But the new course of study you have chosen is not quite the same as the one you know. You may look upon your years of school as a funnel, from learning the very general underpinnings of literacy, through continual specialization, until, as a university senior, you spent most of the time specializing in your chosen field, the narrow part of the funnel. But graduate students may be surprised to find out that study at this level is a break in the continuity.

Many students--in fact, most--go no further, and immediately put their new skills and knowledge to use in the marketplace. Usually they find they have reached the minimum necessary for job survival, but likely will have to polish their skills to a much higher level of competence if they are to thrive or even advance modestly. The broader, more reflective, more theoretical view of their field surveyed during their undergraduate education stays with them, but fades into the background as workday skill and competence in the trenches become essential for survival.

Graduate study, however, offers you the time to step back again to a broader, reflective view of communication, to help improve your understanding of the discipline as well as your professional performance in a job.

Many prospective graduate students believe that's the sole reason for returning to the university, and it is one of the big ones. But it's only part. From the time you enrolled in Communication 101 you've perhaps thought of yourself mostly a receptacle, to be filled by knowledge from others. But now you are expected to become a producer.

Perhaps the most important courses in graduate school emphasize the background you need to become a generator of new knowledge, by producing research. What is research? For many people, research can be all sorts of things: you don't know where to buy a car, so you do a little research, reading car guides, consumer magazines, talking to sales people. Or perhaps you research the reasons why the local mayor supports a new stadium or business deal, so you can be an informed voter.

Academic research asks for a more specific definition of research, however. In communication, for instance, research often requires the application of a particular, rigorous, and widely-tested and systematic method or theoretical model to a specific collection of data. Students use this method to draw a specific conclusion that can stand up to close academic scrutiny.

The idea that research should be done based on empirical (observable) investigations relying on systematic methods dates from the beginning of modern learning. If we take a methodical, skeptical, questioning approach to gathering our knowledge, maybe we can come to some conclusions that really can be valuable to others.

In fact, we can perhaps find out something truly original, something no one else knew before. The old truism "there's nothing new under the sun" really does not apply to research, and that's what's so enticing to many of us in academics. You actually do have the opportunity to add something new to humanity's millennia-long search for knowledge. How many of your friends can say this?

Before the beginnings of scientific research methods a couple centuries ago, how did people learn what they knew? People generalized from their own experience, made assumptions based on hearsay and superstition, or believed what "authorities" told them was true. People were condemned for questioning those authorities, or ridiculed for doubting the "common sense" of one person's experience. Women burned on a stake in colonial America because "someone said" they were witches. We may ridicule this tragically silly approach to knowledge, but all around us today, people continue to draw conclusions from very little evidence, from feelings or from dubious "authorities."

Sometimes that's not a bad thing: after all, most of your undergraduate knowledge came from authorities. Too, a few years' experience in the trenches can be valuable. And people sometimes do know what they're talking about. As a graduate student, however, you begin the realize the limitations of learning this way, and the possibilities of learning based on the systematic investigation of research. In doing that you are undertaking the task of careful gathering, analysis and interpretation of data that can be turned into new knowledge. This is the meaning of academic research. It asks you, then, to no longer be a mere receptacle of knowledge in your chosen field. Now you will be a producer of new knowledge for your colleagues and the public. You will truly become a master of your field. And that's a pretty exciting challenge.

Master's level research and study
Graduate faculty in this department know that while you are likely a skilled student, as a researcher you are probably a first-year again. To direct you, instructors who are themselves highly-skilled researchers, nearly always Ph.D.-level scholars, set up a series of required research-based courses and advising to help you discover this new approach to academic learning. Below are the core requirements of the communication department's master's program (2000). Refer to this link for Ph.D. requirements.

MCom/SpCm 700, Research Methods in Communication. A general introduction to many methods researchers use to plan research projects, and to gauge their value when applied to different questions.

