Communication
Faculty: Matt Baker, Erin Coleman Serrano, Curtis Newbold, Christine Seifert, Tamara Stevenson, Kim Zarkin (Chair)
Program Goals
- To develop writing and editing skills applicable to various communication professions.
- To learn basic layout and design principles and to use a broad range of industry-standard software applications in applying those principles to the production of quality communication pieces for print and electronic media.
- To learn to effectively present skills, interests, accomplishments, and abilities to prospective employers or clients.
- To demonstrate appropriate attitudes, skills, and techniques essential to working in a team as a member and a leader.
- To analyze and evaluate the historical, legal, and ethical contexts within which communication professionals operate.
Objectives
The Communication program offers an academic major leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, as well as an academic minor. The Communication program teaches students theoretical principles and practical skills in the context of humanistic inquiry.
Working with electronic and traditional media, students acquire skills needed for careers in corporate and government communication, nonprofit organizations, public affairs, advertising, public relations, technical writing, and journalism, as well as for graduate studies. By selecting courses across the entire communication curriculum, students can develop a program that has breadth, while students who are interested in a more focused major may wish to choose classes from one of the suggested concentrations that follow.
Program Requirements
Students must maintain a minimum 2.3 GPA in all courses required for the Communication major.
Students must meet the college-wide graduation requirements in addition to the Communication major:
- 124 total hours
- 30 upper division hours
- WCore or Honors College requirements
Communication Major
| Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. World Language Requirement | 8 | |
| Communication majors must complete eight credit hours in a single world language. | ||
| II. Lower Division Courses | 16 | |
| COMM 210 Media Writing I (4) | ||
| COMM 211 Media Writing II (4) | COMM 210 | |
| COMM 240 Media and Society (4) | ||
| COMM 250 Introduction to Human Communication (4) | ||
| III. Upper Division Courses | 32 | |
| COMM 302 College Publications: Forum (4) | COMM 211 | |
| COMM 310 Business and Professional Writing I (4) | COMM 210 | |
| COMM 350 Organizational Communication (4) | COMM 250 | |
| COMM 370 Design Foundations (4) | ||
| COMM 371 Multimedia Tools and Production (4) | COMM 370 | |
| COMM 372 Design and the User Experience (4) | COMM 371 | |
| COMM 425 Communication Law and Ethics (4) | COMM 310 | |
| COMM 440 Internship (2-6)* | Junior status | |
| COMM 490 Portfolio Workshop (2) | Senior status | |
| IV. Electives | 12 | |
| Complete twelve hours of coursework from the following courses: | ||
| ART 320 Digital Imaging (4) | ART 180 | |
| ART 380 Advanced Photography (4) | ART 320 or ART 379 | |
| COMM 300 Selected Topics in Communication (1-4) | ||
| COMM 311 Business and Professional Writing II (4) | COMM 310 | |
| COMM 312 Creative Non-Fiction (4) | COMM 310 | |
| COMM 322 Multimedia Image Production (4) | ||
| COMM 326 Introduction to Web Writing and Design (4) | ||
| COMM 336 Principles of Public Relations (4) | ||
| COMM 338 Principles of Advertising (4) | ||
| COMM 340 Communication Theory and Persuasion (4) | COMM 211 | |
| COMM 345 Video Production (4) | ||
| COMM 360 Race, Gender, Class and the Media (4) | ||
| COMM 365 Intercultural and Global Communication (4) | ||
| COMM 380 Communication and Nonprofit Organizations (4) | ||
| COMM 440 Internship (1-6)* | ||
| ENGL 324 Creative Writing: Nonfiction (4) | ENGL 230 | |
| NOTE: Students may only count 4 credits from Special Topics classes toward their communication electives. | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR COMMUNICATION MAJOR | 68 |
*If a student is a double major where both majors require an internship, a single internship may count towards both majors, contingent on faculty approval.
Recommended Plan of Study for Communication
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | |
| Freshman Year | COMM 210 | COMM 211 |
| Sophomore Year | COMM 250 | COMM 240 COMM 370 |
| Junior Year | COMM 302 COMM 371 Elective |
COMM 310 COMM 372 Elective |
| Senior Year | COMM 350 COMM 440 Elective |
COMM 425 COMM 490 Elective |
Communication Minor
| Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. Required Courses | 12 | |
| COMM 210 Media Writing I (4) | ||
| COMM 240 Media and Society (4) | ||
| COMM 250 Introduction to Human Communication (4) | ||
| I. Required Courses | 12 | |
| Choose any twelve credit hours of upper division Communication courses | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR COMMUNICATION MINOR | 24 |
Suggested Concentrations
| Description | Prerequisites |
| Multimedia | |
| ART 320 Digital Imaging (4) | ART 180 |
| ART 380 Advanced Photography (4) | ART 320 or ART 379 |
| COMM 322 Multimedia Image Production (4) | |
| COMM 326 Introduction to Web Writing and Design (4) | |
| COMM 345 Video Production (4) | |
| Public Relations | |
| COMM 336 Public Relations Principles (4) | |
| COMM 338 Principles of Advertising (4) | |
| COMM 340 Communication Theory and Persuasion (4) | COMM 211 |
| COMM 360 Race, Gender, Class, and the Media (4) | |
| COMM 365 Intercultural and Global Communication (4) | |
| Professional Writing | |
| COMM 311 Business and Professional Writing II (4) | COMM 310 |
| COMM 312 Creative Non-Fiction (4) | COMM 310 |
| COMM 336 Principles of Public Relations (4) | |
| COMM 340 Communication Theory and Persuasion (4) | COMM 211 |
| COMM 360 Race, Gender, Class, and the Media (4) | |
| COMM 365 Intercultural and Global Communication (4) |