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Undergraduate Program

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The COMMUNICATION MAJOR is a Junior-Senior Major. Students desiring this major enter as Communication Interest Majors (COMI) and take a five-course, two-year sequence to qualify as Communication Majors (COMM). Overview of the Communication Major Course planner COMMUNICATION INTEREST MAJORS (COMI) are incoming students who intend to become Communication Majors. The five courses required of COMIs are COMM 250, 256, 330, 245 & 301. These are offered in a two-year sequence and must be completed with a grade point average of 2.75 or better to be admitted to the Communication Major. Only the first grade obtained in any course will be used to calculate the GPA in the COMI sequence. Communication Interest Sequence Communication Major Requirements Mass Communication Concentration Requirements Interpersonal Communication Concentration Requirements Elective courses COMMUNICATION INTEREST SEQUENCE: (must be completed before admission to the Communication Major): COMM 250 Electronic Communication Skills (1-credit, self-paced) COMM 256 Principles of Communication Theory (3-credit)* COMM 245 Mass Communication and Culture (3-credit)* COMM 330 Communication and Interpersonal Behavior (3-credit)* COMM 301 Intro to Communication Research Methods (3-credit)* * These courses are included in the requirement for a 2.75 grade point average for admission to the Communication major. (back to the top) COMMUNICATION MAJOR REQUIREMENTS: Completion of the Communication Interest sequence with a 2.75 grade point average (g.p.a.) or better, or ranked among the top 100 Communication Interest students who have completed all 5 Communication Interest courses. Completion of COMM 350 Public Speaking Completion of one of the two concentrations: MASS COMMUNICATION or INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION. Completion of a minimum of three or four 400 level courses (The following courses do not satisfy this requirement: COMM 464, Internship; COMM 466, Independent Study. Experimental Courses. COMM 467 may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.) Completion of 6 to 15 credits of elective COMM courses for a total of not less than 36 nor more than 45 COMM credits. Elective credits may be taken from the Communication concentrations or from the general Communication electives. (back to the top) MASS COMMUNICATION CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS: The MASS COMMUNICATION concentration is one of understanding the theory, development, content, and effects of the mass media. Course material is designed to provide a theoretical base that can be effectively adopted and applied in a professional environment. We are not a media production [broadcasting] department. For those students who desire it, production courses offer a basic knowledge of production methods (e.g., for use in public relations or corporate communication or as background for SLTV or media internships). Students choosing the Mass Communication concentration must take COMM 245 (prerequisite to the required courses) before entering the Mass Communication track. The following required courses are taught in the semester indicated and should be taken in this order: COMM 250 Electronic Communication Skills (1-credit, self-paced) COMM 245 Mass Communication and Culture (prerequisite to the Mass Communication concentration) COMM 345 Legal Issues of the Mass Media COMM 370 Theories of Mass Communication (prerequisite to COMM424, COMM450) COMM 424 Media Message Analysis COMM 450 Mass Communication Effects COMM 4XX Another 400-level course (back to the top) INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS: The Interpersonal Communication concentration is one of understanding the theory and development of human communication strategies for effective relationships in both personal and organizational contexts. Course materials are designed to provide a theoretical base that can be applied to life situations that require human interaction on a personal, business, or social level. Students choosing the Interpersonal Communication concentration must take COMM 330 (prerequisite to the required courses) before entering the Interpersonal Communication track. The following required courses are taught in the semester indicated and should be taken in this order: COMM 250 Electronic Communication Skills COMM 330 Communication and Interpersonal Behavior (prerequisite to the Interpersonal Communication concentration) COMM 341 Theories of Interpersonal Communication COMM 417 Communication and Management of Conflict COMM 485 Analysis of Face-to-Face Communication COMM 4XX A 400-level Interpersonal or Organizational Communication course COMM 4XX Another-400 level Communication course (back to the top)