Program Areas

The School of Communication Studies offers six program areas and numerous minors. Use the buttons above to view each area's description, courses and faculty. Regardless of the program area, all majors must complete the following major requirements.

The School of Communication Studies offers the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees with a major in communication studies. Students must take at least 39 hours of work in communication studies beyond the general education requirement. All programs must include at least four elements

	15 hours of required courses
	15 hours of courses within distribution areas to meet the school depth requirement
	9 hours of free elective courses in communication studies at the 300 or 400 levels
	12 hours of course work in a cognate area with a minimum of 9 hours at the 300 level or above; or a second major or a minor

In addition, students pursuing the B.S. in speech communication must complete MATH 220, Elementary Statistics or a school-approved statistics course with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better.

Courses

Core Requirements

	SCOM 240. The Process of Human Communication
	SCOM 242. Presentational Speaking
	SCOM 245. Signs, Symbols, and Social Interaction
	SCOM 280. Introduction to Communication Research
	SCOM 341. Persuasion
	Depth Requirement: (15 hours required from the depth areas below)

Communication Skills (choose one of the following)

	SCOM 243. Oral Interpretation
	SCOM 247. Small Group Communication
	SCOM 261. Public Relations Techniques I: Written
	SCOM 332. Mediation
	SCOM 342. Argument and Advocacy
	SCOM 358. Business and Professional Communication Studies
	SCOM 361. Public Relations Techniques II: Visual
	SCOM 449. Communication Training

Communication Research (choose one of the following)

	SCOM 381. Communication Criticism
	SCOM 383. Communication Research Methodologies
	SCOM 386. Communication Survey Research

Communication Theory and Context (choose three of the following)

	SCOM 220. Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
	SCOM 231. Introduction to Alternative Dispute Resolution
	SCOM 248. Intercultural Communication
	SCOM 260. Introduction to Public Relations
	SCOM 270. Introduction to Health Communication
	SCOM 313. Topics in Communication Studies (one to three credits)
	SCOM 331. Communication and Conflict
	SCOM 345. Nonverbal Communication
	SCOM 346. Free Speech in America
	SCOM 347. Communication, Diversity, and Popular Culture
	SCOM 348. Communication and Gender
	SCOM 350. Organizational Communication
	SCOM 352. Communication and Social Movements
	SCOM 353. American Political Culture and Communication
	SCOM 431. Legal Communication
	SCOM 432. Senior Seminar in Conflict and Mediation Studies
	SCOM 440. Advanced Interpersonal Communication
	SCOM 450. Advanced Studies in Organizational Communication
	SCOM 460. Public Relations Management
	SCOM 461. Public Relations Campaigns
	SCOM 470. Health Communication Campaigns
	SCOM/SMAD/POSC 472. Media and Politics

Additional communication studies electives at the 300/400 levels

Cognate Requirement

Successful completion of a cognate area of study also is required for the major, unless the student has officially completed a second major or minor approved by the school. A cognate area is a structured set of courses outside the school but closely related to the major. These courses may stem from one department or a variety of departments. The courses must center on a common theme that complements and strengthens the major.

All cognates must

	Include a minimum of 12 credit hours, with at least 9 of these hours at the 300 level or above.
	Be pre-structured by the school or prepared jointly by the student and adviser.
	Receive approval from both the adviser and school director at the beginning of the student’s program.
	Consist of courses in which the student receives a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher.

Minimum Grades

Any course taken to fulfill a degree requirement in Communication Studies, must be completed with a minimum grade of “C” (2.0). A speech communication course completed with a grade of “C-” or “D” may be credited toward graduation, but may not be included as course work toward a communication studies major or minor.

Limitations in Applied Courses

No more than six hours combined credit in SCOM 318, Practicum in Communication Studies; SCOM 390, Directed Projects and SCOM 495, Internship in Communication Studies may be counted toward a major in communication studies.