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SUBJECT:

POLICIES, STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES (PSG) FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

In accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known as the "Higher Education Act of 1994," CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 36, s.1998, ("Policies and Standards on Graduate Education"), CMO No. 9, s. 2003 ("Addendum to CMO No. 36, s. 1998 Policies and Standards on Graduate Education"), and by virtue of CEB Resolution No. 208-2011, dated August 22, 2011 and for the purpose of rationalizing the graduate degree programs in Communication in all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country, this set of Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSG) is hereby adopted and promulgated by this Commission.

ARTICLE I

INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1. Rationale and Background.—The Master of Arts in Communication (MA in Communication) program provides students with higher order and advanced communication competencies needed in professional practice, teaching and  communication studies.  The curriculum is responsive to the demands of the changing communication media landscape and the broader socio-political and economic environment.  The program prepares students to take a more active, strategic and critical role in shaping the direction of Philippine communication.  Students are expected to exercise leadership in the communication profession; undertake research and evaluation in the discipline; and become effective instruments in articulating the needs and aspirations of the Filipino people.

The MA in Communication program is linked with related advanced communication programs in journalism, broadcasting, development communication, and allied programs such as multimedia (digital) arts/studies, public relations and advertising.  This graduate program is enriched by various disciplines from the social sciences, humanities and the arts.

ARTICLE II

AUTHORITY TO OPERATE

SEC. 2. All Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), both private and public (State Universities and Colleges [SUCs] and Local Colleges and Universities [LCUs]), intending to offer graduate degree programs in communication must secure proper authority from the Commission on Higher Education in accordance with existing rules and regulations.

ARTICLE III

PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS

SEC. 3. Degree Name.—The degree name shall be Master of Arts in Communication (MA in Communication).

SEC. 4. Program Description/ Objectives.—The MA in Communication program is an integrated, comprehensive approach to the study of communication. It aims to enhance creative and critical thinking; upgrade competencies in communication planning, management, education and training, and research and development; and promote adherence to ethical standards and responsibility.

SEC. 5. Specific Professions/ Careers/ Occupations that Graduates of this Program May Go Into.—Individuals who earned a degree in MA Communication are expected to occupy middle to top management positions in communication-related occupations in any of the following settings: corporate communication, public information, public relations and advertising, mass media, communication education, and research and development.  They are also expected to be equipped to pursue new and emerging career options as communication consultants, knowledge managers, multimedia content managers, or planners/designers of alternative learning systems.

SEC. 6. Allied Programs.—Allied programs refer to academic programs that provide similar or related competencies and skills to MA Communication graduates. These programs can also trace some of their disciplinal or theoretical roots to communication.

MA Communication allied programs are Journalism, Broadcasting, Development Communication, Multimedia (Digital Media) Arts/Studies, Public Relations and Advertising.

ARTICLE IV

COMPETENCY STANDARDS

SEC. 7. Graduates of MA in Communication are expected to have attained a higher level of competency in as many of the following areas:

1. communication policymaking;
   
   
2. planning management of and communication programs and campaigns;
   
   
3. planning and designing communication learning systems;
   
   
4. conducting communication and media research (including monitoring and evaluating communication programs/ projects and outputs); and
   
   
5. communication teaching and training (including curriculum planning and learning materials development).

ARTICLE V

CURRICULUM

SEC. 8. Curriculum Description.—The MA in Communication curriculum reflects a holistic approach to the study of communication.  It expands the students' understanding of the strategic use of communication in various contexts and settings, by allowing them to take courses in the various areas of communication.

It has a total of thirty-six (36) units, of which six (6) units are Basic Courses, twelve (12) units are Required Courses, six (6) units are Electives and six (6) units are Thesis or Special Project.

