Internal Regulations
Department of Media and Communication
Academic Goals
By studying reports by experts in the field of communication and social science,
one can improve his/her understanding of any given situation as well as acquire the ability to explain the appropriate systematic situation. The study of this material enables students to make significant contributions to both national and international societies in future communication and relevant fields. The education we provide will create creative and rational gurus in the communication industry and policy area. The purpose of learning at the Graduate School of Media & Communication is to train students through international education and research to become experts that go on to lead communication in the academic world.
Fields of Study
Media
Degree Requirements
1. Credit Acquisition
1) Graduate students in the master’s course must acquire at least 24 credits. Of these 24 credits, the general principle is to acquire more than 3 credits in an adjacent field after consulting with your academic advisor. However, when taking a major course of a different major, the student must turn in a Recognition of Credit Acknowledgement approved by the head of department.
2) Graduate students in the Ph.D. course must acquire at least 30 credits. Of these 30 credits, the general principle is to acquire more than 3 credits in an adjacent field after consulting with your academic advisor. However, when taking a major course of a different major, the student must turn in a Recognition of Credit Acknowledgement approved by the head of department.
2. Designated Courses by Academic Advisor
1) Graduate students in the Ph. D. course who did not major in Media and Communication or a relevant major in graduate school must acquire 6 credits from the graduate curriculum during the first two semesters, the major common courses for the master candidates: Communication Theories and Communication Research Methods. Whether or not one must take the designated courses and the credits must be decided after discussion with the academic advisor.
2) Comprehensive examination shall be available for degree candidates only from the semester after all the designated courses are completed.
3) Graduate students must petition for their academic advisor before the start of their second semester (untill August 31th for spring semester enrollees, February 28th for fall semester enrollees).
4) Graduate students may petition for more than one academic advisor.
3. Publishing Papers and Presentations
1) Ph. D Candidates
(1) Before applying for the screening of dissertation proposal, the student must satisfy 200% of scholarly publications as either a sole author, first author, or co-author for internationally reputed academic journals (SCI, SCIE, SSCI, A&HCI, SCOPUS, ERI(European Reference Index), PubMed) or for National Research Foundation of Korea. However, one paper for SCI, SCIE, SSCI, A&HCI is considered as two papers, and one paper for SCOPUS, ERI, PubMed is considered as 1.5 paper. The recognition conversion rate of dissertations are as follows:
1. Sole Research: 100%
2. Main Author of a Co-Research (co-author or first author): 100%
3. Two-Persons Co-Research: 70%
4. Three-Persons Co-Research: 50%
5. More than Four-Persons Co-Research: 30%
(2) Before applying for screening of dissertation proposal, the student must present two papers at the academy-hosted conference (including poster session) as either the sole author or first author.
* The dissertations of the abovementioned (1) and (2) may overlap. If the student does not meet the required terms of (1) and (2), he or she may not apply for the screening of dissertation proposal.
2) Master Candidates
Before applying for the screening of thesis proposal, the student must present at least one paper at the academy-hosted conference (including poster session) as either the sole author or first author. If the student does not meet the required terms, he or she may not apply for the screening of thesis proposal.
3) Graduate students who receive other fundings including BK must meet the following minimun research accomplishments of the foundation/institute, according to their own regulations.
Comprehensive Examinations
1. Ph. D Course
Tests are made up of 2 different sections: 200 points for required courses and 300 points for the elective major courses. Details are as follows:
1) For the required courses, students must take 100 points for Communication Theories Seminar, 100 points for Communication Research Methods Seminar, therefore a total of 200 points provided that students acquire at least 70 points from each subject.
2) As for the elective major courses, students should choose 3 courses (300 points) from the subjects that are offered in the Department of Media and Communication, acquiring at least 70 credits from each course.
3) The student may not submit the dissertation proposal for screening if he/she does not pass the required courses on the comprehensive examination.
