Communication Program Requirements

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Faculty

  • Matt Baker
  • Erin Coleman Serrano
  • Curtis Newbold
  • Christine Seifert
  • Tamara Stevenson
  • Kim Zarkin (Chair)

View Communication Courses

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 for working as a team 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 four credits from Special Topics classes toward their communication electives.  

 
Total Hours for the 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
Year 1

COMM 210

COMM 211
Year 2

COMM 250

COMM 240
COMM 370

Year 3

COMM 302
COMM 371
Elective

COMM 310
COMM 372
Elective

Year 4

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  
II. Elective Courses 12  
Choose any twelve credit hours of upper division Communication courses    
Total Hours for the Communications Minor 24  

Suggested Concentrations

Requirement Description Credit Hours 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  
Total Hours for the Program 64