The Master of Art in Mass Communications (Student-Designed Emphasis) is a traditional research-oriented graduate program in the Department of Mass Communications and Journalism Studies in the School of Communication. It is a two (2) year, forty eight (48) hour degree program. In this program, a student develops a research topic based on his or her own particular interests in mass communications, using the appropriate methodological tools studied within the first year of course work. To successfully complete this program, a student must defend the thesis before his or her graduate thesis committee.