Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Am I qualified?

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

• Enrollment in the B.A. in Communication
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher
• Completion of at least 60 credit hours (including 24 at WKU) with at least 15 hours of undergraduate coursework remaining
• Recommendation of a faculty advisor
• Submission of an academic writing sample

JUMP Statement of Intent

How does the dual-credit work?

Once accepted into the JUMP program, students may enroll in both undergraduate and graduate courses within the same semester. Undergraduate coursework applies toward the B.A. in Communication, while graduate coursework counts toward the M.A. in Applied Communication. Up to 9 credit hours of graduate coursework may count toward both degrees, allowing JUMP students to make progress on their master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s.

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

What GPA do I need to maintain?

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

• Undergraduate Communication coursework: cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher to remain in good standing
• Graduate coursework: cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

Failure to maintain either requirement may result in denial of graduate standing.

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 the B.A. in Communication (a minimum of 120 hours, including any joint undergraduate/graduate credit). 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 the Graduate School 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 the Graduate School: 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.