Communication Studies

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[Pre-FALL 2009 curriculum]

The Communication Studies (JCOM) sequence focuses on the understanding and appreciation of communication and communication technologies, historically and in their contemporary forms, as key social processes involved in the production and maintenance of societies. It provides the critical background and necessary analytic skills for making sense of the proliferation of communication products and systems as the world moves into the Information Age. In general, the program's primary objective is to provide students with a conceptual map of the field. Communication Studies majors are expected to go into occupations requiring a liberal arts education with a broad understanding of communication processes and technology. In addition, the program is expected to serve as an intellectual commons for faculty in all sequences, exploring the conceptual similarities and differences of various professional specializations. Faculty: Tom Bivins, Carl Bybee, Gabriela Martinez, Deb Merskin, Bish Sen, Janet Wasko, Kyu Ho Youm.

Sequence requirements:

  1. J314 Introduction to Communication Studies*
  2. J412 Issues in Communication Studies (Titles vary. Any J412 will complete the requirement.)
  3. Choose one more course from the 300-level breadth (“List A”) requirement
  4. Choose one more course from the 400-level breadth (“List B”) requirement
  5. J413 Communication Studies Capstone (Prereq: J314, any J412)

* Effective Fall 2009, this J314 has a new title and is a variable credit course. If you have already taken J314 Introduction to Communication Studies, you may not earn credit for the new course, J314 Introduction to Media Studies. If you have not taken the course, J314 Introduction to Media Studies will fulfill the same requirement. The course may be taken for three or four credits. JCOM majors must take J314 for four credits. Use the "change variable credit/grading option" function in your Duck Web registration menu to change the three-credit default to four credits. The additional credit will necessitate an additional lab for the course. More information will be provided by the course instructor on the first day of class. 

Other things you should know about this major:

  1. This is not a Speech Communication program. The university does not have a Speech department although the English department offers several speech classes.
  2. Many journalism students have used this sequence as a Pre-Law program.
  3. The faculty in the Communication Studies sequence recommend the following courses in the upper-division breadth: J386 Communication Economics, J388 Communication Theory and Criticism, J397 Mass Media Ethics, J455 Third World Development Communication, and J492 International Journalism.
  4. You must take J314 Introduction to Communication Studies (offered every fall) before J413 Communication Studies Capstone (offered every spring).
  5. Not all sequence courses are offered every term. However, there are always options within the upper-division breadth. 
  6. J412 is offered under different course titles. Students may take as many J412s as they wish, as long as each class has a different course title.
  7. The courses used to complete the breadth requirement cannot be used to complete the sequence requirement. In essence, JCOM students take three List A breadth courses and two List B breadth courses.