Curriculum Structure
Graduation with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication requires a total of 34 course units, including a minimum of 14 courses in the major. Three of the major courses are taken in cognate fields and 11 in communication. Among the communication courses are two required introductory courses designed to expose students to major topics in the field, one course in research methods, four intermediate-level courses, and four advanced courses. Specific course requirements are outlined below.
General Policies
Courses comprising the major must have been taken for a letter grade (that is, not pass/fail) and have resulted in a grade of “D+” or higher. Students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences may complete one, but not both, of their required introductory courses through the College of General Studies.
Course Descriptions
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Course Requirements
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Introductory Courses.
Two courses ranging broadly over important parts of the field.
- COMM 125: Introduction to Communication Behavior
AND
- COMM 130: Introduction to Mass Media and Society
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Research Methods.
One course providing a basic introduction to the principles and techniques of social research. The requirement can be met in one of two ways:
- COMM 340: Basic Communication Research
OR
- An equivalent methods course in another department. Approval of such courses may require submission of a course syllabus. A non-exhaustive list of sample courses is below (some of which may carry prerequisites).
ECON 005/103 Statistics for Economists MKTG 212 Marketing Research PHIL 225 Intro. to Philosophy of Science PHIL 425 Philosophy of Science PSCI 295 Intro. to Political Research PSYC 020 Probability and Statistics PSYC 3xx Various Research Seminars SOCI 004 Sociology of the Family SOCI 100 Intro. to Sociological Research SOCI 120 Social Statistics SOCI 123 Intro. to Soc. For Adv. Students SOCI 128 Intro. to Demographic Methods SOCI 221 Sample Survey Methods SOCI 222 Field Methods of Soc. Research SOCI 521 Methodological Legal Research STAT 101 Introductory Business Statistics STAT 102 Introductory Business Statistics STAT 111 Introductory Statistics STAT 112 Introductory Statistics URBS 213 Methods in Urban Ethnography -
Intermediate Courses.
Four courses that apply communication perspectives to particular domains of concern, issues or industries. (Advanced courses – see below – can substitute for intermediate-level courses.)
COMM 123 Communication & Popular Culture COMM 140 Intro. to Film Forms and Contexts COMM 175 Argumentation & Public Advocacy COMM 210 Film and Reality COMM 221 Media & Militarism COMM 224 Communication, Childhood, and Play COMM 225 Children and Media COMM 226 Intro. to Political Communication COMM 237 Health Communication COMM 262 Visual Communication COMM 275 Communication and Persuasion COMM 298 Study Abroad COMM 299 Communication Internship Seminar -
Advanced Courses.
Four courses that deal with particular research topics, intended for advanced students in communication. One of these must be a seminar. Courses numbered above 500 may also be taken by seniors with Instructor and School permission.
*SeminarCOMM 298+ Study Abroad COMM 299* Communication Internship COMM 300 Public Space, Public Life COMM 314 Anthropology and Mass Media COMM 322* Hist. & Theo. of Freedom of Expr. COMM 323* Contem. Politics, Policy & Journalism COMM 330 Advertising & Society COMM 334* The Information Age COMM 336 Local News Media & Urban Policy COMM 339 Critical Perspectives in Journalism COMM 340 Basic Communication Research COMM 349* Media and Public Opinion COMM 350 Non-Verbal Communication COMM 358* The Internet and China COMM 360* Lang. in the Social Constr. of Realities COMM 362* Visual Communication Lab COMM 374* Communication and Congress COMM 376* Supreme Court Advocacy COMM 393 Chinese and US Perspectives on Intellectual Property, Piracy, and Creativity COMM 395* Communication and the Presidency COMM 396* Media Events COMM 397* Special Topics in Communication COMM 398* Special Topics in Communication COMM 399 Independent Study COMM 408* Children & Media: Cog. Development COMM 413* Pub. Opinion in Leadership Decisions COMM 415* Communication Law, Policy & Public Interest COMM 416 Intimacy, Privacy & Surveillance COMM 420 Race: History, Theory, and Practice COMM 429* Elections and Mass Media COMM 430* LGBT Representation in Popular Media COMM 439* Media Criticism COMM 445 Imagery, Media and Middle East COMM 454* Framing Public Policy COMM 462* Visual Communic.& Social Advocacy COMM 490* Transnational Communication and Global Media COMM 496* Leisure, Communication and Culture COMM 499 Senior Honors Thesis
+Department approval required. A course syllabus must be submitted to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies and Registrar for review. -
Cognate Courses.
Three courses from other schools and departments that support a student’s research interests in communication. In fulfilling the cognate requirement, students may select courses from three different departments; but no more than a single introductory class is permitted.
Cognates must come from one of the following three clusters:
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Communication and Culture
Anthropology, Art History, Comparative Literature, Education, English, Film Studies, Fine Arts, Folklore, Music, Religious Studies, Sociology, Theater Arts -
Communication and Behavior
Anthropology, Education, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology -
Communication and Commerce**
Business & Public Policy, Economics, International Relations, Legal Studies, Management, Marketing
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