SCHEDULE
All professional resident programs begin in the summer, generally the first week of July. For 2010, the program begins on July 6. Photography students are encouraged to begin their studies in the summer, but have the option of beginning during any term: summer, fall, or spring. During the summer, students take two courses in a six-week summer session, attending classes four to five days a week. Because these two summer courses provide the foundation for the rest of the program, students in all programs except Photography MUST start in the summer. The two summer courses (or "boot camp," as we affectionately call it) are typically not offered during the regular year, so it's not possible for students to start in either the fall or spring semesters.
Most of our resident master's degree programs take 12 to 13 months to complete. (Because the Photography program requires a thesis or project, this program takes approximately a year and a half to two years to complete. Since Public Diplomacy is a dual-degree, it takes two years to complete.) Most students, however, graduate in June or August the following year.
Usually, students take two courses during second summer session (July-August), four courses in the fall semester (late August-December), four courses in the spring semester (January-May), and then complete their program with a six-credit capstone experience during first summer session in May and June. Broadcast Journalism students will also complete an additional four-credit internship in Washington, D.C. during July and August.
Generally our programs cannot be completed on a part-time basis. All the programs are designed as full-time, one-calendar year programs. Classes are offered both day and night, but there is no way of knowing which classes will be offered when. If students have availability during the day, they can sometimes stretch the program through two years or so. The summer start requires students to take two classes during the day, four to five days a week. These are required courses for the program, and in most cases, only offered during the summer. We suggest that students make an appointment with the program director to see if part-time study can be worked out. Our Communications Management program is an Independent Study Degree Program, and operates on a different schedule than the resident programs. ISDP students can pursue their program while working full-time or away from Syracuse.
For a list of specific dates for the upcoming year, please link to http://registrar.syr.edu/acadcalendars/