Undergraduate Catalog

B.A. in Communication Studies

Summary of Requirements

Much like in personal relationships, communication is the key to success in business and your career. Communication Studies majors learn the skills most desired by employers:

  • The ability to work in teams
  • The skill to communicate with diverse audiences in a variety of settings
  • The capability to create and edit information
  • The capacity to make compelling presentations in front of small and large
    audiences

The Communication Studies program teaches students about intrapersonal, interpersonal, public, intercultural, and corporate communication. This provides the firm foundation necessary for creating a successful career in fields such as media, health communication, human resources, and public relations. You’ll come out of the communication program with the ability to think critically, express ideas impactfully, and understand the diverse forms of communication that draw people in.

Students will have the ability to put their knowledge and experience into practice as they take up positions of influence in their communities or continue postgraduate studies.

 


2022-2023
Core Curriculum 43
Pre-Major Courses 9
Major and Related Courses 45-47
Free Elective Courses 21-23
TOTAL 120

Admission to Communication Studies requires:

  1. A cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better.
  2. Successful completion of COM 150, ENG 250, and PSY 101 or SOC 101 with a grade of C or better.
  3. An unofficial transcript in PDF format.

Please contact Marina Dzougoutov for admission to the major.

Requirements to maintain good standing and graduation for Communication Studies majors:

  1. Maintenance of a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better. Students whose GPA falls below a cumulative 2.75 will be placed on probation and given one semester to improve their cumulative GPA to 2.75. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the major.
  2. A student majoring in Communication Studies can have no more than one "D" or "D+" in major courses.
  3. A Communication Studies major must complete one internship in the field prior to graduation. Internships range from one to three credits and must occur at least for 10 consecutive weeks in a semester. A one-credit internship requires 100 hours on internship site. A two-credit internship requires 200 hours on internship site. A three-credit internship requires 300 hours on internship site. The program's Internship Coordinator will approve and oversee the academic requirements of all internships.  Internships cannot be completed with a student's family business or a company that contracts with the family member's business.

Required pre-major courses 9 hours

COM 150Introduction to Communication

3

ENG 250Introduction to Public and Professional Writing

3

and

PSY 101Introduction to Psychology

3

Or

SOC 101Introduction to Sociology

3

Required courses 27-29 hours

COM 280Group Communication

3

COM 290Public Presentations

3

COM 320Internship Seminar

1

COM 321Internship

1-3

COM 324Interpersonal Communication

3

COM 340Business and Professional Communication

3

COM 350Introduction to Mass Communication

3

COM 380Theories of Human Communication

3

COM 440Intercultural Communication

3

COM 490Visual Communication

3

COM 493Senior Seminar: Communication Ethics

1

Required elective courses 15 hours

Choose 15 hours:

COM 160Communication Research

3

COM 235Intergroup Dialogue

3

COM 330Interpersonal and Group Conflict Management

3

COM 335Mediation, Deliberation, and Dialogue

3

COM 360Introduction to Public Relations

3

COM 390Communication Accessibility

3

COM 400Persuasion

3

COM 410Advanced Public Presentations

3

COM 420Nonverbal Communication

3

COM 430Gender and Communication

3

COM 450Political Communication

3

COM 460Organizational Communication

3

COM 470Family Communication

3

COM 480Argumentation and Debate

3

COM 495Special Topics

1-5

COM 499Independent Study

1-3

Required related courses 3 hours

Take any one of the following English courses:

ENG 260Introduction to Layout and Design for Writers

3-4

ENG 360Writing for Digital Media

3

ENG 365Writing for Social Media

3

ENG 370Multimedia Composition

3

ENG 375Media Literacy

3

ENG 380Business and Technical Writing

3

ENG 385Fundamentals of Journalism

3

 

Program Outcomes

SLO #2

 

Create and Deliver Messages – Students create and deliver messages in American Sign Language (ASL) and written English appropriate for diverse audiences, purposes, and contexts

 

SLO #2

 

Critically analyze messages –Apply  fundamental communication concepts, and theories to critically analyze, evaluate and respond to a variety of messages

 

SLO #3

 

Create effective communication that embraces differences –Students recognize and apply complex social identities and design communication for diverse cultural contexts

 

SLO #4

 

Identify and solve impediments to successful communication –Students apply knowledge from a variety of disciplines to identify and analyze barriers in communication

 

SLO #5

 

Apply ethical communication perspectives and practices –Students identify ethical perspectives and apply them in different communication situation

 

Subject:

Communication Studies