Communication - Requirements
The Major
Printable summary of the requirements for the Communication major for Classes 2012-2014
Printable summary of the requirements for the Communication major for the Class of 2015
Requirements
To earn a 30-credit major in communication, students follow a program of study designed to develop breadth and depth of knowledge about communication processes in a variety of contexts. The communication major consists of ten three-credit courses, some specified by the department, others selected by students from approved lists based upon their own interests and objectives. Specifically, all communication majors complete a set of five (three-credit) required courses known as the communication core. In addition, with the aid of the communication faculty, students select one of three areas of emphasis for in-depth study: organizational communication, media studies, or communication and the human condition. Communication majors are strongly encouraged to continue their foreign language beyond the intermediate level, to study abroad, and to pursue internships that allow for applied learning of theoretical material. The requirements of the communication core and the areas of emphasis are detailed below.
Communication Core (15 credits)
Required for all communication majors
CO 100 Human Communication Theories
CO 101 Argument and Advocacy
CO 130 Mass Media and Society
CO 200 Interpersonal Communication Theories
(Prerequisite: CO 100)
CO 309 Research Projects in Communication: The Capstone (senior majors only)
- CO 100 and CO 101 are the foundational courses in the communication major. Students should plan to take both courses during the same semester, preferably during their sophomore year. CO 100 and CO 101 should be taken before taking the 200- and 300-level communication courses.
- Students should plan to enroll in CO 200 and CO 130 after successful completion of the foundational courses - during the sophomore or junior year. CO 200 and CO 130 need not be taken during the same semester.
- Students should declare their area of emphasis no later than one semester after successful completion of CO 100 and CO 101. Communication faculty advisors will help students create academic programs that best suit their intellectual interests and career objectives.
- Students complete CO 309 - the required capstone course - during their senior year.
Areas of Emphasis
Students select 1 area of emphasis to complete their major requirements, completing a minimum of 5 3-credit courses in the selected area. Students select at least 2 courses (6 credits) from a list of communication courses specific to their chosen area. In some cases, with advisor or chair approval, students may take required 200-level communication courses concurrently, even where one is listed as a prerequisite.
The remaining 3 areas of emphasis courses (9 credits) are based upon students' interests and objectives, and are selected from an approved course list. Approved lists are published in the regularly updated Communication Department Handbook for Majors, available online on the department's website. Students select courses in consultation with their communication faculty advisor. At least one of these must be a CO course.
Area of emphasis courses may fulfill some requirements for related minors, which students should consider completing. Academic minors strongly recommended by the communication faculty are listed in the area of concentrated studies sections below.
The Department of Communication cannot control the frequency with which other University departments offer courses, including those related to the study of organizational communication, media studies, and communication and the human condition.
Organizational Communication (15 credits, minimum)
The organizational communication emphasis involves the critical analysis of the forms, functions, and effects of communication within business and professional settings.
Required Courses - Select a minimum of 2 from the following:
CO 220 Introduction to Organizational Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200)
CO 248 Health Communication (Prerequisite: CO 130 or CO 220)
CO 321 Communication Processes in Organizations: Negotiation (Prerequisite: CO 220)
CO 322 Leadership Communication (Prerequisite: CO 220)
CO 323 Gender and Organizing (Prerequisite: CO 220 or instructor approval)
CO 329 Topics in Organizational Communication (Prerequisites: CO 220 and junior or senior status)
CO 341 End of Life Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200, CO 220 or instructor approval)
CO 347 Communication in Healthcare Organizations (Prerequisite: CO 248 or instructor approval)
Elective Courses - Select a minimum of 3.
Approved elective courses are published in the Department of Communication Handbook, available from the communication faculty advisors. Sample courses include:
CO 201 Persuasion (Prerequisites: CO 100 and CO 101)
CO 202 Group Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200)
CO 239 Consumer Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 240 Intercultural Communication (Prerequisite: CO 100, IL 50 or instructor approval)
CO 241 Communication and Culture: East and West (Prerequisite: CO 100, IL 50 or instructor approval)
CO 342 Technoculture and Information Society (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 348 Risk Communication (Prerequisite: Any of the following CO 201, CO 230, or CO 248)
Relevant courses can also be found in the applied ethics, economics, English - professional writing, management, marketing, psychology, and sociology and anthropology departments.
Related Minors
Communication majors who concentrate their studies in organizational communication are strongly encouraged to complete an academic minor in one of the following areas of "applied" communication skills or "allied" communication professions: English professional writing concentration, economics, management, marketing, international studies, or international business.
Students who plan to complete a minor should choose their major elective courses wisely; courses selected for the major may be double counted for some minors. It is suggested that students who do not complete a related minor take all 10 of their major courses in the Communication Department.
Media Studies (15 credits, minimum)
The Media Studies emphasis examines the creation, perpetuation, and reception of meaning through media and new communication technologies; the history and practices of the various media industries; and the production of culture.
Required Courses - Select a minimum of 2 from the following; at least one must be a 300-level course:
CO 231Media Institutions (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 236 Gender, Sexuality, and Media (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 237 Sports, Media, and Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130 or instructor approval)
CO 238 Communication and Popular Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130 or instructor approval)
CO 239 Consumer Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130 or instructor approval)
CO 331 American Media/American History (Pre- or co-requisite: CO 130)
CO 334 Comparative Media Systems (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 335 Globalization, Media, and Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 337 Visual Communication (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 339 Special Topics in Media Theory and Criticism (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 342 Technoculture and Information Society (Prerequisite: CO 130)
Elective Courses - Select a minimum of 3 from the following:
Approved elective courses are published in the Department of Communication Handbook, available from the communication faculty advisors. Sample courses include:
CO 201Persuasion (Prerequisites: CO 100 and CO 101)
CO 202 Group Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200)
CO 220 Introduction to Organizational Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200)
CO 248 Health Communication (Prerequisite: CO 130 or CO 220)
CO 347 Communication in Healthcare Organizations (Prerequisite: CO 248 or instructor approval)
Relevant courses in applied ethics, economics, English - journalism, information systems, marketing, politics, sociology and anthropology, and visual and performing arts (new media film, television, and radio; also some music classes).
Related Minors
Communication majors who concentrate their coursework in media studies are strongly encouraged to complete an academic minor in one of the following areas of "applied" communication skills or "allied" communication professions: English/journalism concentration; international studies; new media film, television, and radio; politics; sociology; or marketing. Students who plan to complete a minor should choose their major elective courses wisely; courses selected for the major may double count for some minors. It is suggested that students who do not complete a related minor take all 10 of their major courses in the Communication Department.
Communication and the Human Condition (15 credits, minimum)
The Communication and the Human Condition emphasis critically examines the role of communication in creating, sustaining, and transforming the human condition - past, present, and future.
Required Courses - Select a minimum of 2, at least one must be at the 300-level:
CO 201 Persuasion (Prerequisite: CO 101)
CO 240 Intercultural Communication (Prerequisite: CO 100, IL 50 or instructor approval)
CO 241 Communication and Culture: East and West (Prerequisite: CO 100, IL 50 or instructor approval)
CO 246 Family Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200 or instructor approval)
CO 248 Health Communication (Prerequisite: CO 130, CO 220 or instructor approval)
CO 341 End-of-Life Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200, CO 220, or instructor approval)
CO 342 Technoculture and Information Society (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 346 Communication and Spirituality (Prerequisite: CO 200)
CO 347 Communication in Healthcare Organizations (Prerequisite: CO 248 or instructor approval)
CO 348 Risk Communication (Prerequisite: Any of the following CO 201, CO 230, or CO 248 or instructor approval)
CO 349 Special Topics: Constructing Social Identities (Prerequisite: CO 200, CO 240 or instructor approval)
Elective Courses - Select a minimum of 3.
Approved elective courses are published in the Department of Communication Handbook, available from the communication faculty advisors. Sample courses include:
CO 202 Group Communication (Prerequisite: CO 200)
CO 238 Communication and Popular Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130 or instructor approval)
CO 239 Consumer Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130)
CO 335 Globalization, Media, and Culture (Prerequisite: CO 130)
Relevant courses in anthropology, applied ethics, international studies, peace and justice studies, politics, sociology and anthropology.
Related Minors
Communication majors who concentrate their coursework in communication and the human condition are strongly encouraged to complete an academic minor in: environment; peace and justice studies; psychology; sociology and anthropology; or women's studies. Students who plan to complete a minor should choose their major elective courses wisely; courses selected for the major may double count for some minors. It is suggested that students who do not complete a related minor take all 10 of their major courses in the Communication Department.