SEC. 9. Curriculum Outline

	NO. OF COURSES	EQUIVALENT UNITS PER COURSE	TOTAL UNITS
BASIC COURSES	2		6
Communication Research Statistical Applications in Communication		3 3
REQUIRED COURSES	4		12
Communication Theory Communication Media laws and Ethics Communication and Management Information and Communication Technology		3 3 3 3
ELECTIVES	2	3	6
Communication Policies and Planning Political Economy of Communication Educational Communication Systems Management Public Information and Public Relations Campaigns Communication in the Asian Context Knowledge Management
COGNATES	2	3	6
The student may take any six units of courses from any of the disciplines in die social sciences und the humanities, including die following: sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science, economics, public administration, art studies, linguistics, speech and drama, and other related disciplines.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION	REQUIRED
A student must pass the comprehensive examination to be given upon completion of all academic units/requirements irior to thesis writing.
THESIS OR SPECIAL PROJECTS	1	6	6
SUMMARY OF UNITS
Basic Courses Required Courses Electives Cognates Thesis or Special Projects	2 4 2 2 1		6 12 6 6 6
TOTAL NO. OF UNITS			36

Section 10. Sample Program of Study

Year 1
First Semester		Second Semester
Course	Unit	Course	Unit
Communication Theory	3	Communication Research	3
Statistical Applications in Communication	3	Communication and Management	3
Cognate (Social Science/Humanities)	3	Communication Media Laws and Ethics	3
		Cognate (Social Science/Humanities)	3
Total	9	Total	12

Year 2
First Semester		Second Semester
Course	Unit	Course	Unit
Information and Communication Technology	3	Thesis / Special Project	6
Elective 1 (Communication)	3
Elective 2 (Communication)	3
Comprehensive Examination[*]
Total	9	Total	6

^[*] Comprehensive examination is taken after completion of all academic requirments.

Note: The institution is free to enhance ana to follow different patterns and modalities based on the needs of its clientele.

SEC. 11. Teaching-Learning Approaches.—The used of non-traditional teaching-learning approaches and tools to complement classroom lectures is encouraged. These approaches/tools include CD-ROMs, Internet (e-group, e-mail), chat groups, web applications (websites, blogs, webcast/podcast, message boards), and videoconferencing, among others.

SEC. 12. Thesis/Special Project Requirements.—Upon completion of all academic requirements and prior to doing the thesis or special project, the student must pass a comprehensive examination. A student who fails to pass the comprehensive examination a second time will no longer be allowed to pursue the program.

The thesis proposal must have prior approval of the student's thesis adviser. The thesis will be defended before a panel consisting of at least three (3) faculty members of the College, including the adviser, reader and panel member(s).

A research-based special project may be any of the following: a) radio, TV, film, and multimedia production where the student-proponent plays a major role in the technical and creative aspect of the production; b) training or instructional modules on any aspect of communication, c) communication campaign plan; or d) any similar project that the proponent should present to a graduate committee for its approval.

ARTICLE VI

DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFICATION OF
COURSES

SEC. 13. For description and specification of courses, please refer to Annex A.

ARTICLE VII

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 14. Program Administration.—The MA in Communication program shall be administered by a full-time Dean and/or a Department Chair, Head, and/or Coordinator with appropriate qualifications specified below.

1. Qualifications. The Program Administrator of a college or school to which the graduate programs belong must have a Doctorate degree with at least three (3) years of teaching and administrative experience.
   
   
2. Functions/Responsibilities:
   1. Provides over-all directions in the attainment of the objectives of the program.
      
      
   2. Recommends the appointment of qualified faculty members.
      
      
   3. Provides administrative support to the institution.
      
      
   4. Sits in department meetings upon invitation.
      
      
   5. Ensures that the syllabus of each course  in the  program  is fully implemented within the term.
      
      
   6. Reviews periodically the curriculum along with the department faculty.
      
      
   7. Convenes  regular and- special faculty meetings.
      
      
   8. Schedules classes and assigns faculty-teaching load.
      
      
   9. Ensures that student grades are submitted on time by the faculty
      
      
   10. Supervises student evaluation of faculty.
       
       
   11. Monitors progress of students.
       
       
   12. Fulfills all other functions as may be explicitly required by the institution.

SEC. 15. Faculty

1. Qualifications. A graduate of a Masters degree in any communication program or  related  field  from a recognized HEI, with at least three (3) year teaching experience.
   
   
2. Percentage of Full-time Faculty. There shall be at least five (5) full-time faculty members who are at least master's degree holders and should have additional professional experience and/or training in the specialization or major area being offered.  At least one (1) of the full-time faculty members should have a doctorate degree.
   
   
3. Teaching Load. Full-time-Maximum load of 36 units, including teaching load in the undergraduate program in one (1) academic year. Part-Time   -Maximum of 9 units in one (1) semester.

