Academic Programs Catalog

The goal of the major in communication is to prepare students to synthesize, analyze, and criticize major functions, structures, and processes of communication within interpersonal, organizational, and mediated communication contexts. The major is designed to equip its graduates:  (a) to understand the processes involved in human interaction especially as these processes relate to a variety of cultural perspectives, (b) to assess the role and function of new and social media, (c) to identify and critically analyze the major theoretical perspectives in the field of communication, (d) to write and speak clearly using communication concepts, and (e) to develop transferable skills in problem solving in interpersonal interactions, in small group settings, and with diverse populations.

Undergraduate work in communication creates greater awareness of the intricate networks that shape human interaction.  Communication study is designed to prepare students to become human relations specialists in industry, the media, and government as well as for graduate study and further professional education.  Majors most commonly pursue careers in sales, corporate project management, fund raising, corporate recruiting and training, customer relations, public relations, and government.

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of the catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Communication major is met by completing any one of the following courses:  Communication 401, 425, 440, 475.  Those courses are referenced in item 3. below.
2. The requirements of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	Complete a minimum of 30 credits in Communication courses with a grade-point average of 2.0 or higher achieved across COM 100, COM 225, COM 240, COM 275, and COM 300:
   	1.	All of the following courses (17 credits):
   		COM	100	Human Communication					3
   		COM	225	An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication					3
   		COM	240	Introduction to Organizational Communication					4
   		COM	275	Effects of Mass Communication					3
   		COM	300	Methods of Communication Inquiry					4
   	2.	One of the following capstone courses (4 credits):
   		COM	401	Advanced Topics in Communication (W)					4
   		COM	425	Communication in Close Relationships (W)					4
   		COM	440	Organizational Communication Structure (W)					4
   		COM	475	Communication Campaign Design and Analysis (W)					4
   	3.	Complete a minimum of 9 elective credits:
   		COM	301	Special Topics in Communication Sciences, Analytics and Research Methods					3
   		COM	302	Special Topics in Health Communication					3
   		COM	303	Special Topics in Intercultural Communication					3
   		COM	304	Special Topics in Interpersonal Communication					3
   		COM	305	Special Topics in Mediated Communication					3
   		COM	306	Special Topics in Organizational Communication					3
   		COM	307	Special Topics in Social Influence					3
   		COM	310	Intercultural Communication					3
   		COM	320	Diversity and Communication					3
   		COM	325	Interpersonal Influence and Conflict					3
   		COM	330	Health Communication					3
   		COM	340	Leadership and Group Communication					3
   		COM	360	Advanced Sales Communication					3
   		COM	375	Audience Response to Media Entertainment					3
   		COM	399	Special Topics in Communication					1 to 3
   		COM	402	Public Relations Topics in Communication					1
   		COM	490	Independent Study					1 to 3
   		COM	493	Internship					1 to 12
   		COM	494	Practicum in Communication Research and Instruction					1 to 4
   		A maximum of 3 credits across any combination of COM 490, 493, and 494 may be used to satisfy this requirement.
   	4.	Complete one of the following options:
   		(a)	A cognate in the behavioral/social sciences that is comprised of six courses outside the Department of Communication chosen from at least three of the following departments: Anthropology, Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Economics, Human Development and Family Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. The courses must be chosen in consultation with the student’s academic advisor. (18 to 24 credits)
   		(b)	A concentration from the following that focuses on a specific application area in the discipline. Courses used to satisfy requirements for the major may also be used to satisfy the requirements of a concentration. The concentration will be noted on the student’s transcript. (minimum of 18 credits)
   			Communication Science, Analytics and Research Methods
   			1.	Both of the following courses (6 or 7 credits):
   				COM	301	Special Topics in Communication Sciences, Analytics and Research Methods			3
   				COM	494	Practicum in Communication Research and Instruction			3
