Communication Studies, BPhil Com

Curriculum

The bachelor's degree requirements are 42 units total and include distribution, writing, and elective courses, and the major requirements.

Communication Studies Major Requirements

Course Title
Four Core Courses
COMM_ST 102-CNPublic Speaking
COMM_ST 205-DLTheories of Persuasion
Choice of one:
Principles of Rhetorical Criticism
Communication and Culture
Persuasive Images: The Rhetoric of Contemporary Culture
Choice of one:
Communication & Technology
Introduction to Health Communication
Theories of Mediated Communication
Two Seminars
COMM_ST 294-DLFirst-Year Seminar
COMM_ST 394-DLResearch Seminar
Six Communication Studies Courses
One 200 or 300-level COMM_ST course
Five 300-level COMM_ST courses

 

Degree Requirements

The bachelor of philosophy in communication (BPhilCom) is an interdisciplinary professional degree awarded to students who major in Communication StudiesCommunication Systems, or Radio/Television/Film. The BPhilCom degree is conferred by the School of Communication.

Bachelor of Philosophy in Communication

To earn the BPhilCom degree, students must complete a total of 42 units, including a writing requirement, distribution requirements, a major and electives. Minors are optional.

Courses Units Earned
English 111 or 205 1
English 113 or Perf St 103 1
Humanities 3
Psychology 3
Science 3
Social Sciences 3
Major Requirements 12-14
Electives Up to 16
Total 42

About the Writing Requirement

The writing requirement ensures that students have the skills necessary to meet the rigorous writing demands of subsequent SPS courses in all majors and disciplines. The expository writing courses provide the tools to meet the demands of advanced academic writing; the courses may not be audited or taken on a pass/no credit basis.

Transfer and performance-based admission students must fulfill the writing requirement through one of two options:

Option 1: Complete an English composition course at SPS.

Demonstrate successful completion of English 111 or 205. A grade of C or higher is required.

Option 2: Successfully appeal the writing requirement via the Student Affairs Petition Form.

Students who believe they have the writing skills necessary for university-level research and analytical papers may appeal the SPS writing requirement.

A successful appeal does not result in credit for the writing course. Students must complete another course in its place according to the needs and guidelines of their program. Writing will be evaluated for standards of good expository writing, including: a fully developed thesis; sound logic and adequate evidence in support of the thesis; effective organization, coherent structure and an overall unity; correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Appeal materials must be submitted by the quarter deadline before entry.

About the Distribution Requirements

Students complete course work in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences to obtain a broad experience in the liberal arts. Courses that satisfy these distribution requirements include the following areas:

Humanities

Art history, classics, comparative literary studies, English literature, languages other than English (up to two units), history, music history, philosophy, religion, and some courses in African American studies, languages with literature, gender studies, performance studies, radio/television/film, and theatre.

Sciences

Astronomy, biological sciences, chemistry, earth and planetary sciences, engineering, geography, information systems, mathematics, physics and some courses in anthropology, communication sciences and disorders, psychology, radio/television/film, and statistics.

Social Sciences

Anthropology, economics, history, linguistics, political science, sociology, and some courses in African American studies, communication sciences and disorders, gender studies, psychology, and statistics.