SEC. 16. Library.—Every college/ institution/department offering MA in Communication program shall have an adequately equipped library that will provide all the basic textbooks, as well as reference materials for research and other scholarly purposes, as well as resources for current trends.

1. Librarians. The following are the minimum staff requirements.
   1. A college/institution/department library should have a full-time librarian who is a holder of Master in Library and Information Science degree with a valid license.
      
      
   2. There should  be one full-time librarian for the first 500 students enrolled, and for an enrollment of 1,000, two (2) full-time librarians shall be required.
      
      
   3. Library assistant/s  must  be  a holder/s of Bachelor of Library and Information Science degree.
      
   
   
2. Library Holdings. Library holdings should conform to CHED-existing requirements for libraries.
   1. The library must provide at least five (5) book titles per course found in the curriculum. These titles must have been published within the last five (5) years.
      
      
   2. The HEI  is likewise required to subscribe to at least two peer-reviewed or refereed journals and periodicals in communication and allied programs that are published locally and/or internationally.  The subscriptions may be for hard or electronic copies of the journal.
      
      
   3. The Library must have at least 100 audio-visual materials in the forms of tapes, films, records, CDs and DVDs.  Fifty  percent of the collections should have been published/produced within the last ten (10) years.
      
      
   4. The library must provide internet access to faculty members and students for research and other academic activities.
      
      
   5. The library must provide access to electronic library materials such as CD-ROMS.

SEC. 17. Facilities and Equipment

1. Classroom Requirements. The class size in every course  of a higher education institution shall be determined by the institution itself, taking into account the total capacity of its facilities, the level of instruction, the nature of the course, and such other factors that promote a conducive teaching-learning process.
   
   
2. Laboratory requirements.  For courses that require the use of the computer, a 1:1 computer student ratio is required.

SEC. 18. Admission and Retention

1. Admission. The applicant must be a holder of a baccalaureate degree, preferably in communication, mass communication, or a related program (especially social sciences), from a recognized HEI.
   
   The applicant must have at least two (2) years of work experience, preferably in communication, media or its allied fields, except in extremely meritorious cases when a shorter period of work experience is warranted.
   
   The applicant must have obtained a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 2.25 or its equivalent in his/ her undergraduate studies.
   
   As part of the evaluation procedures of the applicant, an essay and/or interview will be conducted, primarily to determine the preparedness of the applicant for graduate studies, as well as his/her research and career plans.
   
   
2. Retention. The student must have a GWA of at least 2.0 by the end of each school year.

SEC. 19. Prerequisites.—Graduates of non-communication programs may be required to take additional graduate courses based on the recommendation of the graduate admission committee and/or program adviser.

1. Introduction to Communication.
   
   
2. Introduction to Communication Theory.
   
   
3. Introduction to Communication Research.
   
   
4. Any graduate level foundation course in communication   studies designed/ developed by the department.

NOTE: The prerequisites are not part of the total no. of required units.

ARTICLE VIII

TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

SEC. 20. All HEIs, including SUCs and LUCs, with existing authority for graduate communication programs are hereby given a period of three (3) years from the effectivity thereof to fully comply with all the requirements in this CMO.

ARTICLE IX

SANCTIONS

SEC. 21. For violation of this Order, the Commission may impose such administrative sanction as it may deem appropriate pursuant to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 7722 in relation to Section 69 of Batas Pambansa Big. 232 otherwise known as the "Education Act of 1982, Section 63 of Article XII and Sections 142-143 of Article XXVI of the Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education of 2008, and other related laws.

ARTICLE X

SEPARABILITY AND REPEALING CLAUSE

SEC. 22. Any provision of this Order, which may thereafter be held invalid, shall not affect the remaining provisions.

All CHED issuances or part thereof inconsistent with the provision in this CMO shall be deemed modified or repealed.

ARTICLE XI

EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE

SEC. 23. This Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Quezon City, Philippines September 5, 2011.

For the Commission:

(Sgd.) PATRICIA B. LICUANAN, Ph. D.
Chairperson

See CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER (CMO) NO. 27 SERIES OF 2011 ANNEX "A" : DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFICATION OF COURSES MA COMMUNICATION :108 OG No. 5, 538-545 (January 30, 2012)