty by the Texas Tech University Graduate Council, and must agree to attend the defense of the comprehensive examination, prospectus and dissertation.