Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Am I qualified?

To be eligible for the JUMP program, students must meet the following criteria:

• Be a Communication major or an approved related-major student. Approval from both undergraduate and graduate program advisors is required.
• Complete COMM 200, COMM 300, and COMM 362 before taking graduate Communication courses.
• Have a GPA of 3.50 or higher in undergraduate major coursework.
• Completed at least 60 credit hours with at least 15 hours of undergraduate coursework remaining.
• Obtain a recommendation from Communication program faculty. Student interest or an academic advisor’s recommendation alone is not sufficient.

JUMP Statement of Intent

How does the dual-credit work?

Undergraduate students admitted to JUMP may take approved graduate courses that count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, subject to university JUMP policy and program approval.

Up to 9 credit hours of graduate coursework may count toward both degrees. Courses must fit both degree plans.

JUMP students may complete a maximum of 12 hours of graduate coursework prior to admission to Graduate Studies.

For Communication majors, the undergraduate capstone course may not be double-counted for JUMP.

What GPA do I need to maintain?

JUMP students must maintain the following GPA requirements throughout the program:

• Undergraduate Communication coursework: cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher to remain in good standing
• Graduate coursework: cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

When do I become a graduate student?

While in the JUMP program: JUMP students remain classified as undergraduates until they have completed all credit hour requirements for their bachelor's degree. During this time, students retain all rights and privileges of undergraduate students, including eligibility for undergraduate financial aid.

Transition to graduate status: JUMP students must apply to Graduate Studies upon reaching the maximum total of graduate hours as an undergraduate or during their final undergraduate term, whichever comes first. The admissions application fee will be waived for JUMP students.

After admission to Graduate Studies: Students are reclassified as graduate students and no longer qualify for undergraduate classification for any purpose, including financial aid. However, they become eligible for graduate student privileges, including financial opportunities such as graduate assistantship appointments.

How long do I have to finish?

Students must complete the M.A. degree within three academic semesters (excluding summers) from the date the bachelor’s degree is awarded. The undergraduate degree must be awarded before the graduate degree.

If the master’s degree is not completed within this timeframe, credit for courses counted toward both degrees will be forfeited.

What if I can’t finish the program?

Personal hardships may occasionally prevent a JUMP student from completing the full program. In such cases, an appeal process is available to ensure completed coursework can still count toward the bachelor’s degree.

Eligibility: JUMP students who have completed at least 120 credit hours and met all other requirements for the B.A. in Communication (including joint credit hours) are eligible to submit an appeal.

Appeal Process: Students submit a documented appeal to the School of Media & Communication describing the hardship. If approved, the school may recommend to the Graduate School that graduate-level coursework be applied toward undergraduate degree requirements, allowing the B.A. to be awarded.

Important Notes

• Appeals must involve genuine personal hardships. Poor class performance does not qualify.
• All graduate credit applied toward the bachelor’s degree must follow WKU’s policy on Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses.