The Minor

The Minor in Communication (15 credits required)
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A minor in Communication at Fairfield University gives students an overview of the communication discipline, including theory and research, communication skills in organizational and interpersonal settings, and analysis of media and culture. Students will improve their abilities in oral and written communication, heighten visual awareness, develop sound research skills, and learn to make connections between communication practices and the social world.

The Communication Minor consists of four required courses (3-credits each, for a total of 12 credits) offered by the Communication Department (courses in parentheses are prerequisites):

CO 100: Human Communication Theories
CO 101: Argument and Advocacy
CO 130: Mass Media and Society
CO 200: Interpersonal Communication Theories (CO 100)

and

Any other elective course offered by the Department of Communication, excluding CO396/397: Independent Study and CO 398/399 Communication Internship. Some exciting choices include:

CO 201: Persuasion (CO 100, CO 101)
CO 202: Small Group Communication (CO 100, CO 200)
CO 220: Introduction to Organizational Communication (CO 100, CO 200)
CO 231: Mass Media Institutions
CO 236: Gender, Sexuality & Media (CO 230 or TL 100)
CO 238: Communication & Popular Culture (CO 230)
CO 239: Consumer Culture (CO 230 or TL 100)
CO 240: Intercultural Communication (this course also fulfills U.S. Diversity requirements of the Core Curriculum)
CO 248: Health Communication (CO 200 or CO 230)
CO 341: International Communication (CO 230 or TL 100)
CO 342: Technoculture & Information Society (CO 230 or TL 100 and jr. or sr.)

Notes:

If starting the Minor during the junior year, the Communication faculty recommends that students take CO 100 and CO 101 during the same semester. These two courses should be seen as the prerequisites to all 200-level and 300-level communication courses, whether or not specific requirements are listed with each course. Students are reminded that is not necessary to complete an academic minor to graduate from Fairfield University. Some courses in the Department of Communication will "double count" toward other minors, another major, and/or the University Social Science Core. For complete details, please consult the University Catalog.

Communication minors do not pre-register for communication courses and may find it difficult to enroll due to the large number of communication majors who have priority in registration.

To continue as a Communication minor, a student must earn a "B or better" in both CO 100 and CO 101. The Communication faculty recommends that students take CO 100 and CO 101 during the same semester. These two courses are the prerequisites to all 200 level and 300 level communication courses.

Communication minors may not enroll in CO 396/397 or CO 398/399.

Please see any Communication Faculty advisor for more information and to work out your own academic plan. This will help you determine how a minor in Communication can benefit your own academic and professional goals, and how it can complement your chosen major.