Communication Studies Major

Communication Studies

Communication major and Emphases

The communication major offers five areas of emphasis: communication studies, electronic media and film (formerly radio-television-film), organizational communication, public relations, and theatre studies. This program works to achieve three important syntheses. The first is to combine the improvement of speaking and dramatic skills with an enhanced analytical understanding of communication processes. The second synthesis involves helping students to explore both traditional public communication contexts and the less formal but equally complex interpersonal contexts of communication. The final synthesis consists of combining traditional artistic approaches to speech and theatre with a scientific perspective so that students in this major gain an appreciation for, and ability to use, both historical/critical analytical skills and experimental methods from the social sciences in approaching problematic communication settings.

Minors are available in public speaking, film studies, organizational communication, public relations, electronic media (formerly radio-TV), and theatre.

Students seeking Integrated Language Arts licensure (ILA) for Adolescent-Young Adults (AYA) should complete the requirements for the Communication major with emphasis in communication studies plus other course required for licensure (see Education for the additional requirements.)

All communication majors, regardless of area of emphasis, must adhere to the following guidelines:

make at least a C in

UC 120 - Oral Communication (Gen. Ed. Goal 2) and
TH 121 - Introduction to Theatre (Gen. Ed. Goal 6) and
take (or place out of) two semesters of language courses

All communication majors, regardless of area of emphasis, will take the following courses:

Major Requirements—Communication Core, 16 hours:

3 hours COMM 131 - Media and Society
3 hours COMM 151 - Interpersonal Communication or
COMM 352 - Group Discussion
3 hours COMM 313 - Public Address or
TH 223 - Acting for the Stage
1 hour COMM 101 - Communication Professional Develop Seminar
3 hours COMM 201 - Introduction to the Study of Human Communication
1 hour COMM 301 - Preparation for E-Portfolio in Communication
1 hour COMM 401 - Capstone Project
1 hour COMM 402 - Capstone Colloquium

Emphasis I (Communication Studies), 24 hours plus communication core:

three hours from

and six hours from COMM, PR, EMF, or TH.

(At least three of these six hours must come from pre-professional credit in at least two different areas.

Notes:

Up to six hours of advanced pre-professional credit can be used to fulfill elective requirements in Emphasis I, but no more than 3 can come from a single area–COMM, PR, EMF, TH).

*These courses satisfy core requirements for the Communication major.