MCom 637, Mass Communication Theory. An in-depth examination of the state of research, addressing what we think we understand about communication.

SpCm 721, Intercultural Communication. Exploration of ways many cultures and groups communicate.

The master's degree research tools
This nine-credit core helps prepare you for your entry into what likely will be a new world for you, communication research. Depending on whether you choose to pursue an M.A. or an M.S., you are also required to complete six credits of "research tools." Students who wish to become experts in statistically-based research normally enroll in the M.S., which requires work in quantitative research methods and statistics. Students who opt for the M.A. can avoid heavy emphasis on statistical research, but often wisely complete some coursework in that area anyway, because many communication researchers rely on statistics to help find research answers that are methodologically sound. (At NDSU, about one-third of communication master's students choose the M.S. option.) Below are research tool requirements offered by the department. Two are required. M.A. students must choose either Soc 700 or SpCm 767; M.S. students must choose Soc 701 or Stat 725.

SpCm 767, Rhetorical Criticism. Explores critical methods of inquiry and offers a framework for critical evaluation of communication.

Soc 700, Qualitative Methods. Emphasizes research methods including intensive interviewing, focus groups and participant observation.

Soc 701, Quantitative Methods. Emphasizes research methods including survey design, experimental design and evaluation. Completion of a 300-level undergraduate class in statistics, or Stat 725, is required for enrollment.

Stat 725, Applied Statistics. Explores data description, probability, inference on means and other statistical topics.

The master's level elective specialization
These classes comprise 15 credits, one-half of the 30 required for the master's degree. To complete the rest of the credits, students normally consult with their advisors to build an elective specialization reflecting their interests. The department offers the flexibility of nine to 12 credits in an elective specialization, which may include graduate-level classes in other departments suitable to the student's goals. The balance of the credits are fulfilled by the disquisition.

What is a disquisition?
Disquisition generally refers to any kind of formal scholarly inquiry. At NDSU, that includes Ph.D. dissertations, master's theses, essays or other academic projects. But most students talk about their thesis and at the Ph.D. level their dissertation, the final focus of two to four or more years of writing and study.

A thesis or dissertation is an extended piece of research-based writing giving the researcher an opportunity to state a position or ask a question, examine what others have written on the subject, set up a reliable way to evaluate that position, evaluate, and discuss the findings. How precisely that is done depends on what research method you use, but the one thing you need to keep in mind is the word position.

Let's say you bring your car to the shop because it's not starting in the morning. Because it's often the case that cars won't start because the battery is worn out, you tell the mechanic you want a new battery. It is, therefore, your position that your car battery is a goner.

The mechanic, however, runs a number of checks on your car, and finds out that the battery is actually okay, but the charging system is faulty. Your original position, or thesis, has been disproven by subsequent research.

A thesis, then, is a position you tentatively offer concerning a problem. The word "thesis," from the Greek word meaning "place," can be broken into several "hypo-theses," each hypothesis contributing to your basic thesis. In a thesis, you must argue a position. It's not enough merely to describe what you saw, or gather interviews, or write an essay about television, or do a series of book reports.

A thesis counts six credits toward the 30 you need for a master's degree and a dissertation counts 30 credits toward the 90 you need for a Ph.D. (30 transferred from the master's degree). Both must be proposed and defended in front of a committee, usually four Ph.D-level faculty, including your advisor. The comprehensive study (non-thesis) option for master's students is likely not as wide-ranging, and may not reach the theoretical rigor of a thesis, but it only counts for three credits. It also must be proposed and defended, similar to a thesis. Some master's students find that non-thesis projects take even more work than standard theses. If you have special interests that don't fit well into the thesis framework, however, the project may a better choice for you. Secondary school teachers and other working professionals often choose the applied option, which allows them to incorporate what they've learned more directly into their daily activities at work. On the other hand if, as a master's student, you think you'll go on for a Ph.D. someday, you'll prepare yourself better by doing a standard thesis. For more information on the project option, see Appendix Two. Generally, when we refer to your thesis in this guide, we mean thesis, project or dissertation, as the formal procedures for writing and approval are the same. (The comprehensive paper option is not available to Ph.D. students.)

