Communication Studies Major
The Department of Communication Studies offers courses that explore the major media, practices, and problems of a communication-intensive society. Topics include—but are not limited to—bargaining and negotiation, collective decision making, organizational innovation, human-computer interaction, Internet use, popular culture, social movements, and the history of political discourse in the United States. Students work with scholarship from the humanities and the social sciences, and coursework emphasizes the analytical and ethical requirements of responsible scholarship.
Students majoring in Communication Studies select one (or more) of the following areas of study to emphasize a specialty within the field:
- Creative Industries & Markets
- Digital Media: Behavior & Design
- Health Communication
- Media, Publics & Culture
- Strategic & Organizational Communication
Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.
Major Requirements (12 units)
All courses for SoC majors, minors, fields of concentration and distribution requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or higher and may not be taken P/N.
Introductory Courses (3 units)
- Introductory courses to be completed in the first year of studies in the major:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| COMM_ST 101-1 | Communication in Context: Introduction |
| COMM_ST 101-2 | Communication in Context: Analysis & Research |
| COMM_ST 102-0 | Public Speaking |
200-Level Courses (3 units)
- Any 3 200-level courses, ideally to be completed before the end of the sophomore year because the material covered is helpful in more advanced courses.
Advanced Courses (6 units)
- 6 additional communication studies courses at the 300 level, which may include one unit of the CMN 340-0 EPICS Internship Seminar.
- No more than 1 unit of the following courses may be included in these 6 courses for the major. (Additional courses can be applied as electives.)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| CMN 340-0 | School of Communication EPICS Internship Seminar |
| COMM_ST 389-0 | Practicum in Communication Research |
| COMM_ST 397-0 | Honors Seminar |
| COMM_ST 398-0 | Undergraduate Seminar |
| COMM_ST 399-0 | Independent Study |
Areas of Study
Students must complete at least one area of study consisting of 4 courses: 1 foundational 200-level course and 3 additional courses. These courses count toward the 200-level and advanced courses requirements above. Courses that are listed in two areas of study are allowed to be applied to both.
Creative Industries & Markets
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 of the following foundational courses: | |
| COMM_ST 225-0 | Communication and Culture |
| or COMM_ST 274-0 | Power in Entertainment |
| Plus, 3 of the following courses: | |
| COMM_ST 255-0 | Understanding Media Markets: Users, Makers and Metrics |
| COMM_ST 276-0 | The Construction of Value in Cultural Markets |
| COMM_ST 295-0 | Topics in Communication Studies |
(Approved Topics Include: The Public Image) | |
| COMM_ST 302-0 | Law of the Creative Process |
| COMM_ST 370-0 | Ethnographies of Culture |
| COMM_ST 371-0 | Cultural Analytics |
| COMM_ST 372-0 | Creativity in Context |
| COMM_ST 374-0 | Interactive Museum Exhibit Design |
| COMM_ST 375-0 | The Sociology of Online News |
| COMM_ST 376-0 | Contemporary Television |
| COMM_ST 392-0 | Global Culture, Commerce and Communication |
Digital Media: Behavior & Design
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 of the following foundational courses: | |
| COMM_ST 227-0 | Communication & Technology |
| or COMM_ST 270-0 | Media Effects |
| Plus, 3 of the following courses: | |
| COMM_ST 221-0 | Media & Publics Across Cultures |
| COMM_ST 301-0 | Current Issues in Privacy |
| COMM_ST 303-0 | Communication and Misinformation |
| COMM_ST 351-0 | Technology & Human Interaction |
| COMM_ST 352-0 | Social Network Analysis |
| COMM_ST 358-0 | Algorithms and Society |
| COMM_ST 374-0 | Interactive Museum Exhibit Design |
| COMM_ST 378-0 | Online Communities and Crowds |
| COMM_ST 386-0 | Science, Technology, and Society |
| COMM_ST 387-0 | Critical Internet Studies |
| COMM_ST 388-0 | Internet and Society |
| COMM_ST 395-0 | Topics in Communication Studies |
Approved topics include Information Visualization and Social Media, Technology & Mental Health | |
Health Communication
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 of the following foundational courses: | |
| COMM_ST 241-0 | Theories of Relational Communication |
| or COMM_ST 246-0 | Intro to Health Communication |
| Plus, 3 of the following: | |
| COMM_ST 205-0 | Theories of Persuasion |
| COMM_ST 270-0 | Media Effects |
| COMM_ST 248-0 | Black Feminist Health Science Studies |
| COMM_ST 263-0 | Risk Communication |
| COMM_ST 303-0 | Communication and Misinformation |
| COMM_ST 339-0 | Health Communication and Precision Medicine |
| COMM_ST 340-0 | Community Integration of Labeled People |
| COMM_ST 341-0 | Communication and Aging |
