Graduate Student Handbook

You’ve taken another step toward your professional development by enrolling in the Master of Science in Communication Management program.

Our 36-hour curriculum is flexible enough to provide you with the foundational courses that will deepen your understanding of communication and management. The courses you select in an outside concentration will help you customize the degree to suit your specific career aspirations.

Please use this handbook as a quick reference to locate information about the program’s academic and administrative policies. We will revise the manual as needed. For procedures that relate to the entire university, please see the UNF Graduate Catalog.  The supplemental information in this handbook provides program-specific information about the school of communication’s curriculum, procedures, faculty and assistantships.

The M.S. in Communication Management focuses on leadership management in a variety of communication-related areas. Our graduates typically work in public relations, mass media or advertising. Alumni also work for government agencies, healthcare companies and corporate communication departments. For students who want to work in higher education, the M.S. in Communication Management will provide a foundation for doctoral study.

As you begin your coursework, you’ll need to become acquainted with the faculty who teach in the UNF School of Communication. To learn more about each faculty member’s area of expertise, visit the Graduate Faculty Research Areas tab on our Graduate page, which will be especially helpful for those of you who choose a thesis topic and assemble a three-person thesis committee. The chair of your committee should be an expert in the subject matter or methodology you want use as you prepare your thesis.

Director, School of Communication

Dr. John H. Parmelee

Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Florida

M.S., Journalism, Columbia University

B.S., Political Science, James Madison University

Phone: (904) 620-3867

E-mail: jparmele@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2035

Graduate Program Director

Stephynie C. Perkins

Ph.D., University of Florida

Phone: (904) 620-3824

E-mail: sperkins@unf.edu

Office:  Building 14D, Room 2011

Graduate Faculty

Christa Arnold

Associate Professor

Ph.D., University of Florida

Phone: 904-620-2651

email: christa.arnold@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D room 2034

Berrin Beasley

Professor

Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi

Phone: (904) 620-2651

E-mail: bbeasley@unf.edu

Location: Building 14D

David Deeley

Instructor

Ph.D., University of Florida

Phone: (904) 620-3821

E-mail: d.deeley@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2010

Christine Holland

Associate Instructor

Ed.D., University of North Florida

Phone: (904) 620-3823

E-mail: cholland@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2013

Junga Kim

Associate Professor

Ph.D., University of Florida

Phone: (904) 620-2651

Email: jkim@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2019

Chunsik Lee

Associate Professor

Ph.D., University of Florida

Phone: (904) 620-2651

Email: chunsik.lee@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2023

Carolyn McMahan

Associate Professor

Ph. D., University of Tennessee

Phone: (904) 620-3805

E-mail: cmcmahan@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2015

Siho Nam

Associate Professor

Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Phone: (904) 620-2651

E-mail: snam@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2005

Jae Hee Park

Associate Professor

Ph. D., University of Tennessee

E-mail: jae.park@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2032

Nataliya Roman

Assistant Professor

Ph.D., University of Florida

Phone: 904-620-3873

Email: nataliya.roman@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2025

Margaret Stewart

Associate Professor

Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Phone: (904) 620-2256

E-mail: m.c.stewart@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2021

Brian Thornton

Professor

Ph.D., University of Utah

Phone: (904) 620-2651; cell (815) 762-0778

E-mail: b.thornton.73459@unf.edu

Office: Building 14D, Room 2017

The following books can help as you conduct original research for your thesis, write the findings and edit your copy:  

• Writing a Thesis – Substance and Style by R. Keith Van Wagenen
• How to Write a Thesis by Umberto Eco

The UNF graduate school manages the application intake for the entire university. After the graduate school staff accepts a student’s application, the information is forwarded to the school of communication. The school’s graduate coordinator then reviews each application to determine whether the applicant has met the admission criteria, which includes a letter of intent and a 3.0 GPA from an accredited college or university. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance on a rolling basis. Applicants who do not meet the grade point average criteria may take the GRE or comparable admissions exam, such as the GMAT, after which their applications may be reconsidered. The minimum acceptable GRE score is 153 verbal, 144 quantitative. The minimum for the GMAT is a 500 total score.

The One Stop Student Services Center is the central outlet that helps graduate and undergraduates with financial aid, admissions, veterans affairs, academic records and registration. The office also provides self-service computer kiosks and a multi-purpose machine for photocopying and printing. The One Stop team does not advise students about course choice or substitutions; students should consult the graduate advisor for help in those areas. The One Stop Student offices are housed in Hicks Hall, Building 53, Suite 1700. The phone number is (904) 620- 5555. The email address is OneStop@unf.edu.