A thesis must be written in a form approved by the university, and guidelines are meticulous. Details are spelled out in the NDSU Graduate School's, Guidelines for the Preparation of Disquisitions, (Revised July 1995), available from the Varsity Mart or graduate dean's office. Every graduate student should read this booklet BEFORE starting to organize or write a thesis.

What procedures do I follow to complete a disquisition?
Because the procedure is somewhat formal, for several years the department has provided graduate students with a handout, "Fifteen Steps to Completing a Master's Disquisition." These steps may be found in Appendix One, along with further suggestions for Ph.D. students.

Go back to table of contents.

Over the years faculty members have been disappointed to see some of their advisees leave the academic world without the coveted qualification they paid so much for, in both time and money. Students fail for many reasons, but some common ones happen over and over, usually traced to a misunderstanding along the way. Here are a few of the most common. The little narratives are based on a collection of unfortunate experiences faculty have seen over the years.

1. Not understanding the nature of graduate study.

   Bill was an ad agency account executive, financially quite successful, who graduated in speech communication from a state university a few years ago. In dealing with clients, he noticed that more than a few expected him to have a strong background in advertising copywriting, especially for broadcast. Bill had not studied media writing at university, however, and was unsure of professional methods and expectations. But, Bill thought, why waste time doing a second bachelor's degree? To learn more about media writing, Bill enrolled for a master's degree in mass communication.

   Bill was disappointed with his courses almost immediately. No one talked much about the nuts and bolts of writing for the media. Instead, he was forced to study authors and concepts far removed from his practical goals. After a disappointing year, Bill dropped out. Bill's disappointment is an example of a student assuming grad school is merely an extension of undergraduate education. While some programs do offer more applied work than others, graduate work at NDSU and generally emphasizes understanding larger concepts and adding new knowledge to the discipline through academic research.

2. Underestimating the amount of work necessary for a graduate degree.
   

   Jill particularly enjoyed reading and collecting interesting facts related to her job. As a public relations officer for a local health care facility, sometimes she was asked to develop longer papers relating to employment trends in the health care industry. She thought that graduate study in communication would give her the opportunity to continue her hospital work but get college credit for it.

   Jill's disappointment did not begin until well into her second year as a part-time student. As part of a research methods class, she was asked to formulate a prospectus for a possible dissertation. She wrote up results of her studies on hospital employment trends, noting "it would only take a few interviews" to turn it into a dissertation. Her instructor, however, was not convinced. He said her study was certainly of interest to the hospital industry, and might even be publishable in a health care trade magazine, but that it lacked a more formal data-gathering method required for original academic research. She might be able to turn her work into a project or paper, requiring a smaller research method base, but still would have to complete a literature search and employ a more rigorous standard. Disappointed but determined, Jill took her instructor's advice and did considerably more work than she'd anticipated.

   Prospective graduate students sometimes bring a project completed as part of their job, or even as part of a freelance writing hobby, and believe they only have to take a few classes to turn it into a thesis. Usually this is not the case. A thesis is a major piece of academic research using accepted methods to advance a defensible conclusion. It should not be beyond the capabilities of any good student willing to listen carefully to their instructors' and advisor's direction. But seldom is it simply a rehashed work project. Related to this are the students who sailed through their undergraduate education dashing off quick papers the night before they were due. Graduate students are expected to write at a higher level of competence, however, and new graduates who rely on the old procrastinate/pound-it-out approach often finish their first term with what one communication faculty member calls "the Cs or worse wake-up call." Writing standards are higher at the graduate level, especially in communication studies. Again, instructors do not make demands beyond the abilities of students--if the department didn't think you were capable, the graduate director or committee wouldn't have accepted your application in the first place. But instructors do expect reasonably polished and mature work that reflects careful thought and revision.

