Graduate student resources

Welcome, Schieffer College graduate students! The resources on this page should provide forms and information related to projects, theses, graduation and funding. There are also links to the graduate catalog and payroll calendar.

Dr. Josh Bentley fist bumping a graduate on stage at Spring Commencement. Photo by Glen E. Ellman, May 10, 2025.

Getting Started

Whether you’re new to TCU or returning for your master’s degree, our New Graduate Student Resources is the place to start.

Registering for Classes

The graduate catalog is available at graduate.catalog.tcu.edu and has details about communication studies and strategic communication.

Contact your graduate director (Dr. Paul Schrodt for communication studies and Dr. Josh Bentley for strategic communication) to determine which courses you should select.

You can see which classes are available each semester at TCU Class Search. You can search classes without logging in, but with limited information. Log in to see all available information like instructor name and class location.

Some classes require a permission number to enroll. Contact your instructor of record or graduate director to request a permission number.

The TCU Registrar’s Office provides step-by-step instructions for enrolling in classes.

Additional Resources

Career Consultant

TCU has career consultants assigned to each academic college on campus. Consultants are trained to address your specific needs based on your major and career goals. Your Schieffer College consultant is Shelby Giammattei, who can help with:

  • Career choice plan
  • Career and personality assessments
  • Resume/cover letter reviews
  • Practice interviews
  • E-portfolio review
  • Job and internship search advice

To schedule a career consultant appointment, login to TCU Handshake with your TCU single sign on. From the top menu, click on Career Center > Select Appointments. Reach Shelby at careers.tcu.edu, 817-257-6087 or Shelby.Giammattei@tcu.edu.

Office of Graduate Studies

The Office of Graduate Studies aims to help develop your educational potential and community engagement through workshops, training, and social events. Resources include pedagogical resources, research help.

Thesis, Project and Comprehensive Exams

Schieffer College graduate students must complete their program with a final evaluative exercise:

  • Thesis (six hours in either program)
  • Project (three hours in strategic communication)
  • Comprehensive exams (in communication studies)

Schieffer Graduate Student Travel and Thesis Grants

Schieffer College encourages graduate students to conduct and present their research to external audiences. Financial support is available through travel grants and thesis grants.

Travel grants  Thesis grants

 

Comprehensive Exams or Project Details and Forms

The project in strategic communication is a three-hour course taken the last semester before graduation. Communication studies students must successfully complete oral and written comprehensive examinations as specified by the graduate committee.

Thesis Details and Forms

The thesis takes six hours to complete in the last two semesters before graduation and is available to both Communication Studies and Strategic Communication students.

Beginning your thesis

  • File an Intent to Graduate form and an Appointment of Master’s Committee form.
    • Please right-click to “Save link as…” then open the file in Adobe Acrobat to complete the form and obtain all digital signatures. Email the completed form to m.harrison@tcu.edu. This form should be submitted prior to enrolling in project or thesis courses.
    • NOTE: A graduation fee is charged by the Registrar office when the “intent” is filed.
    • If you postpone your graduation, you must Cancel Intent to Graduate. You will need to file a new intent the next semester and pay the graduation fee again.

Writing your thesis

  1. Use the Thesis Grad Manual (.docx), which describes important formatting requirements and deadlines.
  2. Download this Microsoft Word Thesis Template (.docx) to properly format your thesis for online archiving and access through Proquest/UMI.
  3. Review and use this recently completed thesis as a guide.
  4. Review and keep deadlines.

Finishing your thesis

  1. Submit a completed draft of your thesis to your committee for review. It must be read by ALL committee members.
  2. Prepare a revised draft that incorporates all changes required by your committee.
  3. Ask your committee chair to schedule the final thesis oral defense.
  4. Submit your completed and defended thesis electronically to UMI. The TCU library has step-by-step instructions on the submission page. A publishing fee will be placed on your student account, which can be paid online.

Graduation Information and Deadlines

  • Intent to Graduate form – Please complete the online form. A nonrefundable graduation processing fee will be billed to the student’s account. Deadlines to file are set by graduation semester:
    • Summer graduation: July 1
    • Fall graduation: October 1
    • Spring graduation: March 1
  • Cancel Intent to Graduate – Submit if for any reason, after filing an Intent to Graduate, you need to change your planned graduating semester.
  • Commencement Details – Beginning in May 2026, students are invited to two graduation-related events. A university-wide commencement with all colleges and schools on Friday, followed by individual academic convocations on Saturday.
    • The Schieffer College Convocation is at 12:45 p.m. May 9 in Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena, 2900 Stadium Drive.