Communication Arts

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts

Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts prepares individuals for the communication demands of social and professional life through a broad-based liberal arts program studying the nature, processes, and effects of messages. The curriculum core consists of 10 hours of coursework required of all communication arts majors. Students must then select 9 credit hours from one of two tracks: corporate communication or performance communication. The corporate communication track is designed specifically for majors who are interested in careers in business, public relations, and media and entertainment. This track may lead to positions in sales, management, labor relations, training and development, internal communications, issues management, or human relations, among others. The performance communication track is designed to provide students with a general background in communication arts. Majors may pursue careers in the arts, business, law, health, education, social and human services, high technology industries, and international relations and negotiations.

Course Requirements

Arts and Sciences General Education Core

Information Literacy (Communication Skills) – 10 hrs

Cultural Literacy (Foreign Language) – 14 hrs

Math – 3 hrs

Humanities – 8-9 hrs

Biological Science and Physical Science – 13 hrs

Social Science – 15 hrs

 

Major (30 cr)-A minimum of 30 credit hours in courses above the 100 level in one of three major areas: humanities; social and behavioral sciences; or natural, information, and mathematical sciences, with a grade of C- or better in each course, unless specified otherwise in degree-specific programs. No more than 15 credit hours in 200-level courses may be used to satisfy this requirement. The 200-level courses in a foreign language may not be used to satisfy both the concentration requirement and the foreign language requirement effective Fall 2006.

10 specified credit hours required of all Communication Arts majors:

• JOUR-C 200 Introduction to Mass Communications

  • SPCH-C 321 Persuasion

  • SPCH-C 380 Organizational Communication

  • SPCH-S 201 Communicating in Public

  • SPCH-S 205 Introduction to Speech Communication

  • SPCH-S 336 Communication Theory

  • SPCH-S 398 Independent Study in Speech Communication (1 cr.)

12 elective hours to be chosen from speech, theatre, or communication- related courses. Only one course may be taken below the 300 level. No grade in these courses may be lower than C-.