   				The topic taken in COM 301 must be different than the topic taken in COM 301 in item 2. if COM 301 is used to fulfill the requirement in item 2.
   			2.	Four courses from the following (12 to 16 credits):
   				COM	301	Special Topics in Communication Sciences, Analytics and Research Methods			3
   				MI	220	Methods for Understanding Users			3
   				MI	355	Media and Information Research			3
   				PSY	101	Introductory Psychology			4
   				PSY	295	Data Analysis in Psychological Research			3
   				SOC	281	Social Research Methods			4
   				SOC	282	Quantitative Analysis for Social Research			4
   				STT	201	Statistical Methods			4
   				WRA	202	Introduction to Professional and Public Writing			3
   				WRA	330	Writing Research in Communities and Cultures			3
   				WS	203	Introduction to Methods for Women’s and Gender Studies Research			3
   				Students who use COM 301 to fulfill this requirement must take a different topic than the topic taken in requirement 1. COM 301 may be taken two times to fulfill this requirement with different topics.
   			Health Communication
   			1.	All of the following courses (10 credits):
   				COM	325	Interpersonal Influence and Conflict			3
   				COM	330	Health Communication			3
   				COM	475	Communication Campaign Design and Analysis (W)			4
   			2.	Three courses from the following (9 to 11 credits):
   				ANP	201	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology			3
   				Or
   				ANP	204	Introduction to Medical Anthropology			3
   				ANP	370	Culture, Health, and Illness			3
   				COM	302	Special Topics in Health Communication			3
   				EPI	390	Disease in Society: Introduction to Epidemiology and Public  Health			4
   				GEO	435	Geography of Health and Disease			3
   				HNF	150	Introduction to Human Nutrition			3
   				HNF	406	Global Foods and Culture			3
   				HST	425	American and European Health Care since 1800			4
   				PH	101	Introduction to Public Health			3
   				PHL	344	Ethical Issues in Health Care			4
   				PSY	101	Introductory Psychology			4
   				PSY	320	Health Psychology			3
   				SOC	475	Health and Society			3
   				Note: COM 302 may be taken up to 3 times under different topics.
   			Intercultural Communication
   			1.	All of the following courses (10 credits):
   				COM	310	Intercultural Communication			3
   					or
   				COM	320	Diversity and Communication			3
   				COM	325	Interpersonal Influence and Conflict			3
   				COM	475	Communication Campaign Design and Analysis (W)			4
   			2.	Three courses from the following (8 to 11 credits):
   				ANP	200	Navigating Another Culture			3
   				COM	303	Special Topics in Intercultural Communication			3
   				COM	310	Intercultural Communication			3
   				COM	320	Diversity and Communication			3
   				CSUS	200	Introduction to Sustainability			3
   				ENG	478B	Literature and Visual Culture			3
   				MC	230	Cultures and Politics in Comparative Perspective			4
   				MI	480	Information and Communication Technologies and Development			3
   				PSY	101	Introductory Psychology			4
   				PSY	342	Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination			3
   				SOC	161	International Development and Change			3
   				SOC	215	Race and Ethnicity			3
   				SOC	310	Global Migration			3
   				SOC	362	Developing Societies			3
   				TE	352	Migration and Education			3
   				Note: COM 303 may be taken up to 3 times under different topics.
   				Up to 6 credits of a foreign language or educational study abroad program may also serve as an elective in this concentration with advisor approval. Students who select COM 310 or COM 320 in item 1. may not use those courses to fulfill the requirement in item 2.
   			Interpersonal Communication
   			1.	All of the following courses (7 credits):
   				COM	325	Interpersonal Influence and Conflict			3
   				COM	425	Communication in Close Relationships (W)			4
   			2.	Four courses from the following (12 or 13 credits):
   				ATD	430	Dress, Culture and Human Behavior			3
   				COM	304	Special Topics in Interpersonal Communication			3
   				HDFS	145	The Individual, Couples and Families			3
   				HDFS	225	Lifespan Human Development in the Family			3
   				HDFS	414	Parenting			3
   				HDFS	442	Ethnic Families in America			3
   				HDFS	444	Interpersonal Relationships in the Family			3
   				HDFS	445	Human Sexuality			3
   				HST	313	Women in the United States to 1869			3
   				HST	314	Women in the United States since 1869			3
   				PSY	101	Introductory Psychology			4
   				PSY	235	Social Psychology			3
   				PSY	236	Personality			3
   				PSY	339	Psychology of Women			3
   				PSY	342	Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination			3
