Requirements for Graduation

Total Credits

120 cr. (123 for students who took Math 101)

General Education Requirements

These are outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog. You may use any Catalog dating from the first year of your registration at the University to the present year’s catalog to determine the specific courses that fulfill the General Education requirements.

45 Credit Rule

You must take at least 45 credits of courses numbered 200 or above.

Required Courses in Communication

COMM 100 (Process of Communication)
COMM 105 (Public Speaking)
COMM 200Q (Research Methods in Communication)

Basic Core

You must take at least two of the following Core courses:

COMM 220 (Interpersonal Communication)
COMM 210 (Persuasion)
COMM 230 (Effects of Mass Media)

Students with an interest in Mass Communication would normally take COMM 230 and COMM 210. Those with an interest in Interpersonal or Organizational Communication would normally take COMM 220 and COMM 210. Students who anticipate graduate work in communication should take all three courses.

Additional Theory Courses

Students must take a minimum of 6 communication theory courses.

Communication theory courses include COMM 200Q and the core courses outlined above. This means that students who take only two of the Core courses listed above must take at least three of the theory courses listed below; those choosing to take all three Core courses must take at least two courses from the following list:

COMM 270W (Global Communication)
COMM 250 (Nonverbal Communication)
COMM 271 (Communication and Change)
COMM 272 (Cross-Cultural Communication)
COMM 273W (Media, State, and Society)
COMM 251W (Adv. Nonverbal Communication)
COMM 225W (Small Group Communication)
COMM 226 (Organizational Communication)
COMM 215 (Communication Campaigns)
COMM 211 (Advanced Persuasion)
COMM 242W (Government Communication)
COMM 224 (Introduction to Semantics)
COMM 245 (Gender and Communication)
COMM 205 (Intro. to Research Literature)
COMM 260 (Information and Communication)
COMM 243 (Protest and Communication)
COMM 264 (Design of Human Communication Systems)
COMM 241 (Mass Media and Political Process)
COMM 262 (New Communication Technologies)
COMM 212 (Visual Communication)
COMM 255 (Motivation and Emotion)
COMM 297* (Topics in Communication)
COMM 298* (Variable Topics)
COMM 299* (Independent Study)

[* With Advisor’s Consent Only]

Additional COMM Courses

At least 24 credits of 200-level Communication courses are required to fulfill the major. These credits include those from COMM 200Q, the Core courses, and all courses chosen from the above list of Communication Theory courses. In addition, courses from the following list can be used to meet the 24-credit major course requirement:

COMM 290 - (Research Practicum)
COMM 291 - (Internship in Communication)
COMM 282 - (Public Relations)
COMM 280 - (Comm. Process. in Advert.)
COMM 288 - (Television Production)

More information to guide your selection of COMM courses is in the next section.

Related Courses

In addition to the minimum of 24 credits in Communication, you will need to take a minimum of 12 credits in Related courses to fulfill the requirements for the major. More information about related courses can be found in following sections.

Student course sequences are not limited to 24 credits of communication courses and 12 credits of related courses. These are minimum requirements, and a good plan of study may include additional Communication and related courses. You are encouraged to construct, with the aid of your advisor, a body of courses that best prepares you for a career or future graduate study in Communication.