Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission into the WSU Master of Professional Communication program must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or be in the final stage of completing the degree and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree before beginning the Master of Professional Communication. Each applicant is evaluated holistically based on program admission requirements. Ideal applicants will present a strong overall academic record, positive letters of recommendation, and/or a record of professional accomplishment. An ideal class will consist of students with a wide variety of backgrounds.
Applicants must complete an online application, including the following submissions:
- Two essay question responses
- Current resume
- Official transcripts from every institution of higher education attended (transcript must show that the bachelor’s degree has been completed).
- Three letters of academic and/or professional recommendation
Additional Admission Requirements for International Students
Applicants who are not United States (U.S.) citizens or have not received permanent residency from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service are considered International Students.
All international students must demonstrate proficiency in English. However, U.S. citizenship or permanent residency does not automatically exempt students from taking an English proficiency test if their first language is not English. Students whose bachelor’s degree (or higher) was awarded from an institution whose primary language of instruction was English may be exempt from taking an English Language proficiency test. In order to fulfill this requirement, students must submit an offical score, not more than two years old, from one of the following tests:
- TOEFL (internet-based) 75 with a minimum of a 17 in each category
- IELTS: 6.5 overall with a minimum score of 6.0 on each section.
- DUOLINGO English Test: 105 or above
All international students must also provide an offical course-by-course transcript evaluation using a University-approved foreign credentials evaluation service. This must be done for all college degrees and coursework completed outside the United States. The offical transcripts and evaluation must be sent by the evaluation service and must be sent to the program prior to registration.
Transfer Credit
Related graduate-level courses from other universities may be accepted with permission of the MPC program director.
Transfer classes must be at an appropriate level and fulfill the objectives of the MPC and cannot exceed 12 hours. No courses for which credit was used to fulfill requirements of another graduate degree may be used toward the MPC degree.
Graduation Requirements
- Grade Requiremens: For classes to count toward the MPC degree, courses must be completed with a grade of a B- or higher. Students must also maintain and overall GPA of at least 3.0.
- 33 credit hours, at least 30 at the 6000-level.
- Complete all Course Requirements.
Time for Degree Completion
MPC students have a maximum of six (6) calendar years to complete their degree requirements, starting from the first semester during which the student has registered and begun taking classes. Students who exceed this requirement may submit a letter of appeal to the MPC director to request that this requirement be waived.
In order to ensure timely progress through the program, students are encouraged consult with the MPC director at least once per year. Students must receive approval from the program director to register for more than nine (9) credit hour in a semester.
Students on the thesis/project track who, for any reason, do not finish their thesis or project or program of courses within the two-year framework suggested in this program must be registered for at least one (1) graduate credit during the semester of the final thesis defense or the last semester of coursework required on the student’s program of study.
- Program Code: 3066MPC
- CIPC: 090101
Program Learning Outcomes
- Write and edit at a level commensurate with a communication leader or manager in applied communication contexts.
- Present information orally and in visual form at a level commensurate with a communication leader or manager in an applied communication context.
- Demonstrate critical thinking in applied communication contexts.
- Conduct academic or applied research in communication contexts, report findings clearly and accurately, and interpret the meaning of research data.
- Demonstrate knowledge in one or more cognate areas - strategic organizational leadership, interpersonal communication and team building, new media.