3. Overestimating the amount of work necessary.

   Phil was an excellent undergraduate student, who graduated from a private college with high honors. After teaching secondary school a few years, he saw the financial and intellectual advantages of a graduate degree, and was accepted immediately at a nearby state university. Phil flew through his graduate courses with straight As, just as he had as an undergraduate, and began work on his thesis before most of his classmates. Phil was excited--he planned a thesis designed to "set the communication discipline on its ear." His committee had approved his prospectus, a study of business communication in a small group setting. One committee member did warn Phil, however, that his topic was quite broad and ambitious.

   As Phil began to research, he was surprised to find the amount of material available that he thought he had to read to do a good job on his thesis. Weeks turned into months, but Phil still had pages of bibliographical sources to scour through. Finally his advisor suggested he limit his work to a narrow time period, or a narrow part of the industry. Phil was unwilling to do this, because it would make his results less significant, less publishable. Phil procrastinated, and as the months turned into years he tried to forget about his graduate failure.

   A thesis is not a book, not an article. It is, in essence, only one thing: a sustained piece of research designed to prove to a committee of four or five scholars that you are capable of graduate-level work. You may wish to add to it later, to turn it into something publishable, but as a student your first goal is to listen closely to your advisor and your committee, and to follow their advice.

4. Not having a thesis.
   

   Lil was a passionate supporter of civil rights for Native Americans. As an undergraduate she was instrumental in persuading her university athletic program to drop its venerable team nickname, the Braves. As a mass communication major she used her developing skills to write and promote her interests, and attracted state-wide attention for her essays. Lil went straight to master's level work after graduating, believing a graduate degree could help strengthen her professional credibility.

   Her committee was not enthusiastic about her thesis prospectus, however. She had presented it to committee members only with the exasperated approval of her advisor, who told her that, while it was a reasonably competent essay, it didn't meet graduate research expecations. She didn't believe her advisor, but Lil's committee told her the same thing. One committee member asked her what her hypothesis was. "That Native Americans have been exploited, and still are," she declared. How did she plan to test this hypothesis, the instructor asked. Lil was indignant. "Why do I have to test what everyone knows to be true?"

   Lil's committee told her to prepare a more limited and moderate research question, propose a research model, and re-submit her prospectus. Lil thought these recommendations were pointless, and dropped out of the graduate program.

   Graduate level research is not an opportunity for students to grind personal axes or re-hash an old prejudice. Competent researchers must put biases aside for a fair inquiry based on investigative methods which meet the rigorous test of academic research. Students may turn a thesis into an essay or polemic if they wish--after they obtain their master's degree.

5. Not having a focus.
   

   Syl admitted he had not done super-well as a speech undergraduate. Between his roommate's nightly parties and his own fondness for the sports channel, he'd barely missed flunking out his freshman year. He did manage to pull up his grade point average, however, finally graduating with a 2.8.

   Syl worked a year in sales, but he wasn't really happy. He thought he liked comunication, though, and did miss the friends and fun times he had at his old university. He decided to apply for graduate school in communication.

   Dr. Stone, director of graduate studies, was not enthusiastic. The department required a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average for full-status admission. In her experience, students with limited professional experience who also did not meet the G.P.A. requirements usually were not successful graduate students. However, Dr. Stone was persuaded by a strong letter of reference. She recommended Syl be admitted as a conditional student, requiring him to prove himself by achieving at least B grades in his first two graduate-level classes.

   Syl continued to work in sales while attending school at night. He was not very interested in the material though, and disappointed that the fun he'd remembered as an undergrad wasn't the same at the grad level. He started to blow off classes when his boss asked him to work a conflicting schedule. He managed to get only a C in one class, and took an Incomplete in another, before leaving the academic world.

