Feb 06, 2025  
2012-2013 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
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2012-2013 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Communication, B.A.

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The undergraduate major in communication provides students with an opportunity to acquire understanding of the process and impact of communication in a variety of contexts.

In addition to acquiring a broad awareness of the role of communication in society, students choose an emphasis in one of the following areas: (1) Advertising and Public Relations, (2) Media and Journalism, or (3) Human Communication Studies.

Students majoring in communication generally apply their learning in one of two ways. First, they might work in an explicitly communication-related field, such as journalism or other area of publishing, traditional or new media, public relations, or advertising. Alternatively, our graduates often work in the communication departments of companies that are not themselves part of the communication industry. This might include nonprofit association management, events planning, or human resources, as well as a host of communication-related functions in such settings as healthcare organizations and educational settings.

For practical communication experience, students may participate in such activities as the Public Relations Student Society of America; the annual Advertising Competition; WWUH (FM) or WSAM (AM/FM) radio; the Student Television Network, which produces the weekly Channel 2 newscast; Hawk Sports Television; and the student newspaper, The Informer. Qualified communication majors may also seek membership in Lambda Pi Eta, the discipline’s national honor society.

The school also offers an extensive internship program for all qualified majors in such settings as commercial or educational television and radio stations, weekly and daily newspapers, public relations firms, advertising agencies, and various public and private corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Internships provide an opportunity for practical experience in a student’s chosen area of study. In addition, the school offers study abroad opportunities, and a chance to spend a semester in Washington, D.C.

Students may also assist in communication research conducted by the faculty.

General Education Requirements (A&S)

In addition to major requirements, students must meet the General Education Requirements that correlate to their degree.

Major GPA and Grade Requirements

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in courses required to complete the major. All courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Requirements for the Major in Communication

 

Required credits: 36

Communication majors must have at least a 2.25 grade point average in the major to graduate.

Core Courses (9 credits)

Each major must complete the following courses:

Writing Requirement (3 credits)

Plus one writing course:

Emphasis Courses (24 credits)

Students must select one emphasis:

  • Advertising and Public Relations
  • Human Communication Studies
  • Media and Journalism

Students who select either the Advertising and Public Relations emphasis or the Human Communication emphasis must take two courses (6 credits) outside of their chosen emphasis. This requirement may be satisfied by taking two courses in one emphasis, or one course in each of the two emphases that are not the student’s own emphasis of study. (Note: Students in the Media and Journalism emphasis are not required to take two courses (6 credits) outside of their emphasis.)

 For the sake of meeting this requirement, the following classes are considered as part of each emphasis.

Advertising and Public Relations Classes

 

Human Communication Studies Classes

 

Media and Journalism Classes

 

Requirements for the emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations:

 

Core courses in the emphasis

 

Communication Analysis

Plus one course from the following Communication Analysis offerings:

Communication Campaign

Plus one course from the following Communication Campaign offerings:

Note(s):

Completion of the two-semester CMM 462 - Advertising Competition  (6 cr.) may be used to fulfill the communication campaign requirement.

Outside of Emphasis Courses

Choose two courses from the School of Communication’s other emphases. Consult the list of courses above in Requirements for the Major in Communication.

It is highly recommended that Advertising and Public Relations students satisfy this requirement by selecting from the following classes:

Human Communication Studies emphasis

One course from the Human Communication Studies emphasis, from a choice of the following:

Media and Journalism emphasis

One course from the Media and Journalism emphasis, from a choice of the following:

Requirements for the emphasis in Media and Journalism:

 

Media Technology Abilities

Plus one course focusing on Media Technology Abilities, from a choice of the following:

Criticism and Analysis

Plus two courses focusing on Criticism and Analysis, from a choice of the following:

Choose one of the following sub-groups

 

Media Production subgroup:

 

Journalism subgroup:

 

Media Operations subgroup:

 

Media Studies subgroup:

 

Additional Information

**An alternative to taking 2 electives within your chosen subgroup is to take 2 courses from any of the other subgroups.

Note: EC 101  is a prerequisite for CMM 346 .

Note: Special Topics and Special Problems courses in Media and Journalism can be used to satisfy requirements as approved by the advisor and Director of the School of Communication.

Requirements for the emphasis in Human Communication Studies:

 

Human Communication Processes

Three courses focusing on Human Communication Processes, from a choice of the following:

Human Communication Contexts

Plus three courses focusing on Human Communication Contexts, from a choice of the following:

Outside of Emphasis Courses

Choose two courses from the School of Communication’s other emphases. Consult the list of courses above in Requirements for the Major in Communication.

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