Bachelor of Arts in Communications

Program Overview

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The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in Communications prepares adults for career change, advancement, or graduate education, while providing personal enrichment. The program explores the various aspects of creating, transmitting, and analyzing messages that flow among individuals, groups, organizations, and societies. Students may focus on communications courses relating to oral communications and/or mass media communications. Students develop a broad general knowledge of the traditional liberal arts disciplines while developing a greater depth of knowledge in Communications.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 18 credits must be upper level, 3000 level or above, within the area of study.

NOTE 1: Courses in speech needed to prepare students for college-level studies CANNOT be accepted toward Thomas Edison State University degree requirements.

NOTE 2: Courses in "Speaking English" for foreign students or students with disabilities may be free electives or remedial-developmental courses. If the course descriptions will need to be reviewed. If course is remedial-developmental, it CANNOT be accepted toward Thomas Edison State University degree requirements.

NOTE 3: Degree candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications are advised to take Public Speaking (COM-2090) to satisfy the General Education Oral Communications requirement.

Credit Distribution

I. General Education Featured Courses (45 Credits)

TESU Featured Courses are listed as a guide. Other courses may satisfy the areas and can be viewed on our website under General Education Courses. For more information see About Our General Education Program. To plan your program please contact an academic advisor.

A. Intellectual and Practical Skills (15 Credits)

ENC-1010	Writing for Success	3
ENC-1020	Writing for Success II	3
COM-2090	Public Speaking	3
MAT-1050	Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics	3
SOS-1100	Fact, Fiction, or Fake? Information Literacy Today	3

For all TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Intellectual and Practical Skills.

B. Civic and Global Leadership (9 Credits)

SOC-1010	Our Changing World: An Introduction to Sociology	3
ETH-2200	Leading the Way: A Path Towards Ethical Leadership	3
POS-1100	American Government	3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Civic and Global Leadership.

C. Knowledge of Human Cultures (15 Credits)

SOC-2100	Marriage and the Family	3
HIS-1130	American History I	3
FIL-1100	Exploring American Cinema	3

Select two featured courses from the list below:

SOC-2910	Criminology	3
HIS-1140	American History II	3
HIS-1210	Introduction to World History I	3
HUM-1030	Introduction to the Humanities III: Music	3
PHI-1300	Introduction to Critical Reasoning	3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Knowledge of Human Cultures.

D. Scientific Knowledge (6 Credits)

EAS-1010	General Earth Science	3
BIO-2080	The Science of Nutrition	3

For additional TESU course options that will satisfy this area of the degree, go to Scientific Knowledge.

II. Area of Study (45 Credits)

A. Required Courses (18 Credits)

COM-1000	Communication Theory	3
COM-1200	Introduction to Mass Communications I	3
COM-1210	Introduction to Mass Communications II	3
COM-2650	Communication in the Digital Age	3
COM-3300	Interpersonal Communication	3
COM-3350	Intercultural Communication	3

B. Communications Electives* (12 Credits)

COM-2100	Public Relations Thought and Practice	3
COM-3390	The Story of Human Language	3
MAN-3730	Managerial Communications	3
ENG-2010	Technical Writing	3

*Other Communications courses may be appropriate for this area of study. For additional course options, please contact an academic advisor.

C. Humanities Electives (12 Credits)

Humanities Electives

Complete any 12 credits in the Humanities disciplines.

D. Capstone (3 credits)

LIB-4950

Liberal Arts Capstone

III. Electives (30 Credits)

For TESU course options, go to Elective Courses.

TESU accepts credits in transfer from accredited institutions as well as non-collegiate providers. View information and resources on where you may find additional learning experiences.

Total Credit Hours: 120

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Communications program will be able to:

apply communication concepts and theories to real world problems and issues within one or more communication industries;
create messages adapted for the audience, context, and purpose;
critically analyze media messages;
demonstrate communication technologies and techniques;
apply ethical communication principles and practices; and
synthesize research within the communications field using quantitative and qualitative methodologies.