Prospective graduate students should have a clear commitment to further education, and a fairly specific goal. That goal may be "personal enrichment," or may be related to a career, but returning to graduate school because you can't think of anything better to do often sets you up for failure. If you also weren't the best student as an undergraduate, you usually need to convince a graduate school that something has changed since then--that you are now older and more mature or that you can offer several years of proven professional competence related to communication. Students who had academic problems as undergraduates will not find graduate school any easier.

Graduate-level classes and research, whether at the master's or Ph.D. level, should be intriguing, enlightening, exhilarating, even fun--that's what learning is all about. But students who misunderstand the process may make themselves miserable, and their advisors too, and often fail after committing hundreds of hours and as many dollars.

Go back to table of contents.

About Advisors
You had an academic advisor as an undergraduate, perhaps several. Perhaps you visited your advisor once a term, for real advice concerning classes and professional direction. Or perhaps you just came in for a perfunctory signature. Whatever your relationship may have been, you'll usually find the relationship with your graduate advisor to be much more significant.

Your graduate advisor's job is to guide you through the shoals of graduate study, from your first classes through your thesis or dissertation rewrites, if necessary. This includes not only helping you choose classwork, at the graduate level a much more flexible process than a mostly-prescribed undergraduate program, but also helping you choose a graduate committee and a research topic, and helping you prepare material to meet the minimum graduate level standard. It's an important and time-consuming role, which is why NDSU does not require a faculty member to accept a student's request to be his or her advisor.

Normally you'll start out being advised by the department's director of master's or Ph.D. studies. You may opt to stay with that person, but most students don't. Students commonly request an advisor after completing a few classes, after they become familiar with the faculty and the informal advice of other graduate students. Typically, students have secured an advisor by the time they've completed 12 graduate credits. It's smart to approach an advisor familiar with your area of interest. For instance, if you plan research in broadcast theory, it may be wise to approach a broadcast specialist as your advisor. Explain to that person what you are interested in. Ph.D. students often actually choose to apply to a particular university's graduate program based on access to a specialist in their area of interest.

If your first choice of advisor declines to be your mentor, don't take it personally--usually that professor will already be overloaded with other advisees and graduate committees. Generally faculty members do not want to advise more than two or three graduate students at a time, so that they can devote enough attention to each student's work.

Expectations and misunderstandings

Six statements you'll never hear from a conscientious advisor:

1. "Her attitude is just too professional for our program."

   A 17- or 18-year-old freshman may be given some slack. A graduate student is expected to show a more professional attitude. While some advisors think it's okay for grad advisees to drop in, you should probably make an appointment first, and be prompt. A first-year undergraduate can walk in saying "My roommate goes, like, I oughta see my advisor guy, so here I am," and get by with it. (Well, perhaps.) As a grad student, you'll be expected to have your thoughts collected, to ask intelligent questions about your program and your work.

2. "I just love the opportunity to give my grad students weekly deadlines and exams."

   You'll be expected to be independent, to be able to do work on your own without constant prodding and directing. As a burgeoning master of your discipline, you should be able to work on your own, without the tedious tyranny of undergraduate-style deadlines and exams.

3. "I wish he wouldn't bother people with his thesis drafts."

   In addition to your advisor, members of your committee agree to be available for occasional consultation. You've selected your committee with guidance from your advisor, so they likely have areas of expertise your advisor doesn't, and can be helpful for specific research questions. Other graduate students too may have advice on class projects or research models. And don't forget to let your advisor know how things are going, to offer a chapter draft now and then for review. You'll save yourself woe by soliciting advice early and often, before you're facing a major rewrite of the entire draft.

4. "My advisees pay too much attention to my advice."

   If you're getting bogged down, let your advisor know. Learning takes place most often in dialogue, not in isolated garrets. Talk to your advisor, in addition to giving him or her drafts of your work. And listen to what he or she says. That's why they're called advisors. Your faculty mentor usually knows what you need to do to get your degree, and if you balk at suggestions, it hurts your relationship and may delay your degree. Keep in mind that at this point you are writing for four people: your advisor and your committee. Your advisor has been through this already. Why should you know more?