   				WS	201	Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies			3
   				WS	304	Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) and Sexuality Studies			3
   				WS	403	Women and Change in Developing Countries			3
   				Note: COM 304 may be taken up to 3 times under different topics.
   			Mediated Communication
   			1.	Both of the following courses (7 credits):
   				COM	375	Audience Response to Media Entertainment			3
   				COM	475	Communication Campaign Design and Analysis (W)			4
   			2.	Four of the following courses (12 to 14 credits):
   				ADV	375	Consumer Behavior			3
   				ADV	431	Monitoring and Measuring Social Media of Brands			3
   				CAS	110	Creative Thinking			3
   				CAS	112	Story, Sound and Motion			3
   				CAS	116	Media Sketching and Graphics			3
   				CAS	117	Games and Interactivity			3
   				COM	305	Special Topics in Mediated Communication			3
   				DH	285	Introduction to Digital Studies in the Arts and Humanities			3
   				ENG	142	Introduction to Popular Literary Genres			4
   				FLM	230	Introduction to Film			4
   				FLM	380	Classical Film and Media Theory			3
   				FLM	381	Contemporary Film and Media Theory			3
   				JRN	108	The World of Media			3
   				JRN	213	Animation, Comics, Culture and Graphic Novels in Media			3
   				JRN	218	Sports in Contemporary Media			3
   				MI	101	Understanding Media and Information			3
   				MI	201	Introduction to Information Science			3
   				MI	220	Methods for Understanding Users			3
   				MI	239	Digital Footprints: Privacy and Online Behavior			3
   				MI	302	Networks, Markets and Society			3
   				MI	305	Media and Information Policy			3
   				MI	355	Media and Information Research			3
   				MI	480	Information and Communication Technologies and Development			3
   				PLS	170	Introduction to Political Philosophy			3
   				PLS	333	Public Opinion and Political Behavior			3
   				PLS	334	Campaigns and Elections			3
   				PSY	101	Introductory Psychology			3
   				PSY	200	Cognitive Psychology			3
   				PSY	235	Social Psychology			3
   				PSY	270	Community Psychology			3
   				PSY	463	Introduction to Cognitive Science			3
   				REL	175	Religion in Film			3
   				WRA	202	Introduction to Professional and Public Writing			3
   				WRA	225	Introduction to Composing Digital for Video			3
   				Note: COM 305 may be taken up to 3 times under different topics.
   			Organizational Communication
   			1.	All of the following courses (10 credits):
   				COM	340	Leadership and Group Communication			3
   				COM	440	Organizational Communication Structure (W)			4
   				COM	493	Internship			3
   			2.	Three of the following courses (9 or 10 credits):
   				ACC	230	Survey of Accounting Concepts			3
   				ANP	321	Anthropology of Social Movements			3
   				COM	306	Special Topics in Organizational Communication			3
   				GBL	323	Introduction to Business Law			3
   				HST	213	U.S. Business and Economic History			3
   				MGT	325	Management Skills and Processes			3
   				MKT	327	Introduction to Marketing			3
   				PR	325	Intermediate Social Media and Public Relations Techniques			3
   				PSY	101	Introductory Psychology			4
   				PSY	255	Industrial and Organizational Psychology			3
   				SOC	481	Social Movements and Collective Identities			3
   				Note: COM 306 may be taken up to 3 times under different topics.
   			Social Influence
   			1.	Both of the following courses (7 courses):
   				COM	325	Interpersonal Influence and Conflict			3
   				COM	475	Communication Campaign Design and Analysis (W)			4
   			2.	Four of the following courses (12 to 15 credits):
   				ANP	321	Anthropology of Social Movements			3
   				COM	307	Special Topics in Social Influence			3
   				HST	316	United States Intellectual History since 1860			3
   				IBIO	446	Environmental Issues and Public Policy			3
   				PHL	330	Formal Deductive Reasoning			4
   				PSY	101	Introductory Psychology			4
   				PSY	270	Community Psychology			3
   				SOC	241	Social Psychology			3
   				SOC	368	Science, Technology and Society			4
   				SOC	481	Social Movements and Collective Identities			3
   				SOC	499	Social Issues and Change in Contemporary Society (W)			3
   				Note: COM 307 may be taken up to 3 times under different topics.
   	Students should meet with their academic advisors concerning the minimum and maximum numbers of elective credits available to them at various stages in their programs.
   	Students are strongly encouraged to complete an internship or experiential learning experience approved by the Department of Communication whether for university credit based on academic eligibility standards or on a voluntary, non–credit basis.  The department will make every effort to assist communication majors in finding appropriate internship placements.

