Dec 16, 2024

2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin

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2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Communication, B.A.

The major in communication provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design, manage, and evaluate communication processes involving individuals, groups, and the public. Graduates develop strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills as well as an advanced ability to analyze and critique messages, behaviors, and media.

Majors typically plan their upper-division course work around five identified career paths: business and organizational communication, digital and mass communication, health care communication, human communication, and sport communication. Human communication students also can tailor their own unique program of study to meet specific needs. Careful planning with the student’s advisor is necessary.

Communication majors are encouraged to participate in educational activities beyond regular course offerings. The department has an excellent internship program which offers the opportunity for work with employers in corporate, government, and public service agencies. In addition, students may elect to do independent study work with individual faculty on special topics or projects. All majors are encouraged to participate in a variety of student organizations providing extracurricular activities designed to enhance the academic experience and career opportunities. For students who qualify, the department sponsors an Honors Society and a department honors distinction (for COM majors with a 3.3+ COM GPA who complete COM 351 , COM 365 , and COM 454 ).

Degree Requirements

Each student completes the following:

College B.A. Requirements

Language:

Complete one of the following sequences:

Option A:

Successful completion of the fourth college semester of one foreign language. (Note: This may be accomplished by scoring at this level on a placement test for previous work in the foreign language.)

Option B:

Complete a set of two courses dealing with the nature and structure of language, language behavior, or comparativelanguages. This set shall be comprised of one course from Group I below, and one course from Group II. (Courses counted as meeting this option may not be counted in the major or field of concentration.)

Group I:

LIN 211 - INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE Credit(s): 3

Group II:

ENG 209 - THE STRUCTURE AND USE OF ENGLISH Credit(s): 3
OR
LIN 209 - THE STRUCTURE AND USE OF ENGLISH Credit(s): 3
ENG 210 - HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE Credit(s): 3
ENG 310 - AMERICAN ENGLISH Credit(s): 3
OR
LIN 310 - AMERICAN ENGLISH Credit(s): 3
ENG 311
OR
LIN 311 - APPALACHIAN ENGLISH Credit(s): 3
LIN 317 - LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY (SUBTITLE REQUIRED) Credit(s): 3
ANT 325 - LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Credit(s): 3
OR
LIN 325 - LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Credit(s): 3
LIN 331 - LANGUAGE IN U.S. SOCIETY Credit(s): 3

Statistics:

STA 210 - MAKING SENSE OF UNCERTAINTY: AN INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL REASONING Credit(s): 3

Major Requirements

Students must complete the departmental requirements for one of the five majors (communication, information communication technology, integrated strategic communication, journalism, or media arts and studies).

Subtotal: College B.A. Hours: 9-17

UK Core Requirements

See the UK Core section of this Bulletin for the complete UK Core requirements . The courses listed below are (a) recommended by the college, or (b) required courses that also fulfill UK Core areas. Students should work closely with their advisor to complete the UK Core requirements.

I. Intellectual Inquiry in Arts and Creativity

Choose one course from approved list
Credit(s): 3

II. Intellectual Inquiry in the Humanities

Choose one course from approved list
Credit(s): 3

III. Intellectual Inquiry in the Social Sciences

COM 101 - INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATIONS Credit(s): 3

IV. Intellectual Inquiry in the Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences

Choose one course from approved list
Credit(s): 3

V. Composition and Communication I

CIS 110 - COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION I Credit(s): 3
OR
WRD 110 - COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION I Credit(s): 3

VI. Composition and Communication II

CIS 111 - COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATION II Credit(s): 3
OR
WRD 111 - COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION II Credit(s): 3

VII. Quantitative Foundations

Choose one course from approved list
Credit(s): 3

VIII. Statistical Inferential Reasoning

STA 210 - MAKING SENSE OF UNCERTAINTY: AN INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL REASONING Credit(s): 3

IX. Community, Culture and Citizenship in the USA

Choose one course from approved list
Credit(s): 3

X. Global Dynamics

Choose one course from approved list
Credit(s): 3

UK Core hours: 30

Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR)

COM 326 - COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE Credit(s): 3
OR
COM 351 - INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION THEORY Credit(s): 3

Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement hours (GCCR): 3

Premajor Requirements

COM 101 - INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATIONS Credit(s): 3
CIS 110 - COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION I Credit(s): 3
OR
WRD 110 - COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION I Credit(s): 3
CIS 111 - COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATION II Credit(s): 3
OR
WRD 111 - COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION II Credit(s): 3
COM 252 - INTRODUCTION TO INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION Credit(s): 3
COM 249 - MASS MEDIA AND MASS CULTURE Credit(s): 3

Subtotal: Premajor hours: 15

Major Requirements: 21

Students must complete 21 hours at the 325-level or above, of which at least 9 hours must be at the 400- and/or 500-level.

Cognate: 15

Students must complete 15 hours in courses related to a Career Path at the 300-level or above, as approved by the student’s academic advisor.

Open Electives: 6

Students must complete 6 additional hours of their choice at the 300-level. These courses can be taken pass/fail.

Subtotal: Career Track Hours: 36

Subtotal: Major Hours: 42

TOTAL HOURS: 120

Suggested Career Paths