5. "I just detest receiving these polished, carefully-edited drafts."

   Your advisor is not a rewrite hack, available on demand to turn sloppy slush into promising prose. Do the best you can to offer clean, proofread work showing the best thought and effort you're capable of.

6. "It's really a pain that she's so enthusiastic about her subject."

   Most advisors dread seeing certain students, graduates and even undergraduates who traipse in as if school is the worst of all possible worlds outside the coal pits. If you can't be excited about your own work, how can you expect your advisor to be? Education might be challenging, might be taxing, might even be tedious sometimes--but mostly it's supposed to be fun and stimulating.

Four statements you'll never hear from a smart graduate student:

1. "I just love the way my free-spirited advisor skips appointments and slams my work."

   If you make an appointment, your advisor should be there, on time, to see you. Meetings, conferences, research are seldom excuses for neglecting to keep appointments with advisees. Your advisor ought to come prepared, having read your work, and having both praise and constructive criticism. Demeaning, vicious bashing of student work is inexcusable, but the advisor who offers nothing but praise really isn't being helpful, either. Your advisor should know the standards expected of graduate students in your department.

2. "Isn't it a fun challenge trying to squeeze time out of an advisor's schedule?"

   You have the right to advice from your advisor at reasonably frequent intervals. Once a month is hardly too often. Most advisors don't mind if you call them at home once in a while. The advisor who is continually "too busy" to meet advisees should be reported to the department chair.

3. "What I'm looking for is a committee of real perfectionists."

   At NDSU, your advisor must approve your prospectus and your thesis before you can submit it to your committee. Your advisor is responsible for assuring that your work meets a reasonable graduate-level standard. A thesis or project at the master's level is a research exercise--a piece of writing designed to demonstrate that you are capable of research at an advanced level. It also may be a piece of original work reaching publishable standard. Or it may not be, but publication is not the point of a master's thesis. (It's more likely to be the eventual goal of a Ph.D. dissertation.) At this point, if the work satisfies the standard of the research exercise, it should satisfy a committee.

4. "I'd like an advisor who keeps his mouth shut so I can make my own case."

   Instructors, department chairs, committee members, graduate school administrators are usually fair and reasonable. Sometimes they aren't. Your advisor does not have to help you during your prospectus presentation or thesis defense--that's your job. But if it's clear that a committee member is belittling you personally or undermining the entire basis of your work, you should expect the person who advises you to help out. Similarly, if graduate administrators are making unreasonable demands, your advisor will have a lot more influence than you will. He or she should use it.

Your Committee
At NDSU most graduate committees consist of your advisor, two professors from your department, and one from another department, for balance and perspective. You choose your departmental committee members yourself, the same way you choose your advisor. You ask them, usually based on your advisor's suggestions. Your external committee member is chosen by the graduate school office, but usually it honors a request for a professor who you think is particularly interested in your topic.

Three statements you'll never hear from a good graduate committee member:

1. "Her approach is just too professional for my tastes."

   If you need help from a committee member, make and keep appointments. Drafts of written work should be word processed and legible, with a minimum of grammar errors.

2. "He gives me drafts of his work way too far in advance."

   Students are required to give drafts of a prospectus or thesis/project to their committee members at least a week in advance, but it's not a bad idea to give them 10 days or, better yet, two weeks.

3. "I wish graduate students wouldn't bug me for advice."

   If your advisor tells you to ask a committee member about your work, do it. Committee members appreciate the opportunity to help you out before a formal committee meeting, so that your prospectus and thesis are as close as possible to acceptable standard. You save yourself headaches, delays, grumpy committee members and required rewrites by keeping in close touch not only with your advisor, but with your committee. You may even wish to schedule an extra committee meeting to discuss your progress and questions.