The goal of the major in Communication Leadership and Strategy is to train students in the communication principles, strategies, and initiatives used to further an organization’s goals, mission, or values. It is a multidisciplinary professional communication field, drawing upon communication practices found in related disciplines, including interpersonal, organization, and mass communication and research analytics. The major is designed to equip students to: engage in comprehensive audience and information-environment analysis, use excellent interpersonal, organizational and leadership skills with diverse audiences, conduct formative and post-campaign research, understand social media analytics, engage in rapid response crisis communication for organizations, and create strategic plans that leverage multiple communication competencies to inform, influence, and motivate internal and external stakeholders. Undergraduate work in strategic communication creates greater awareness of large-scale organizational goals and how to use communication, leadership, and strategy to achieve them. Students will learn how to integrate various vertical communication functions such as public relations, information operations, analytics, and advertising into overall grand strategy. Majors will commonly pursue careers in strategic communication, information operations, political strategy, or corporate communication.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Leadership and Strategy

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of the catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Leadership and Strategy.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Communication Leadership and Strategy major is met by completing one of the following courses: Communication 475 or 480.  Those courses are referenced in item 3. below.
2. The requirements of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	All of the following courses (38 credits):
   	COM	100	Human Communication						3
   	COM	225	An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication						3
   	COM	240	Introduction to Organizational Communication						4
   	COM	275	Effects of Mass Communication						3
   	COM	280	Principles, Practices and Ethics of Strategic Communication						4
   	COM	300	Methods of Communication Inquiry						4
   	COM	325	Interpersonal Influence and Conflict						3
   	COM	340	Leadership and Group Communication						3
   	COM	380	Crisis Communication and Rapid Response						3
   	COM	475	Communication Campaign Design and Analysis (W)						4
   	COM	480	Capstone in Communication Leadership and Strategy						4
   b.	One course from each of the following areas (a minimum of 8 credits):
   	Research Methods and Analytics
   	ADV	442	Digital Analytics						3
   	COM	301	Special Topics in Communication Science, Analytics and Research Methods						3
   	MI	220	Methods for Understanding Users						3
   	MI	350	Evaluating Human-Centered Technology						3
   	MI	355	Media and Information Research						3
   	PLS	202	Introduction to Data Analytics and the Social Sciences						3
   	PSY	295	Data Analysis in Psychological Research						3
   	PSY	342	Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination						3
   	SOC	281	Social Research Methods						4
   	SOC	282	Quantitative Analysis for Social Research						4
   	STT	200	Statistical Methods						3
   	Computer-Mediated Communication and Social Media
   	ADV	420	New Media Driver’s License						3
   	ADV	431	Monitoring and Measuring Social Media of Brands						3
   	COM	302	Special Topics in Health Communication						3
   	COM	304	Special Topics in Interpersonal Communication						3
   	COM	305	Special Topics in Mediated Communication						3
   	JRN	203	Visual Storytelling						3
   	MI	101	Understanding Media and Information						3
   	MI	201	Introduction to Information Science						3
   	MI	305	Media and Information Policy						3
   	MI	462	Social Media and Social Computing						3
   	Culture and Diversity
   	ANP	200	Navigating Another Culture						2
   	COM	310	Intercultural Communication						3
   	COM	320	Diversity and Communication						3
   	COM	440	Organizational Communication Structure (W)						4
   	JRN	475	International News and Government Dynamics						3
   	MI	480	Information and Communication Technologies and Development						3
   	PR	310	Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Public Relations and Advertising						3
   	PSY	342	Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination						3
   	SOC	161	International Development and Change						3
   	SOC	215	Race and Ethnicity						3

The Minor in Sales Leadership provides students with the set of educational experiences, courses, and training they need to become successful sales agents and leaders in a sales-intensive corporate setting.  The minor prepares students to be successful in any sales setting and provides the management skills necessary to expand their careers in a manner consistent with their goals.

The Minor in Sales Leadership is administered by the Department of Communication in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences in cooperation with the Department of Marketing in the Eli Broad College of Business and is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. Preference will be given to students in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences  and The Eli Broad College of Business. As space permits, students from other colleges desiring the minor will be considered on an individual basis. Admission is competitive. With the approval of the department or school and college that administers the student’s degree program, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor for the minor.

Admission

To be considered for admission, a student must have been formally admitted to a bachelor’s degree program at Michigan State University. Students must be enrolled in or have completed Marketing  313, Consultative Selling, and have demonstrated mastery of course content. Other admission criteria include an application with a statement of purpose, a sales aptitude test, and work experience. Each applicant will be interviewed by a faculty program administrator and each student’s application will be rank ordered. Admission decisions will be made after reviewing the student application materials, a personal interview including a 5 to 7 minute sales role play based on content delivered in MKT 313, and a review of students’ final grades in MKT 313.

