Undergraduate Degree

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.