The Communication Major

All students must complete a total of 38 credits within the major. Requirements are as follows:

• COM 105 (should be taken during the first year)
• COM 132
• Four of the following 200-level theoretical courses (to be taken during the sophomore and junior years and after completion of COM 105 and achieving college writing proficiency):
  • COM 213
  • COM 219
  • COM 225
  • COM 234
  • COM 237
  • COM 239
  • COM 245
  • COM 257
• COM 262 (to be taken sophomore year after achieving college writing proficiency. Meets writing proficiency requirement in the major if a grade of B- or above is achieved)
• Three 300-level courses. At least one of these 300-level courses must center on critical/theoretical or historical issues (can be taken only after achieving departmental writing proficiency and meeting 200-level prerequisites)
• An off-campus internship of three or four credits in a field relevant to communication studies (to be taken after achieving at least 15 credits in the major)

With the approval of the major adviser, each student may take up to two courses in one or more of the support fields in other academic departments; these courses may then be used as part of the total requirement of 38 credits for the major. An independent research course is also available for juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA who wish to do an in-depth study of one specific topic within the communication discipline. Students may also earn up to eight credits in applied video with the permission of the instructor and advisor.

Concentration in Prelaw Studies

Students interested in pursuing a legal career are encouraged to complete the prelaw concentration in conjunction with the requirements of the major. The prelaw concentration is an 18- to 21-credit program that is designed to broaden the student’s academic experience in preparation for law school. The prelaw concentration requires students to take courses outside of their major to expose them to methodologies and critical approaches not inherent to their own discipline but necessary for academic success in law school. A complete description of the prelaw concentration can be found under prelaw studies. All students interested in pursuing a career in law must consult with the prelaw adviser.

Writing Proficiency in the Major

Students are required to take COM 132 and COM 262 and achieve a grade of B- or better in COM 262 to be granted writing proficiency in the major. To achieve writing proficiency, students are expected to master the ability to

• write grammatically correct, syntactically sophisticated sentences and construct cohesive, effective paragraphs consistently and spontaneously;
• research and integrate information from multiple sources; and
• provide substantial and appropriate support for theses and propositions and demonstrate the correlating ability to develop and write well-reasoned arguments of merit to the field of communication studies.

Qualifications Required to Graduate with Departmental Honors

Honors are decided by a vote of the full-time and half-time faculty just prior to Commencement each year. The following guidelines are used to determine honors:

• Students must achieve a grade point average of at least 3.67 in all 200- and 300-level courses taken in the major to be considered for honors.
• No student will be considered for honors who has taken any course for the major pass/no pass, except for those courses that can only be taken on a pass/no pass basis (internship and applied video).
• Students must demonstrate via their course work or a senior thesis either (1) a superior grasp of communication and media studies theory, criticism, and/or history, or (2) creativity and substance in an applied skill.
• Students must complete a variety of rigorous courses in the major and should take courses from many full- and half-time faculty.

Multiple Failed Courses

It is the department’s policy that students majoring in communication must receive at least a C- in every course taken toward the completion of the major. Any student who receives a grade below C- in more than two courses will not be permitted to continue in the major.