| COMM_ST 342-0 | The Experience of Chronic Illness: Body, Self, and Story |
| COMM_ST 345-0 | Family Communication |
| COMM_ST 373-0 | Environmental Art and Advocacy |
| COMM_ST 383-0 | Media, Communication, and Environment |
| COMM_ST 395-0 | Topics in Communication Studies |
(Approved topics include: Social Media, Technology & Mental Health, Psychedelic Medicine) | |
Media, Publics & Culture
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 of the following foundational courses: | |
| COMM_ST 215-0 | Principles of Rhetorical Criticism |
| or COMM_ST 221-0 | Media & Publics Across Cultures |
| Plus, 3 of the following courses: | |
| COMM_ST 228-0 | AfroFeministFutures |
| COMM_ST 275-0 | Persuasive Images: Rhetoric of Popular Culture |
| COMM_ST 295-0 | Topics in Communication Studies |
(Approved topics include: The Public Image) | |
| COMM_ST 310-0 | Rhetoric, Democracy & Empire in Classical Athens |
| COMM_ST 314-0 | Rhetoric and Public Commemoration |
| COMM_ST 315-0 | Rhetoric of Social Movements |
| COMM_ST 317-0 | Voice, Violence, and Democracy |
| COMM_ST 324-1 | Rhetoric of U.S. Women's Rights, Colonial to 1920 |
| COMM_ST 324-2 | Rhetoric of U.S. Women's Rights, 1920-Present |
| COMM_ST 326-0 | African American Rhetoric |
| COMM_ST 373-0 | Environmental Art and Advocacy |
| COMM_ST 380-0 | Political Communication |
| COMM_ST 381-0 | Media, Movements, & Social Change |
| COMM_ST 383-0 | Media, Communication, and Environment |
Strategic & Organizational Communication
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 of the following foundational courses: | |
| COMM_ST 205-0 | Theories of Persuasion |
| or COMM_ST 261-0 | Introduction to Strategic Communication |
| Plus, 3 of the following courses: | |
| COMM_ST 250-0 | Team Leadership and Decision Making |
| COMM_ST 263-0 | Risk Communication |
| COMM_ST 295-0 | Topics in Communication Studies |
(Approved topics include: Ethics & Organizational Social Responsibility) | |
| COMM_ST 344-0 | Interpersonal Conflict |
| COMM_ST 350-0 | Organizational Leadership |
| COMM_ST 352-0 | Social Network Analysis |
| COMM_ST 353-0 | Collaboration Technology |
| COMM_ST 355-0 | Audience Analysis |
| COMM_ST 360-0 | Theories of Organizational Communication |
| COMM_ST 363-0 | Bargaining and Negotiation |
| COMM_ST 364-0 | Collective Decision Making & Communication in Organizations |
| COMM_ST 365-0 | Organizational Assessment |
| COMM_ST 367-0 | Nonprofit Communication Management |
| COMM_ST 378-0 | Online Communities and Crowds |
| COMM_ST 380-0 | Political Communication |
School Requirements (1 unit)
First-Year Seminar (1 unit):
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| CMN 101-0 | SoC First Year Seminar: Interdisciplinary Topics in Communication Arts & Sciences |
SoC Capstone
This requirement can be fulfilled by a combination of 398-1 and 398-2. Other courses may be appropriate as substitutions for CMN 398-1 and/or CMN 398-2. Students may consult with their SoC academic advisor if they have questions about appropriate substitutions.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| CMN 398-1 | SoC Capstone: Lecture |
| CMN 398-2 | SoC Capstone: Lab |
Additional Requirements (29 units)
Distribution Requirements (18 units)
18 units of credit outside the department, including 3 units of credit from each of the three School of Communication distribution areas: science, mathematics, and technology; individual and social behavior; and humanities and fine arts.
Electives (11 units)
Electives in communication and other areas to complete a minimum of 42 units of credit.
Concentration Outside the School of Communication
A field of concentration outside the School of Communication (normally one of the disciplines of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences), consisting of at least 6 units of credit; of these 6, at least 3 must be 300- or 400-level courses. A non-School of Communication major or minor, a dual degree program, and many certificate programs satisfy this requirement. Courses taken to satisfy the field of concentration requirement may fulfill distribution or elective course requirements.
Language Requirement
Proficiency in a classical or modern foreign language equivalent to the work covered in a second-year college-level course (proficiency is established in precisely the same manner as in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; see foreign language requirements). Courses taken to satisfy the language requirement may fulfill distribution or elective course requirements.
Honors in Communication Studies
The Undergraduate Honors Program in Communication Studies offers an opportunity for highly motivated Communication Studies majors to conduct original scholarly research. Each student works closely with faculty to produce an original research project in an interest area determined by the student. Seniors who successfully complete the program will be eligible to graduate with departmental honors. Also see Honors and Prizes in Graduation Honors.