The UGA Accelerated Master's Program expedites the completion of both a B.A. and M.A. degree over a 5-year span. The Department of Communication Studies participates in the UGA Accelerated Master's Program and encourages exceptional students to apply for admission. To apply to be admitted into the Accelerated Master's program in the Department of Communication Studies, students must meet the following criteria: Students must: Be a current COMM major of at least junior standing. Have earned a "B" or above in COMM 3300 or 3700. Have earned a "B" or above in at least 2 upper level (3000 or 4000 level) COMM courses. Have a minimum of 3.5 GPA in the COMM major and a 3.0 GPA overall. Complete a preliminary program of study to be approved by the Department Undergraduate Advisor, Department Graduate Coordinator, and the Graduate School Dean before submitting an application for admission to the Department or to the Graduate School. Submit a full application for the Communication Studies graduate program (including statement of purpose, GRE scores, 3 letters of reference, and writing sample) following Departmental application procedures no later than April 1 of the year for fall admission. Submit an application to the UGA Graduate School no later than April 1 of the year for fall admission. Applications meeting the above criteria will be consisdered by the Communication Studies Graduate Adimissions Committee. Metting all of the above criteria does not guarantee admission. If the Graduate Admissions Committee unanimously agrees that the applicant file is competitive with the members of the current graduate classes, the applicant may be admitted to the accelerated Master's program. If admitted, students: Are not eligible for graduate assistantship funding for the time period of the Accelerated M.A. degree. Must complete all degree requirements for the M.A. in Communication Studies, as specified by the Departmental guidelines. Cannot use any courses to satisfy degree requirements for both B.A. and M.A. degree programs (no double-using courses). Can take courses for graduate credit only after being admitted to the Communication Studies Graduate program and the Graduate School. Will be billed at the graduate tuition rate for all hours enrolled after admission to the Graduate School. The master's degree will not be conferred until after the bachelor's degree is conferred in the UGA Student Records System. Notes on funding for students in accelerated programs: The HOPE scholarship funds a maximum of 127 hours for students who have not completed a bachelor's degree. Once admitted to the graduate program, HOPE will cover both undergraduate and graduate hours to the 127-hour limit, but will pay only the undergraduate rate and the student must pay the difference between the undergraduate rate and the graduate rate. After admission to the Graduate School, students will not be eligible for federal financial aid programs that are specifically need based for undergraduate students (PELL Grant), but these students can apply for federal loans to pay the difference between the undergraduate tuition (covered by HOPE) and the graduate tuition rate. These students are required to register for a minimum of 5 hours per semester. Both undergraduate and graduate courses count toward this requirement.
