Communication B.A. Degree
The communication program is an interdisciplinary major based in the liberal arts. It emphasizes the development of career-level skills in written, oral, interpersonal, electronic, and visual communication. Theoretical, historical, societal, and pragmatic perspectives of communication are explored. The curriculum includes a core curriculum that focuses on the theory, law, ethics, principles, procedures, and practices of mass, public, and interpersonal communication. Students can choose areas of specialization in multimedia journalism, strategic communication, and communication studies. Pre-professional experiences gained on student-run media, communication student organizations, on-campus practica, and off-campus internships provide an essential component to the curriculum.
The curriculum includes the integration of classroom instruction with pre-professional work experience on the Navigator, the weekly University newspaper; the Aquarian, the annual University literary and arts magazine; Dolphin News; the University television channel, and Dolphin Radio, the student-run online radio station. Students also have the opportunity to participate in several extra-curricular activities including intercollegiate forensics, communication professional organizations and Lambda Pi Eta, the national communications honor society.
Graduates may enter many fields including journalism, public relations, advertising, radio, television news, television production, graphic design, management, marketing, education, social services, and the arts. The communication program also provides a fine foundation for graduate study not only in journalism and mass communication but also in business, law, social work, and library science.
Major Requirements
The student majoring in communication must complete the 30-credit hour communication core and nine credit hours in a selected area of specialization. A total of 39 credit hours is required for the communications major although students may take additional hours in communication as electives to a maximum of 45 credit hours.
The communication major is offered as a Bachelor of Arts degree: that is communication majors must complete a foreign language through the 202 level.
The following communication core courses must be taken:
Required Area of Specialization
Students must take nine credit hours from one of the following specializations listed below and COMM 485 must be one of the three credit hour courses chosen in the specialization area:
I.Multimedia Journalism
I.Multimedia Journalism: See Note 3
COMM 485: See Asterisk(*) in Notes
II.Strategic Communication (Advertising and Public Relations)
Communication Studies
Suggested Electives
Notes:
*All students shall complete a senior seminar project that demonstrates mastery of their chosen specialties.
- Students should complete COMM 455 in the spring of their junior year.
- Students should complete COMM 475 in the spring of their senior year.
- It is recommended that students interested in print and online journalism register for COMM 307WI and COMM 310. It is recommended that students interested in broadcast journalism register for COMM 317 and COMM 332WI.
- This course is a prerequisite for several other courses in the specialization.
Additional Communication Major Important Notes:
- Students entering the University with the AA degree must take a foreign language through the 202 level.
- Course COMM 201SI can be used by any University student to fulfill the requirement for a speech intensive course.
- Students majoring in communication must earn a "C" grade or better in all communication core courses.
- A grade of "C" or better must be earned in all prerequisite communication courses before taking a course with the stated prerequisite.
- Students are encouraged to develop minors or second majors in other fields including but not limited to English, foreign languages and literature, humanities, philosophy, business, art, sociology, psychology, political science, history or theatre. These secondary areas of study should be chosen in consultation with an academic advisor.
Minor Requirements
A minor in communication requires 18 credit hours selected with assistance from a communication faculty member