*Qualification for Exemption: One may be exempted from taking comprehensive examinations of the 3 elective major courses if one publishes(including papers scheduled to be published) a research paper on internationally reputed academic journals(SSCI level) before one submits their dissertation proposal.
2. Master’s Course
Tests are made up of 2 different sections: 200 points for required courses and 200 points for the elective major courses. Details are as follows:
1) For the required courses, students must take 100 points for Communication Theories, 100 points for Communication Research Methods, therefore a total of 200 points provided that they acquire at least 70 points from each subject.
2) As for the elective major courses, students should choose 2 courses (200 points) from the subjects that are offered in the Department of Media and Communication, acquiring at least 70 credits from each course.
3) The student may not submit his/her thesis proposal for screening if he/she does not pass the required courses on the comprehensive examination.
*면제조건: 석사의 경우 국내전문학술지(연구재단등재) 혹은 해외학술지에 논문을 석사학위논문 계획서 신청전까지 게재(게재예정 포함)시 종합시험 전공선택 2과목 면제를 요청할 수 있다.
*Qualification for Exemption: One may be exempted from taking comprehensive examinations of the 2 elective major courses if one publishes(including papers scheduled to be published) a research paper on either a KCI journal or an internationally reputed academic journal before one submits their dissertation proposal.
Thesis/Dissertation
1. Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Screening & Presentation
1) The thesis/dissertation proposal will be screened/presented during the screening semester. The application for screening/presentation should be checked by the academic advisor with his/her signature and submitted to the department during the semester prior to the examination semester. The specific deadline will be noticed by the department.
2) A Ph.D. candidate should submit the proposal along with the application for screening and a list comprising of at least 3 screening committee members who are full-time professors (including the advisor) of the Department of Media and Communication in the Graduate School of Korea University. For Ph.D. candidates, a public presentation is not mandatory, and the screening committee will conduct the screening process individually within four weeks starting from the deadline of the application for screening. The examination reports will be submitted to the head of department of the graduate school.
3) A master’s candidate should submit the proposal along with the application of screening/announcement and a list comprising of at least 2 screening committee members who are full-time professors (including the advisor) of the Department of Media and Communication in the Graduate School of Korea University. The screening committee will conduct the screening process individually within two weeks right after the public presentation and the examination reports will be submitted to the head of department of the graduate school.
4) For master’s candidates, public presentation is mandatory and the announcement date is noticed ahead of time by the department right after the beginning of each semester. Students who plan to graduate in the spring semester must present their thesis right after the beginning of the fall semester, and those who plan to graduate in the fall semester must present their thesis right after the beginning of the spring semester. If the student still has not submitted his/her thesis a week before the presentation date, the application for the thesis proposal screening/presentation will be canceled automatically.
2. Thesis/Dissertation Screening & Submission
1) The dissertation examination period and procedure follow that of the graduate school.
2) The dates for thesis/dissertation screening are chosen after the academic advisor discusses with the screening committee. The thesis/dissertation must be submitted two weeks before the screening period.
-Addendum-
1. The rules regarding Credit Acquisition will be put in force from March 2, 2002.
2. The rules for Designated Courses by Academic Advisor will be enforced for newly enrolled in March 2002 and onwards.
3. The rules regarding mandatory requirements for scholarly research will be put in force from March 2, 2008.
4. The rules regarding Comprehensive Examinations will apply to students newly enrolled in November 2009 and onwards.
5. These rules will be put in force from March 1, 2010.
6. These rules will be put in force from March 1, 2013.
7. The rules regarding Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Screening & Presentations will be put in force from March 1, 2016.
8. The rules regarding Thesis/Dissertation Screening & Submission will be put in force from September 1, 2016.
9. The rules regarding Thesis/Dissertation Screening & Submission will be put in force from March 1, 2018.
10. These rules will be put in force from September 1, 2019.
11. These rules will be put in force starting with the spring enrollees of 2021.
12. These rules will be put in force starting with the spring enrollees of 2022.