Communication Studies, BA

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Mission Statement: The Communication Studies program empowers students to thrive as leaders and innovators in today’s evolving communication fields. Our rigorous curriculum combines research, cutting-edge technology and best practices to provide students the essential knowledge, values, and experience needed to excel.

Vision Statement: To support our mission, we value collaboration, inspiration, contemplation, and innovation.

Collaboration:
We recognize learning is a joint venture between each instructor and student. We strive to develop permanent relationships within our major, across our campus and with our alumni.

Inspiration:
We endeavor to create a learning community that empowers our students to discover a passion for leadership and creative engagement in our world. We have high expectations for our students, identifying resilience and adaptability as keys to personal and professional success.

Contemplation:
We are committed to rigorous inquiry and reflection in our academic and professional pursuits. We encourage thoughtful interaction, promoting a diverse and engaged learning environment.

Innovation:
We are intentional in embracing changes in the communication field. We critically evaluate those changes to model best practices in scholarship, pedagogy and professional development.

Civitae Core Requirements (39-40 credits)

Civitae Core Curriculum

Communication Studies majors may count Civitae Core courses satisfying major requirements as also satisfying their respective Civitae Core requirements, up to two Pillar courses and one Perspectives course. The following are the courses in this major that may be used in this way:

COMM 101 will satisfy the Aesthetic Expression Pillar requirement

MATH 155 or MATH 171 will satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Pillar requirement

COMM 201 may satisfy the Human Behavior and Social Institutions Pillar requirement

COMM 333 may satisfy the Human Behavior and Social Institutions Perspectives requirement

COMM 380 may satisfy the Aesthetic Expressions Perspectives requirement

COMM 385 may satisfy the Human Behavior and Social Institutions Perspectives requirement

Courses satisfying major requirements that are designated as Civitae Core courses subsequent to the print deadline of this Catalog will not appear in the above listings but will be eligible to also satisfy Civitae Core requirements, subject to the same rules as the others. (If doing so would otherwise decrease the total credits required for the degree below 120, General Elective credit must be substituted to restore the total.)

Additional Degree Requirement

Humanities, 3 credits (not in the discipline of major)

Foreign Language, 3 credits (at a level that exceeds the Integrating World Languages course in the Core)

Communication Studies Core (27 credits + 6 credits counted in Civitae)

COMM 101 - Public Speaking 3 credits (3 credits counted in Core Curriculum)
COMM 105 - Welcome to the COMMunity 1 credit
COMM 141 - Introduction to Media Writing 3 credits
COMM 200 - Introduction to Communication Theory 3 credits
COMM 210 - Media and Society 3 credits
COMM 305 - Building your Professional Brand 1 credit
COMM 320 - Communication in a Diverse Society 3 credits
COMM 400 - Communication Ethics 3 credits
COMM 405 - Living your Professional Brand 1 credit
COMM 410 - Digital and Social Media Technologies 3 credits
COMM 460 - Communication Research 3 credits
COMM 492 - Communication Internship 3 credits
MATH 171 - Statistical Decision Making 3 credits (3 credits counted in Core Curriculum)
OR
MATH 155 - Overview of Statistical Reasoning 3 credits (3 credits counted in Core Curriculum)

Concentration Requirements (21 credits)

Students are required to select one of the two concentrations that follow:

Digital Media Concentration

Public Relations Concentration

General Electives (29-30 credits)

Total Credits Required

BA in Communication Studies: 120 credits