About three months into each semester, One Stop Student Services posts an online course schedule for the upcoming term. Information about registration time tickets and an open registration schedule are posted on UNF’s online calendar. 

The School of Communication schedules a student orientation session the week before or the first week of the fall and spring terms. The session gives students an opportunity to ask questions in a face-to-face setting, and it gives incoming students a chance to talk to students who are already enrolled in the program.

The Masters of Science in Communication Management has a 36-hour curriculum that includes 15 hours of core courses. These three-hour core classes meet in the evenings in a seminar-style environment that encourages interaction between the students and professors. The typical graduate course load is 9 hours per semester. Courses may be taken in any order.

Core courses and the terms in which they are typically offered

Fall

Qualitative Research Methods (MMC 6246)

Foundations in Communication Management (MMC 6256)

Quantitative Research Methods (MMC 6421)

Strategic Communication Theory (MMC 6006)

Ethics in Communication Management (MMC 6606)

Spring

Qualitative Research Methods (MMC 6246)

Foundations in Communication Management (MMC 6256)

Quantitative Research Methods (MMC 6421)

Strategic Communication Theory (MMC 6006)

Summer

Ethics in Communication Management (MMC 6606)

School of Communication electives that are typically offered at least twice a year include Organizational Communication (COM 5126), Social Media Management (MMC 6730), Lying and Deception (COM 5627), Strategic Branding (ADV 5991), Current Issues in Emerging Media (MMC 5267).

To round out the program, each student selects an area of concentration that includes 12 hours of classes in an outside area. These include public management, nonprofit management, public health, business or leadership.

Thesis or Non-Thesis

Students have the option of following a thesis or non-thesis track. The thesis track requires students to take two three-hour courses that are devoted to gathering, interpreting and writing original research. Students who follow this option must also ask three professors to serve on a thesis committee, which reviews the work, makes suggestions and conducts a final thesis defense. Students who write a thesis typically have a goal of pursing a Ph.D. The thesis helps prepare students for the more lengthy process of writing a doctoral dissertation. 

Students whose goals are more professionally focused often pursue the non-thesis track. This option requires students to take two additional electives from the School of Communication’s graduate curriculum.

Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the program. If a student earns a C in a major course or in an outside area, he or she MUST retake the course. Students whose grades fall below a 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students who decide to appeal a grade may file a petition via One-Stop Student Services. 

Academic misconduct is “any attempt to misrepresent one's performance on any exercise submitted for evaluation,” according to the University of North Florida’s definition. “The primary responsibility for ensuring adherence to the principle of academic integrity rests with students and faculty. Any infraction that comes to the attention of any person should be brought to the attention of the faculty member to whose course it pertains. A violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is also considered a violation of the Student Conduct Code.” To read more about policies and procedures involving academic misconduct, please review the policies outlined by enrollment services.

Students may contact the graduate coordinator for help determining which courses to take. The One-Stop Team does not assist with graduate advising.   

Master’s students, regardless of which track they are pursuing, benefit from attending academic conferences.  In these settings, students will meet graduate students from other programs, interact with professors from other universities and make professional contacts. UNF provides financial assistance to conference attendees. To learn more about the fellowships, grants and scholarships that support these efforts, visit the graduate school funding and awards page.       

Conferences that communication students and faculty typically attend

The Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication: One of the largest academic organizations that focuses communication-related areas. Members live, work and study domestically and abroad. The organization publishes numerous academic journals and hosts regional and international conferences. The deadline to submit papers and panel proposals for the annual convention is April 1. 

The Florida Communication Association: A state-based organization that hosts an annual conference and administers a communication journal. The annual conference is in Orlando each October. The deadline to submit a paper is July 1. 

The International Communication Association is a large, international organization that encourages research in communication and interdisciplinary study. The organization publishes an international journal and hosts an annual conference. The deadline to submit a paper or proposal for a panel is Nov. 1.  

The Florida Undergraduate Research Conference encourages research at the undergraduate level but also accepts graduate submissions. The annual conference rotates between Florida campuses. The deadline to submit a poster for presentation is Dec. 15.

The per-credit-hour cost of the M.S. in Communication Management is $493.68 for Florida residents. The cost for out-of-state students is $1,044.42 per credit hour.