Academic Programs
Political Communication
Dr. Valerie Sulfaro, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-3997
E-mail: sulfarva@jmu.edu
Web site: http://www.jmu.edu/commstudies/pc_minor.shtml
The program in political communication is designed for those students wishing to supplement their major programs with an emphasis on communication skills, knowledge and abilities specifically relevant to participation in political environments.
Students must complete a core set of courses, an internship or practicum in the field of political communication, and a set of electives. All speech communication majors with a minor in PCOM are required to take a three-credit hour internship in the School of Communication Studies or the Department of Political Science. POSC majors minoring in PCOM must complete POSC 495 to meet the internship requirement. PCOM minors taking SCOM internships must have completed the SCOM major core requirements prior to enrolling in SCOM 495. Students not wishing to complete the eligibility requirements for an internship
in SCOM may elect to take a three credit hour practicum in communication studies (contact the coordinator for details). This practicum is open only to non-POSC and non-SCOM majors. Before pursuing an internship, students should consult
with the PCOM coordinator to ensure that the internship is suitable for the minor.
For majors in communication studies who minor in PCOM, a maximum double counting of six credit hours of course work between the
minor and the home academic unit or major is permitted. Those
not wishing or able to double count, including non-POSC or
non-SCOM majors, must complete 25-26 credit hours for the minor.
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| GPOSC 225. U.S. Government | 4 |
| SCOM 240. Process of Human Communication | 3 |
| POSC/SCOM/SMAD 472. Media and Politics | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3-4 |
| Non POSC and SCOM majors | |
| SCOM 318. Practicum in Communication Studies (3 credits) | |
| POSC or SCOM majors | |
| POSC 495. Internship (4 credits) | |
| SCOM 495. Internship (3 credits) | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 |
| POSC 365. American Political Campaigning | |
| POSC 369. Parties and Elections | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 |
| SCOM 353. Political Communication | |
| SCOM 453. Political Campaign Communication | |
| Choose two of the following: | 6 |
| POSC 362. Political Behavior | |
| POSC 368. Interest Groups and Public Policy | |
| POSC 383. Women and Politics | |
| POSC 385. The U.S. Congress | |
| SCOM 341. Persuasion | |
| SCOM 346. Free Speech in America | |
| SCOM 352. Communication and Social Movements | |
| SCOM 354. Communication, Environment and Environmentalism | |
| SCOM 431. Legal Communication | |
25-26 |
|
For additional information, contact the head of the Department of Political Science, the director of the School of Communication Studies, or the coordinator of the minor in political communication.
