For both the Professional and Research tracks, one of the following prerequisite classes will be necessary for declaring a Communication major. A minimum grade of 2.5 is required for the prerequisite course.

A maximum of 15 credits is allowed to be transferred towards the Communication degree.

Professional Track Degree Requirements

You need to complete 60 credits, which must include a minimum of 20 credits of upper-division courses. You must earn a total of 180 quarter credits, or 225 quarter credits for a double degree, in order to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in your chosen major.

Communication Foundation (5 credits)
  • TCOM 444 Gender, Ethnicity, and Media 
  • TCOM 453 Critical Approaches To Mass Media
Communication Core (25 credits) - List A

25 Credits, Minimum of 10 Upper Division Credits (300-400 Level) Required

(* denotes courses restricted to Global Honors students)

Professional Track Courses (30 credits) - List B
Optional Communication Capstone (5 credits)

Professional Track students may choose to complete a Senior Project (as part of the List B credits). The Senior Project has two main components: students perform a 5-credit internship in the communication industry and write a 10-15 page academic paper. The project is designed to allow senior professional track students to gain needed professional experience while placing this professional experience in a broader theoretical framework. Senior project internships and academic paper topics will vary and must have faculty advisor approval.

Research Track Degree Requirements

You need to complete 55 credits, which must include a minimum of 20 credits of upper-division courses. You must earn a total of 180 quarter credits, or 225 quarter credits for a double degree, to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in your chosen major.

Communication Foundation (10 credits)
Communication Core (45 credits) - List A

45 credits, including minimum of 20 credits of upper division TCOM credits (300-400 level) required. Minimum of 20 credits MUST be TCOM courses.

(* denotes courses restricted to Global Honors students)

Optional Communication Capstone (5 credits)

Research Track students may choose to complete a 5-credit, 25-35 page senior thesis (as part of the List A credits). Ideally, you would have completed all core and foundation courses before undertaking the thesis. The thesis may be supervised only by core Communication faculty. This means early planning is crucial, and you should develop a rapport with your supervisor by the time you reach the thesis stage.