To apply to the program, students should complete an application found on the minor Web site at www.salesleader.msu.edu by the deadline indicated.

Students must:

1. apply at mid-semester by the published deadline while enrolled in MKT 313 or after  completing the course;
2. provide their overall grade-point average in their major;
3. provide a statement of purpose indicating why they want to enter the minor;
4. provide their score on a sales aptitude test that measures values, behaviors, and skills;
5. participate in a personal interview to determine their interest in and readiness for the minor in which performance in the interview will be assessed and used as a criterion for admission.

Students who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts degree program with a major in communication may apply for admission to the Minor in Public Relations. For additional information, refer to the Minor in Public Relations statement.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

Admission is determined by the Master’s Affairs Committee from the Department of Communication. Applicants are ranked among all that apply for a given year. Selection criteria place emphasis on grade-point average and course work, Graduate Record Examination General Test scores, Test of English as a Foreign Language scores for international students, letters of recommendation, the student’s resume, and the student’s academic interests.

To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts degree in Communication, an applicant must submit:

(1)    Graduate School Application
(2)    One official copy of all transcripts.
(3)    Three letters of recommendation.
(4)    A statement of purpose outlining academic and professional goals.
(5)    Graduate Record Examination Scores (GRE) for the General Test.
(6)    Test of English as a Foreign Language Scores (TOEFL), if applicable.
(7)    A resume.

Application materials should be received by April 1. Students will be admitted only for the fall semester. For additional information please visit our Web site at: http://comartsci.msu.edu/academics/academic-departments/communication/graduate/masters-arts-communication.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Communication

The student must complete the requirements for Plan A (with thesis) or Plan B (without thesis) as specified below:

Communication is a social process by which human beings are linked through the creation, transmission, and reception of messages. The focus of this program is the scholarly analysis of that linkage, with an emphasis on the characteristics of the messages and channels through which linkage occurs.

The student's program is organized around a set of experiences that simulate an interdependent community of communication scholars.  These experiences are intended to maximize creative growth and development, and to provide the student with the skills needed to manage an intellectual community.

There are two basic tasks of a community of communication scholars, in each of which the student must demonstrate competence:

1. Teaching.  The entering student receives training in instructional models and teaching methods in communication education.  Each student serves as an apprentice in supervised teaching situations, leading to a demonstration of independent competence in teaching.
2. Research.  The student is assigned to a task group that explores research questions to which the Department has assigned priority.  Each student participates in various phases of on–going research projects.  Responsibility for the design and conduct of research is increased as competence develops.  Each student must present at least one major report of original research which has been conducted independently.

The first learning experiences in the program consist of the absorption of basic knowledge about communication theory and research, message analysis, and methods of inquiry. During the first year, the new student takes core course work in communication theory,  research methods and analysis. Much of this work is taught by the faculty and engages the full–time curricular energies of the students. Students without background in communication or social science research may be advised to take some preparatory course work.

When the student has mastered this core material, usually by the end of two semesters of residence, the program's focus is directed toward specialization in one or more areas of communication activity. These include, but are not limited to, interpersonal communication, multicultural communication, organizational communication, and persuasion. For such specialization, the student is exposed to lecture courses and doctoral seminars within the department, and to work in other departments which will supplement the mastery of these content areas.

From this point, the student moves to the final stages of the doctoral program—additional advanced seminars, comprehensive examinations, and/or a preliminary paper, and the ultimate goal of developing and defending a doctoral dissertation.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

February 1 is the deadline for applications for admission and for financial assistance for the succeeding fall semester.  Late applications may be considered.

Students are admitted from heterogeneous educational backgrounds.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Communication

The Graduate Specialization in Nonprofit Fundraising, which is administered by the Department of Communication in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, is designed for students with interests in fundraising and development work in nonprofit organizations.

The graduate specialization is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in master’s degree programs in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University.  With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the specialization may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the master’s degree.

The Specialization in Nonprofit Fundraising provides students with: (1) an understanding of a variety of fundraising strategies, the role of fundraising within nonprofit organizations, and the role and responsibilities of the development professional in the fundraising process; (2) an understanding of theory and research on social influence and how to employ this knowledge to promote the fundraising activities of a nonprofit organization; and (3) practice in assisting the fundraising activities of a nonprofit organization.

Students who plan to complete the requirements for the graduate specialization must consult the graduate advisor for the specialization in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

Requirements for the Graduate Specialization in Nonprofit Fundraising