Independent Study and Internship Policies
The Department of Communication offers credit for independent study - CO 397 - to highly self-motivated communication majors in their junior or senior year of studies. Interested students must discuss and document their independent study proposals with a member of the communication faculty before registering for credit. As an elective course recommended only for the most motivated students, CO 397 does not satisfy any requirements in the communication major (or minor), but counts towards graduation.
The Department of Communication also sponsors an active internship program for qualified (2.8 overall GPA) junior and senior majors. Students may earn no more than six internship credits. One three-credit internship course - CO 398 - can be used in fulfillment of the final elective requirement in any of the three areas of concentrated study within the communication major. Communication majors interested in applying for an internship complete the departmental internship application form before registering for CO 398 or CO 399.
The following are requirements for students who matriculate on or after September 1, 2011.
Requirements
To earn a 30-credit major in communication, students follow a program of study designed to develop breadth and depth of knowledge about communication processes in a variety of contexts. The communication major consists of ten three-credit courses. All communication majors complete a set of five (three-credit) required courses known as communication foundations. With the aid of the communication faculty, students have the ability to focus their studies in several areas of interest and to develop a personalized trajectory that best suits their theoretical and applied interests. Communication majors are strongly encouraged to complete minors related to their areas of interest, to continue their foreign language beyond the intermediate level, to study abroad, and to pursue internships that allow for applied learning of theoretical material. The requirements of the communication foundations and the areas of interest are detailed below.
Required for all communication majors
Communication Foundations (15 credits)
CO 100 Human Communication Theories
CO 101 Argument and Advocacy
CO 130 Mass Media and Society
CO 200 Interpersonal Communication Theories (Prerequisite: CO 100)
CO 309 Research Projects in Communication: The Capstone (senior majors only)
- CO 100 and CO 101 are the foundational courses in the communication major. Students should plan to take both courses during the same semester, preferably during their first or second year. CO 100 and CO 101 should be taken before taking the 200- and 300-level communication courses.
- Students should plan to enroll in CO 200 and CO 130 after successful completion of CO 100 and CO 101. CO 200 and CO 130 need not be taken during the same semester.
- Students complete CO 309 - the required capstone course - during their senior year.
Communication Interests (15 credits)
All majors must also select 5 additional CO courses, at least one of which must be a 300-level course (that does not include internships, independent studies or capstone experiences).
- No course that counts toward the communication major can be applied to "double count" for the University core.
- With the approval from the Department Chair, double majors can "double count" up to two courses from their second major as communication electives. Some second major and minor programs may also choose to "double count" communication courses to satisfy the second major or minor requirements. Students should check with those second major or minor chairs for approval.
Internships (CO 398 and 399) can be counted toward the major one time only. Although two internships can be completed for academic credit (up to 6 credits) only 3 credits will count toward the CO major.
- Independent studies do not count toward the communication major.
- Special topics courses (CO 329, CO 339 and CO 349) can each be taken twice for credit if the titles of the courses are different.
- Students are encouraged to meet with faculty advisors to design a comprehensive academic plan that takes advantage of the varied offerings in the Communication Department as well as from complimentary majors, minors and programs across the University.
- Possible interest areas that can be pursued through a major in communication include media studies, organizational communication, communication and the human condition (see the lists of recommended courses for these areas of interest in the above catalog copy for majors who matriculated prior to September 2011), and other interest areas determined in consultation with a faculty advisor. Students should note that course offerings vary from semester to semester. Additionally special topics courses as well as new course offerings may be developed from semester to semester that would complement particular areas of interest. The Communication Department Handbook for Majors, available on the University website, provides more specific suggestions regarding courses relevant to specific areas of interest.
The Minor
To earn a 15-credit minor in communication, students are required to complete the following 5 3-credit courses:
CO 100 Human Communication Theories
CO 101 Argument and Advocacy
CO 130 Mass Media and Society
CO 200 Interpersonal Communication Theories (Prerequisite: CO 100)
Any other 200- or 300-level course offered by the Department of Communication except CO 397 Independent Study and CO 398/9 Internship. Communication minors may not enroll in CO 397 or CO 398/9. Communication majors receive priority registration for all CO courses.